7 mo. 3 weeks (30 weeks)

The countdown is officially on! I can see the light at the tunnel- however, I am becoming nervous about the upcoming labor/delivery! I've begun the "obsessive" reading about labor/delivery phase (if any of you have experienced this). I have a strong desire for a natural delivery this time around. I've done a lot of personal research and have given it a lot of thought and I really feel like it's an important thing for me to do. My experience with Brady and getting induced/being pumped with Pitocin and having an epidural left me pretty groggy and unfortunately when he was born I felt really disconnected from the experience.

I am hoping to take advantage of the labor tub in my private room at the hospital I'll be delivering at and that this second experience will be a much more aware and connecting emotional experience for me, Chris and Olivia. It helps to know that I have options and that I can make more desicions than I knew I could with my first baby. I truly look forward to this delivery and have such a feeling of peace about her arrival even though my nerves of the unknown are still present (if that makes any sense at all). Isn't it such a miracle that we can bring forth new life and be co-creators with our Father in Heaven? I marvel everyday that there is a tiny little human being living within me. It's so uncomprehendible! I am grateful for this blessing and for my opportunity to be a mother!

Current Craving: Chocolate, pasta, cinnamon toast, ice cream (that doesn't mean that I'm actually getting to eat any of this- it just means I WANT it! If there was a Dairy Queen close by I'd be having some ice cream though! It's one of "those things" that I won't buy because Chris and I will both eat way too much! Same goes for the chocolate!)

Current Gripe: Olivia is truly a "mover and a shaker" with a mean kick or right hook! She likes to stick her hands (I think) underneath my ribcage and move them around! Ouch!!! I'm also starting to have "pinchy pains" and have had lower back pain and a sore tailbone!

Current Joy: I know this is kind of like saying the opposite of what I just said, but even though a lot of times it's really uncomfortable when she moves/kicks I still love it because that's when I feel the connection between us! Watching my belly grow and feeling so beautiful. I truly love this stage of pregnancy (not for the uncomfortableness of it all) but because it's an amazing feeling as a woman to house a child and to watch your body conform to meet those needs. I think pregnant women are one of the most beautiful creations!

Current Weight Gain: 18 lbs!!! YEAH I haven't gained a pound this past week (let's watch and see what next week shows though!!!)

How your baby's growing: Your baby's about 15.7 inches long now, and she weighs almost 3 pounds (like a head of cabbage). A pint and a half of amniotic fluid surrounds her, but that volume will decrease as she gets bigger and takes up more room in your uterus. Her eyesight continues to develop, though it's not very keen; even after she's born, she'll keep her eyes closed for a good part of the day. When she does open them, she'll respond to changes in light but will have 20/400 vision — which means she can only make out objects a few inches from her face. (Normal adult vision is 20/20.)