6 Weeks of Spring

Isn't this photo beautiful? Braydon took it a few days ago in our yard. Suddenly in the past couple of days it is feeling like it is really, really spring here. Daffodils are blooming everywhere, forsythia is bright yellow all over the place, buds are bursting on trees. Gosh, I love this time of year. And this spring seems extra crisp. It feels to me like all of spring is more decisive this year. I know it is because of the baby in my belly. We're trying to take in every moment. And it all feels so real. It feels like big changes are underway... like it is all happening and there is no stopping it... but it is all right and there's no need to try to keep it at bay... spring. It is a surreal, yet so real, feeling. Today I had my 34 week OB appointment. 6 weeks 'till Baby Sister is due. 4 weeks 'till Baby Sister is considered full term. And the big good news was that Baby Sister has taken the dive! She's suddenly head-down! And as the doctor said, he's "confident" that she won't flip back because she's "trapped there." Nice! The amazing thing is that I'm pretty sure I felt her flip downward-- Last night at about 9:30 Braydon and I were in the baby's room (or, more accurately, I should say, we were in what will become the baby's room... we're working on that project)... Braydon was putting together a bookshelf and I was sitting there watching him. I had been in so much pain over the past several days (with Baby Sister's head crammed up against my right ribs and my right ribs just in agony day and night). She started her usual nightly routine: break-dancing like her brothers, like a little maniac, moving around like crazy in there. Suddenly there was a very, very huge movement and I lost my breath for a minute. And then... instant relief. I sat right up, and said to Braydon, "Oh my gosh! She just moved a huge move and it feels soooo much better!" I immediately stood up, just to see how it would feel. Sure enough-- total relief. I felt about 15 pounds lighter and had about 15 times the energy/pep as I had just 60 seconds earlier. Braydon felt my belly and could feel the difference-- she's much more aligned in there, much more centered. I got the best night sleep I've had in many days last night. And I woke up feeling great. The doctor confirmed it: she's head down... right where she's supposed to be right about now. Thank heavens. She hasn't "dropped" but, according to the doctor she's "locked in." Today I've felt a lot better than the past few days. My right ribs are still hurting (her butt is shoved up against them now), but now it hurts much less than before, and it is only really painful about 40% of the day (as opposed to the 80-90% of the day that it was hurting before). There is a lot to do in the next 6 weeks (including tying up many loose ends at work, accomplishing many home projects, checking many things off the massive To-Do list, and keeping two soon-to-be-4-year-old boys relatively calm about the many things they are overly-excited about), but at least it is a beautiful wondrous time of year to be doing it.