37 Weeks

Yesterday marked the beginning of 37 weeks for this pregnancy, which means we are officially "full-term," and Baby Sister is free to make her arrival anytime between now and... well, five weeks from now. Although I'd prefer that she wait at least one more week so I can watch my own baby brother walk across a stage and receive his college diploma next Friday night. (And while I'm wishing, I'd prefer that she not take five more weeks to get here, either.) Most of all, of course, we trust in God's timing, and it seems He's been pretty darn reliable about that in the past.

And while we wait on her (and Him), it becomes ever more evident that our moments with Luke on his own are truly precious. He's still pretty clueless about the change that's about to hit his life, but on the other hand, kids have a way of knowing, don't they? My fiercely independent boy has lately been awfully interested in Mommy's help with things. Getting him to hold our hands when we're out is easier than ever before - you'd never dream this was the same child who sprinted clear across Target last fall when I made the mistake of letting him out of the shopping cart seat! And if I only had a dime for every time he's scrunched up his face and whimpered, "I bumped my head!" (He's a pretty accident-prone kid, but not that accident-prone...)

One of my favorite things these days is the habit he's acquired during reading time. He's finally submitted to the fact that he can't sit on my lap (or even between my legs) when I read books to him, so he sits beside me on the bed and lays his head gently on my huge pillow of a belly. Smart kid. He must know that I could just read to him forever when he snuggles like that...

(But the fun part is that apparently a large belly is not required for this positioning; Luke did the same thing with his daddy last night at bedtime, and this morning he even did it with Dia when she got cornered into reading her farm pop-up book to him for the hundredth time during our visit this morning.)

My Handsome Boys

There are a lot of not-so-fun things about the last trimester of your second pregnancy - especially when you have a toddler already. But I hope that all the hormones and the sleep-deprivation will leave me with just enough sense to treasure these moments nonetheless.

As we left the nursing home after a visit with Memaw this morning, one of the residents paused in her wheelchair-progress down the hall to say hello to Luke and ask if I was having a boy or a girl. Then she said, "You are very fortunate indeed." I couldn't agree with her more. God has blessed me richly!