The End is Near.

39 weeks 5 days

Today is my due date.  Time has FLOWN by...it seems like yesterday I spontaneously decided to buy a test because I was grocery shopping at Wal-Mart & the smell of food samples (some cheesy pasta thing) made me almost loose it in the produce department.

And even though I've had since last November to wrap my head around this- it is SO SO surreal to me. It doesn't seem real- even with all the heartburn, baby kicks, and contractions. After 6 1/3 years we're going to have an infant again...really?  I haven't changed a diaper in over 3 years, I enjoy (well at least before I became hugely pregnant) sleeping through the night, it's just been a really long time--all my kids are pretty self sufficient now.  It's going to be a change...a really big change.

But even still, we couldn't be more excited.  We can't wait to meet him...see who he looks like, if he will have blonde or black hair (or break all tradition and have none)...will he be chunky like Hailey or more like the boys (Hailey weighed a whole pound more...and was an inch longer than both of the boys).  And we don't have long to wait...we will meet him by Friday (when I will be induced at 7:00 a.m.) or sooner! 

A couple months ago we had a "baby boot camp" family home evening for the kids.  They got to practice how they should hold the baby, how he will like to be swaddled in a blanket, how to change a diaper, how to burp him...the do's and don't's & what they can expect.  Curtis and Hailey were only 4 and 2 when Owen was born- this will be a whole new ball game--and I'm looking forward to the help an 11, 9 & 6 year old can give.  Part of the family home evening was to guess baby stats & the whoever gets the most right answers gets a candy bar- the kids loved it...here are their (and our) answers...notice the kids all were very kind and put the birth right around the due date...unlike Elias and I who were more pessimistic :).  We did let them know what happened with each of them, so they had a little something to base their answers on...

Curtis:
July 26; 12:00 a.m.; 8 lbs.; 22 1/2 inches; black hair

Hailey:
July 27; 8:00 a.m.; 7 lbs. 10 oz.; 20 1/2 inches; black hair

Owen:
July 25; 12:00 a.m.; 6 lbs. 7 oz.; 21 1/2 inches; blonde hair

Dad:
August 2; 10:30 p.m.; 7 lbs. 13 oz.; 20 1/2 inches; blonde hair

Mom:
August 1; 11:18 p.m.; 7 lbs. 9 oz.; 20 1/2 inches; black hair

We'll let you know who wins :)

So wish us luck--and we'll keep you posted!