Ready or not, she WILL come;)

Tomorrow is officially the due date for our third child. I remember being pregnant with Ava and being overly anxious for her to arrive. What a different experience this is;) We are heading out in about 1/2 to drive 2 1/2 hours down to Chicago. Tomorrow is Ava's first dance recital. I am just praying the baby stays put;)
Everywhere I go I hear two things: 1) that I am about to have my hands full (if only they knew how full they are already;) and 2) various advice about how to make labor happen sooner. Am I having sex nightly? Eating pinapple? taking long walks? washing my floors? "bearing down"? putting rose hip oil in my vag.? and of course the old syrup of ipecac trick. I just smile and say, "oh at the longest this baby will be in another week or so- we'll make it. I must look incredible uncomfortable for all this unsolicited advice. Sometime is surprises me how forward strangers are? I mean really how often does someone you barely know ask you if you are having sex nightly or even better telling you to put something in your vagina. I have had to really fight not to bust out laughing. I've never been one to mind people touching my stomach- though I understand why people do. It's just something about pregnancy that makes people kind of lose normal social inhibitions!

The truth is- I am VERY swollen. Marc says he has a hard time taking me seriously if he happens to glance at my legs while I am talking and my mother called me yesterday and said, "how's my fat baby, doing?" I assumed she was talking about my son- she wasn't. She started laughing and clarified that she was referring to ME;) (She'd never call me fat normally- by the way, she was just being silly; She's a great mom- no need too get all concerned;) I kind of forget what my feet and legs normally look like. I KNOW I have chicken legs, i just don't remember them. I'll gladly take them back in a week or two, though. (I did have Marc take a picture of my "elephantitis" as he calls it. I think it will be great birth control in the future- in fact, if anyone knows high school sex ed teachers- I'd be happy to pass it along as a "THIS could happen to you." As soon as he downloads his flip camera- I'll post it.)
Aside from the swelling, I am not doing to badly. Oh- I have a bit of trouble sleeping and my back hurts by the end of the day and if I have to carry Phin too much my lower abdomen gets sore, but I am okay. I just look awful, apparently;)

Mentally, I am not quite ready for baby. I have all my stuff in order and my nesting projects are done, but with the recital looming- it would be a bit surreal for the baby to come now. I am praying she comes afterwards. I AM looking forward to her arrival and surprisingly, I am looking forward to going through labor again. This might be our last natural child and I am so looking forward to experiencing the miracle of birth again. With both my other children I had great fear and anxiety; this time I just keep thinking about that moment when you hear that cry and see those teeny fingers and toes. Such hard work pays off in an unforgettable instant- I cannot wait.