33 Weeks and a Belly to Show for It!

Here we are, about 7 weeks out! I feel enormous but little boy is supposed to put on a lot of weight the next couple weeks, so I attribute all weight gain to him! Although, my appetite cannot be left out of the picture/calculations! I need food right now. A lot of it. And often! Bekham is extremely active for how little space he has in this belly. I had read to expect less movement/jerks as baby starts to run out of room. I feel more movement than ever now and they are quite jerky and painful at times! But I love it. I can't wait to see those jerky movements when he is actually in our arms! I love this little boy more than I could have ever imagined!

This past week was crazy and busy. I never want to relive a week like that again. I got more work piled on me than I could truly handle 2 days in a row and it almost led to a complete breakdown. But... I held it together, shockingly enough. Hoping and praying this week is more of a walk in the park. I've learned never to count on that. As crazy as the week was, the weekend was quite the opposite. Full of fun activity and enjoyment! Friday night we went out to eat in downtown Roswell. We ran into some new friends of ours from our small group and that was great! Saturday morning started early again with Child Birth Class #2. Loved it. With the exception of the vividly graphic water birth. Never. Again. However, we learned some different techniques to use during contractions and during different phases of labor. Some of my takeaways were the use of essential oils (orange for energy, peppermint for nausea, and lavender for relaxation) and rice socks to use as heating pads for aches/pains. Nick was unable to go to class with me, so I have a lot to teach him about different labor techniques. I found a few favorites that I'll want to make sure he's aware of! We learned the phases/stages of labor and exactly what to expect and when. We learned about the benefits of delayed cord clamping which I had never heard of before, but am a huge proponent of now. We were also told to work more on our birth plans this week which I am excited about. I finally feel like I have my own ideas after the past 2 weeks of class!

Moving on .. Saturday night, about half of the girls in our small group got together and made dinner and yarn wreaths (my new obsession). Here is a picture of the one I made! I plan on making a couple more of these in my lifetime. They are quite addicting and way too affordable to ever buy a pre-made wreath again! It was great to spend time with these girls outside of small group. I am so excited to have this circle of girls for support and encouragement when I become a new mom!

Sunday I decided I would pamper my feet a bit as they have been neglected due to the Bekham belly. I can hardly reach them to paint them let alone pamper them with lotion/sugar scrub etc. So... I went to get a manicure and pedicure. Not just a normal pedicure. A pedicure with callous remover and sugar scrub. Oh it was glorious. I'll be going back as often as possible before baby comes. If nothing else, I need my feet to feel pretty during labor as I imagine nothing else will be as attractive.

Well, here is the belly at 33 weeks!

 This morning in my quiet time, I read Proverbs 10 (Felt it appropriate since today is 10/10). There were many verses comparing the wise to the foolish. The first verse specifically references a wise son. I felt a passion, almost a burden, to raise this boy to be the wise man, the wise son that Solomon talks about. Here are the blessings and rewards of the wise: The wise son brings joy to his father. Diligent hands bring wealth. He who gathers grops in summer is a prudent son. Blessings crown the head of the righteous. The wise in heart accept commands. Whoever walks in integrity walks securely. The mouth of the righteous is a fountain of life. Love covers all wrongs. Wisdom is found on the lips of the discerning. The wise store up knowledge. The wages of the righteous is life. The prudent hold their tongues. The tongue of the righteous is choice silver. The lips of the righteous nourish many. The blessing of the Lord brings wealth. A person of understanding delights in wisdom. What the righteous desire will be granted. The righteous stand firm forever. The fear of the Lord adds length to life. The prospect of the righteous is joy. The way of the lord is a refuge for the blameless. The righteous will never be uprooted. From the mouth of the righteous comes the fruit of wisdom. The lips of the righteous know what finds favor.

I know, without a doubt, this is not something I can give to my son or force upon him. Only God can draw his heart near enough to conform him into the wise man Solomon references. But I do pray that God would give Nick and I the wisdom we need to nurture Bekham in his faith and encourage him in the will and ways of the Lord. You are almost here little boy and I cannot wait!