35.5 weeks

Today, at four days past 35 weeks, my pregnancy has officially outlasted my pregnancy with the boys by four days. This is not surprising being that it is only one baby, yet it still marks a milestone in my own mind. Although I have 4.5 weeks left, I am relieved to be delivering in 2.5 weeks as I am not sure I could get any larger or more uncomfortable. My clothes don't fit and I do not even try to hide that fact, and the baby is officially trying to push its way out of me making me feel as if I have just gotten off of a very long horseback ride where we did a lot of galloping. Most days I feel as if there is no way I will make it to the 6th of January, and am convinced I never would have made it to the 20th. Yet, I know everybody says that and I probably will and would have if given the opportunity. Chase and Ryder are feeling the upcoming change in their own ways and have both been extra clingy, luckily at different times. Todd and I are trying to use the next two weeks to have a lot of family time, and one on one time with them. Although, with the holidays amongst us, we are over-run with plans and we intend to spend all free days available just the four of us, until it is no longer just the four of us.
This morning we took a family maternity portrait. The boys were somewhat cooperative in that they wanted to be as close to me as possible and that is exactly what the picture called for. The boys look good, it is me I am unimpressed with. My face is as large as my belly and at 9 months pregnant my belly is really large. I do not notice the extra chins in the mirror, but in pictures there is no hiding it. I guess it's true when they say the camera adds ten pounds. Of course this becomes even more problematic when you are already up many multiples of ten. Ah, what can I do? I am happily very pregnant and have had few complaints along the way. The end is always the toughest but only because the reward is so close. I can almost start to imagine the joy we will feel when we meet our baby and its that, more than the discomfort down low that makes me want to deliver. Boy or girl? Light hair or dark hair? Brown eyes or blue? What name will we choose in the end? This is all part of what I can't wait to find out in a few weeks. And, of course, just to meet our precious third born.



PS: Notice in these pictures we have more hair issues. In the color photo I have a fly away curl that apparently was not noticeable to the photographer when shooting, or me when choosing photos. In the black and white photo it looks as if Ryder stuck his hand in a socket before the shoot and his hair is sticking up. Really it is the graphic on Todd's shirt. Again, this went unnoticed until too late. Still, these were the best of the bunch. imagine that.