The countdown has officially begun

Countdown to what? Seeing how it's been almost nine months since my last post, it could be anything. But alas, we are counting down the days (not months) until the much anticipated arrival of our first baby. He/she is guesstimated to arrive 33 days from today on May 16.

The first month the longest. We found out I was pregnant and I promptly called the doctor's office the next day so that I could make my first appointment. Silly me, thinking they'd want to see me right away. Noooo, we had to wait another month. We had talked about keeping quiet about our big news, with the exception of family, until after the first appointment, just to make sure that our baby was healthy and all was well. But anyone who knows me also knows that secrets are not my forte. Especially big, exciting secrets. So that plan wasn't executed so well.

I suppose that's a good thing, though. One thing I've learned through this process is that you can pretty much throw "planning" out the window when it comes to pregnancy, childbirth and raising babies. I've traded planning for preparing, and in that arena, I think we've done a pretty darn good job. Mike, my dad and the neighbor started working on the nursery in January--painting, hanging trim and installing a ceiling fan. We inherited a crib and changing table from one of Mike's coworkers, so we put those together too. Since then, the room has been coming together piece by piece. A couple of weeks ago we finally found a rocking chair, and the room is complete. (photos will have to come later)

Sometimes I think we're probably too prepared, if there is such thing--all of the bedding, blankets, burp rags and clothes have been washed and put away. The carseat bases are in both cars (thank you local fire department for the safety check). And we still have a month left. But you never know when these things will actually happen. And there's a lot of mental preparation that needs to happen too, which I don't think is as measurable as a room coming together.

We had our childbirth class last weekend. I've done some reading but the class was helpful and informative for both of us. We're going to labor class tonight, as we've agreed to try and go through the entire birthing process without medication, which is going to take the strong will of us both. Mike is going to Daddy Boot Camp on Saturday, which I think sounds pretty neat. It's new dads talking to dads-to be about what it's like to have a new baby (and a sleep-deprived wife). I hope it's useful. And finally, a week from today, we head to the hospital for a tour and to fill out our registration paperwork. Talk about a reality check!

I have to say that I think being pregnant has been fun (for the most part). I preface that with saying that I have been one of the lucky ones. I wasn't sick for the entire first three months--nauseous, yes, but not sick. Thus far, I've had no problems and baby is healthy. Of course I get aches and pains, and maybe some puffy ankles and feet, but all of that is negligible when you feel that little person moving around. I haven't had random strangers touch my belly, but it makes me happy when people ask about the baby.

We decided to not find out the sex of our baby ahead of time, and that's also been a lot of fun, too. It was very tempting at the ultrasound to ask, but we didn't. Picking names for both, making bets on what it is and taking polls on what others think it is (it's about half and half)...what a great surprise it will be when he/she decides to make their appearance. Last weekend we bought a pink outfit and a blue outfit for the trip home from the hospital. It's hard to explain the excitement and feelings that I have right now. Excited, yes-very. Nervous, of course. Scared, definitely. And a whole bunch of other things that I can't even put into words.

Above anything,the past 8 months have really opened my eyes to what a wonderful, supportive husband I have, and that we're going to be good parents because we're in this together. The process has reinforced the importance of communication. It's tested our patience with one another (no one likes a grouchy, weepy wife--it's bound to wear on anyone) and it's made us think about our future in a way that goes way beyond the two of us.

I know that in 33 days (give or take a few) our world is going to turn upside down, never to be the same again. And while we have no idea what it's going to be like, I know we're ready to tackle it with everything we've got.

And so, the countdown begins. But for now, I need to get back to work. I have lots to get done in the next four weeks!