Goodbye, August!

August was just slammed packed with stuff and it was absolutely wonderful, but absolutely exhausting. We closed out the month yesterday by hitting IHOP at 8:00, coming home and taking showers and going on our hospital tour at 10:00, then going to Babies R Us, Target, out to lunch, to see Jeff’s grandma in the hospital, to the car cleaners and then we installed the car seats and had my mom and stepdad and sisters over to grill out. Needless to say, that is only a small example of what this whole month has been like.

We had three amazing baby showers in August, and we are humbled and touched by our family and friends who showed up (sometimes to all three!), who gave us amazing and great presents and who, if they could not make it, sent gifts through the mail. After yesterday’s run to Target and Babies R Us, we are set for Ryan’s arrival. I am washing clothes and packing our hospital bags today. We are exactly 36 weeks, so it could technically be anytime from now until 5 weeks from now (let’s aim for oh, 38 weeks, kid!).

I’m feeling okay in this final month. I’m swelling a lot, and not just in my feet and ankles. My calves are huge and I can push on them and make indentions. I can’t feel my shin bones anymore. My hands are swollen some, to the point that I can’t wear my wedding bands or even the fake one I bought in two sizes bigger when my band was getting too tight. I am a baby mama apparently! I’m having some joint issues, which is something I read about but never thought would happen to me. My knees and fingers and jaw are so sore at times. I found out that I am severely anemic, so I’m having to take iron pills in addition to eating iron rich food (I never knew you could get tired of steak…). However, even with all of those complaints, I have never felt better. I love the feeling of Ryan moving around, and I know that we only have a few weeks left of this amazing time. So while my feet hurt at all times of the day now, the miracle of this whole experience has never ceased to amaze me.