26 Weeks

Here we are at 26 weeks!

This week, I spent Monday and Tuesday in Columbia for work meetings. I work for Lindsey Wilson College's School of Professional Counseling, and we have 25 community campuses in 5 states. I'm the enrollment coordinator for our Louisville, Kentucky campus. Because we're scattered to the four winds, we get together twice a year (in February and September) for marathon meeting sessions to catch up and all get on the same page. As I was sitting in meetings this week, I realized that I've been pregnant for the last three sets of meetings we've had. Wow. Last February, I was 10 weeks pregnant, and 3 days away from finding out that we'd lost our first baby. In September, I was about 5 weeks pregnant and was about to burst with happiness that our "rainbow baby" is on the way. This time, for the first time, I'm obviously pregnant!

I'm feeling really good for the most part. I'm still having trouble with sleep, but I just think of it as getting into practice for the lack of sleep I'll be experiencing in just a little over 3 months. I don't have any trouble at all falling asleep, but I wake up all.the.time. For the first half of the night, I usually wake up about once an hour. Then, from about 3am-6am, I sleep pretty well...but it's just never long enough! I do have the big body pillow, and that does help to make me more comfortable. I didn't realize how much I've gotten used to it until I went off and forgot it while I was out of town. Hotel pillows just didn't do the trick.

While I was in Columbia, I was able to catch up with an old friend, Benson. He and I were freshman advisors at LWC about 7 years ago, and I always try to catch up with him when I'm on campus. Last June, he and his wife, Kristin, welcomed their first child, Luke, into the world. Luke was born with Hypoplastic Left Heart Syndrome and passed away at 12 days old. Little Luke sure did make his mark on the world in those short days, though. If you'd like to learn more about Benson, Kristin, and Luke, please visit their blog, The Sexton 4. (It was originally The Sexton 3, but now Benson and Kristin are expecting a little girl, just a couple of weeks after us!) In addition to being a phenomenal writer, Kristin is also a very talented photographer, and she'll be taking maternity photos for us in just a little over a month. I'm excited to be able to spend some time with her during the session!

Tonight David and I attended our first of many maternity classes. First up: the Cesarean section class. Oh, how I hope and pray I don't have to have a C-section...especially after the class. I nearly teared up when the nurse teaching the class talked about how I wouldn't be able to hold the baby for over an hour if I had a C-section. The thought of that just absolutely breaks my heart. I can't wait for the moment when they lay that precious baby on my chest for the first time...and to think that it might be delayed for an hour (or more!)...I can't think about it. And besides that, there's all the recovery and lengthy hospital stay to consider. You better believe that I'll be praying for a vaginal birth. I've already had a conversation with Sprout and asked him/her to please be in the correct position when it counts!

As I mentioned at the beginning of the post, I was able to spend a couple of days at my alma mater, Lindsey Wilson. I love that place, and I enjoy any excuse to get back down there. During my little bit of down time, I visited the bookstore, and of course I had to pick up a few things! Just a warning...prepare yourself, because you might just die from the cuteness of the items you're about to see:
A Lindsey Wilson College Blue Raiders long-sleeve t-shirt! It says 12 months (which means it would be June and a little warm for a long-sleeve t-shirt), but I think it's awfully small. I'm hoping Sprout can wear it at around the 6 month mark, which would be Decemberish...for basketball games!

And a blue LWC onesie, in newborn size. Of course I'll be taking Sprout's photo in this as soon as I can so that I can show him/her off to all my LWC friends/coworkers! I can't wait. These are the first two clothing items that I've bought for the baby, and it just felt so good to buy them! It made things feel real (not that having a crib and changing table didn't already make it feel real enough)!

As of today, Sprout's due date is 99 days away. I can't believe it. The countdown is on!