A giant heart and a growing baby bump.

I made this collage as a 20x20 piece mounted on styrene to put up at my shower. Just thought I would share! This documents weeks 17-35 of our pregnancy. It's so fun to see how much the belly/he has grown and all the fun things we did.

I can't seem to wrap my brain around the fact that he could be here anytime now. I think all day about how I could literally go into labor that very next moment. Then within a few, or a lot of, hours our lives will be forever changed and we will become parents. I get asked everyday if I'm nervous and I'm really not. Don't get me wrong I'm nervous about the birth (we're going to TRY to do it naturally) but not about parenting. I guess 9 years as a nanny makes me feel at least a little more prepared. Though, I know it's not the same at all. I've also just always felt ready to be a mother. I have always had those maternal nurturing instincts, which is why I began nannying in the first place.

The part I'm most overwhelmed and nervous about is getting everything ready for him. I work all day doing things around the house, running errands, and trying to finish client work in time for his arrival. I have lists, I mean LISTS, of all the things to do before he is here. Every time I feel a cramp I tell him "not today". I'm not ready yet. I'll take the discomfort of these last days over the being unprepared any day.

At the end of the day though all that matters is that he gets here healthy. That both of us come out of the birth ok. If that happens everything will be perfect no matter how many things are left on that to-do list.

A question for any of you who are mothers: Did you actually relax in the days leading up to your due date? Also, if any of you had natural births I could use some encouraging words!

16 days till our due date.