Are you ready?!

So I will be 38 weeks tomorrow and the question on everyone's lips is, "Are you ready?"
My answer is, "As ready as I can possibly be without having a clue about what is going to hit me."

What does being ready consist of?

- The room is ready (pics below)
- We have blankets, pillows, slings, nappies, baby wipes etc etc etc - the list is long and we have stuff.
- We have names picked out for a boy and for a girl
- The midwife is on call
- The birthing pool is in our room
- My UIF forms are done
- My last day of work is Friday

So technically I guess I am ready.

But for me the real ready is something different entirely. For me it is about being emotionally connected to this little being inside of me.

- I spend time sending love and comfort to the little one, speaking softly in the bath, rubbing my tummy, telling him / her how excited mommy and daddy are to meet him / her

- My husband and I talk about all the things we want to teach the little one. Not things like throw a ball but that life is a wonder and should be treasured, always to dream big, to be afraid but to be courageous too, to enjoy nature, to have a love for words, books and art, to laugh, to be courteous to all. We could go on and on and we will

- I spend quiet time everyday imagining the birth, talking to baba and asking him/her to work with mommy to make this not so hard for each of us

- I visualise the three of us as a family and let my heart swell with joy and rest my hand on my belly to feel the little one give me a little nudge / kick of acknowledgement

- I write about my fears, my hopes, the wonder of it all so it gets out and doesn't sit in my head swirling around

For me preparing for us to be a family is far more important than the stuff. To us the love in our house is far more valuable than a fancy cot, pram or baby gadget.

So has a final salute to our lives as just two the most awesome of husbands and myself are going for our "last date". I know it won't be our last date but I am pretty sure it is going to be a while before we go on a date again. So tonight, I am putting on a pretty dress, doing my hair and I might risk high heels for a fabulous dinner at a place we have been wanting to go to for a while. Goodbye old life, we eagerly await for the new one to begin!

PICTURES OF NURSERY

A family friend's cot, Andre's old mobile, some books, an old chair, my mom's old table

Home made shelves, hand painted wall stencils

Andre's old cupboard transformed by a lick of paint

A chest homemade by grandpa & painted my myself filled with books & nappies

The overall ensemble :)

Nesting

With less than 5 weeks to go (and if we can trust our midwife's gut then it should be about 3 weeks to go) the nesting syndrome is kicking in. We managed to clean out the cupboards, throw away needless junk, and set up the nursery (the most fun part of all).

Below are some sneak preview shots of bits and pieces but you will have to wait to see the entire picture!

 

 

You might have noticed a prevalence for blue and you might remember that we dont actually know the sex of our little one. The reason for the choice of blue is:
1. I like it (our wedding was blue, my lounge has touches of blue, the ocean and the sky are blue)
2. It is fresh and calming - it brings a lightness to the room, which is otherwise warm with textures of beige and earthy tones
3. I prefer blue to pink

Does this mean our potential little girl will have an identity crisis? Im not even going to answer that.
Does this mean that we cant introduce other colours in the future? Duh...

So in answer to all the people who said, "Oh, I have to know, because I have to prepare." Does it look like I am unprepared? Gosh, that was the silliest response to our choice to hold onto surprise and mystery through out my pregnancy. Just because you could not wait to find out does not make me unprepared. Cue cartoon punch.

So whether we end up having...

...our house is ready. It is filled with love not just from us but from grandma & grandpa, cousins and aunties as well as the crew of special friends who I consider family through and through.

And as for me? These are the things I am grateful for:
1. I am still wearing my jeans & my wedding ring.
2. I still do not know what heartburn is.
3. I dont have trouble sleeping although the excitment makes falling asleep a bit tricky these past few days
4. I haven't experienced Braxton Hicks
5. Shredded bran - thank you!
6. I have about 5 stretch marks (and these are on my one breast since it doubled in size in about a week)
7. Bio Oil
8. Friends and family that have been outstandingly generous and warm
9. My husband who holds me while I cry from the hormones, who makes me laugh at the silliest things, who calls me beautiful everyday (I'm not joking - everyday!), who is brave, strong and valiant - my true prince.

Its almost time for our greatest adventure to begin.