Owwwwie! (or Poor Kimmer)

Ouch. I hurt a lot last night. Right under my breasts feels like someone is ripping tissue out with a rake. The doc said it was from Lily dropping...but at that time it only felt bruised...now it is sharp pain.
And my feet are bulging out of my flip flops.
It's raining here today so that means flip flops don't work wonderfully.
Tried to wear my slip ons to work...NOOOOOO.
I had to stuff my toes into them and scoot into the office. Then flip flops.
Sigh.

AND I'm starving. I had a Jimmy Dean frozen omlet this morning, a no-bake cookie (w/Splenda) and a banana. AND still hungry.

Did you see the pics in the previous post? Yeah. Maybe that girl was calling me fatty and was trying to be kind? Hah.

Not much longer now...17 days til due date. Maybe...JUST maybe, by God's grace and mercies (which are already ABUNDANT in our lives), we won't make it that long.

What did Carly say? Anticipaaaayaaaaation...

FATTY.

The next person who calls me "FATTY" will get punched. Especially if it, once more, comes from a WOMAN who has indeed BEEN PREGNANT. Are you friggin kidding me??

This happened not once but three times at our (Billy's) party shower this weekend (pictured here).
The party was SO lovely otherwise...so much loving and sweetness.
AND CAN YOU SEE ME BEHIND THAT BELLY? Hee hee! Actually, that is not a good shot...here:

This is me with our good buddy Riley Dover...yeah, we're watching The Little Mermaid together. Yay!

He was also a GREAT helper when it came to present-opening:



Gracious thanks to Brandon and Shanna for the badass cookout and party.

Now, let's get this show on the ROAD...I'm ready to pop this sweet girl OUT!!
OH and I went SWIMMING on Saturday!! I BRAVED A TWO PIECE AND WENT TO THE POOL BY MYSELF AND IT WAS FRICKIN THE BEST THING EVEEERRR!
I felt weightless...I could kick my feet and kind of stay afloat AND the water was SO cold and felt SO good on my poor sad, swollen feet.

But seriously...to any woman who is or will become preggo: GO SWIM. Go the nearest community college or city pool...the YMCA...WHEREVER. Go and you will feel NORMAL...until you get out, that is. Heh.

With less than three weeks to go, I am feeling good. Energetic and kind of overwhelmed. I don't feel like I have ANYTHING done yet, but GUESS WHAT? I packed my hospital bag! Well, kind of. I have yet to include a "going home" outfit for myself (my sweats are all dirty) ANNND we've not packed our MP3 players or DVD player yet. (Gotta charge 'em) Or any other entertainment. I hear we might need the UNO cards or something.

Regardless of all the good, the crankiness persists...I drop things (especially food) constantly and while bending and squatting isn't really a problem, I still don't want to do it.

We have one more baby shower to go...this one is being hosted by Billy's sweet church, Mayridge. Honestly? I'm just going for the cake! HA!

No...seriously!

See the bloated face? That's not from water, kids!!

Anyway, thanks for the love and support from the friends and family.
Kimmer & LilyBlue (And billy)

drop it like it's HAWT

She's dropped! (some) ANNND my cervix (lovely, I know) had thinned about 50%.
Dude, I believe this is GREAT news. We are actually progressing! Really! No, REALLY!

There's light at the end and the doc was very pleased that things are right on schedule.
Siiiiiigggghofrelief.

My precious husband and I have been heavily nesting...organizing then RE-organizing...buying and putting together furniture...washing a billion baby sheets, baby blankets, baby clothes...re-registering...making lists.

And yet, I've STILL not packed my hospital bag! I know why...all my bags are either REALLY big or really tiny or really old and grody. And I'm sorry, I think I should have a CUTE bag!! (pout) Also, until yesterday, it hadn't sunk it yet that YES INDEEDY SHE IS COMING SOON. Huh...kind of how I feel about the Saviour...sure, I KNOW he's coming soon...but maybe he should start dropping and give us a clue? Maybe then we'll straighten up? :)

Anywhoo...though this whole ride has not been all that fun, looking back a little makes me smile and giggle a little because of these things I am truly thankful for:

• I have not really had any back problems (thank you, God, for Yoga)
• I didn't have much of the sickies
• I almost always felt attractive and my husband was great at making me feel sexy
• MY HUSBAND. Dear God he's cute about it all.
• My job. Where else can you work, get really sick and they not only hold onto your job, they pay you and help you get disability THEN beg you to come back to work...only to overly party-hearty-marty when you DO return. THEN tell you how proud they are of you for coming to work in your 9th month. Seriously.
• Belly lotion. Not one stretch mark. NOT ONE.
• I have worn the same bra throughout the entire pregnancy. Yesssss.
• Spring pregnancy...only because buying WINTER preggo clothes would have been a fortune and no WAY would my fat, bloated feet fit into winter shoes. I've been flip-floppin' it for a month now.

So, we're on the way...and it's never seemed so surreal.

I can't wait!! I wanna kiss 'er!

Patience

Here we are! We're still here! After all this time! Yay!

After a rather miserable weekend, and TODAY I get back to work, my inbox has THIS devotional: "Developing Patience". Lord, are you KIDDING ME? ha.

I've never looked at pregnancy as anything but punishment, right? Eve took the fruit, and all women suffer!

But while for me, being pregnant has not been too much fun, being ill not once, but TWICE during has shown me several things that I never thought of:

-Pregnancy is not about me.
-If you're not patient, you'll sure learn to be by month 9.
-Don't overestimate yourself - sometimes you really can't carry all that laundry.
-Don't UNDERestimate yourself - Rest is good, but so is Yoga, walking and other fun stuff.
-Holy crap...my mom knows a LOT of stuff.
-It's okay to stay home and be with my family.

Well, those are a few things. After being out a month w/ pneumonia (and off work on disability) then coming back for a week, only to catch some kind of stomach bug last weekend and basically only eating four meals in four days AND missing my own baby shower...GYAH...I have to say I'm rather happy to see that this whole thing is winding down.

Honestly, this miracle in me is precious, but I'm ready to deal with her on the outside. I want to sleep on my back and stomach again. I want to be able to SEE what I'm shaving down there. I want Billy to carry her around for a change! :)

The generosity of friends and loved ones has literally been overwhelming. The Grace of God has been overwhelming as well. We've watched job changes, unexpectied finances and gifts come out way that has not only kept us afloat, but actually well above poverty while I was out.

Now that we're starting to get Lily's furnishings and clothes and goodies, everything is clicking...everything is less surreal, but REAL. She's really in there, really coming and REALLY gonna need us.

Which means...we need to sleep NOW while we can.

Thanks to everyone who supported us from afar.
Much love,
Kimmer & Lily.