Our sweet Baby P,

​These days are surreal. It seems as if this experience has almost flown by, yet at the same time we waited so very long to get here. So many nights I felt there was something missing in our little family. And while you're daddy makes me feel so complete, we knew three years ago that we wanted you to be a part of all of this with us. 

And now, as he has lovingly built you a cradle, painted your walls and assembled your furniture - and as I lovingly washed and folded all of your little clothes, shopped for your first necessities and carried you with me for nine months, we get ready to meet you and we can't wait. 
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Deciding not to find out your sex wasn't something we chose at the last moment. We talked about it for years. How this, you, would be one of our lifes greatest surprises, if not the greatest and it was an easy decision to make to wait. As your due date rapidly approaches, more and more I wonder who you are. Are you a mini-me or a mini Mr. Charming? What, and who, do you look like. How much hair will you have? How will it feel when you look at me for the first time? Will you fall as hard in love with us as we already have with you?

You are a special miracle, little one. And I hope you feel that and hold on to that for all of your days. You were wished for, prayed for and waited on. We were so blessed by God the day we found out you chose us to be your mom and dad, and we have been blessed every day since. Our little Rainbow Baby. 
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Making your room was a labor of love and I hope you love your space. I hope you feel comforted here. Loved here. And at home. Knowing ahead of time we wouldn't be finding out your gender, we opted for a palette of soft greys and white. Once we meet you,  we have plans to infuse some beautiful colors based on whether you're our little adventurous man or our dainty little girl. The crib we chose, we chose a long time ago. We thought it was beautiful and wanted to build the room around it. I loved the Ash Grey wood and your dad and I have a great story about the work that went into finding your nursery recliner that had to be the right color, style and comfort level for many nights awake with you. 

The dresser was perfect with plenty of room to store all of your adorable baby things - though it took your dad 5 hours to assemble it because I insisted on getting it at IKEA and it came unassembled in hundreds of pieces. When you get older and the dresser moves to your big kid room, make sure to tell your dad how much you love it. Because he did work really hard on it, haha. 
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​Your big, loving and wonderful extended family gifted you with so many beautiful things for your nursery. From the softest blankets and stuffed animals to art work and picture frames that you will see throughout your room. 

​I think some of the little details will come to be my favorite parts. Just as all of your little details. your miraculous little details, will be my favorite parts. 

We love you and we can't wait to meet you. 

- Love, 
Your mom & dad 

How far along? 32 Weeks
Total weight gain/loss: Up about 20-25 lbs. Basketball belly & some swelling in feet and face. 
Clothing Options? Hahaha. I live in Mr. Charming's boxers and tees at home. Maternity dresses when we go out. Feeling super sexy right now. Haha.
Pregnancy Symptoms? Fatigue. Hormonal from wanting everything done before baby comes. Feet are starting to swell if I'm in the heat too long. 
Sleep: Peeing about 5x a night. So. In between that, it's been off and on. 
Best moment of month EIGHT: Quiet moments in bed with Mr. Charming feeling the baby kick. 
Biggest Fear of Month EIGHT: It's getting SO CLOSE. 
Movement: TONS! :) Baby has grown so its different, but lots of swirls and little jabs. 
Food cravings: Back to veggies! And sometimes cupcakes. 
Aversions: None
Gender: Still a surprise! 
Belly Button in or out? So out. Haha
Mood: Sleepy and a little moody when I stress over how much I'm still working. 
Labor Signs: None
Looking forward to: Finishing the nursery

In other news, we had our big meeting with our doula and are as prepared as we can be for this little nugget to arrive. Starting red raspberry tea, perineum massage and dates this week! 

I have so many thoughts lately that blogging has been a challenge because I have so much to say. That, mixed with no time to really think or process or write it out TO say it. I'm actually really excited for maternity leave. Focus issues and fatigue are NO JOKE at Week 35. People don't just say it. It's legit. 

29 days, guys. 29 days until my due date and it's become really real. Mr. Charming finished the wainscoting this past weekend and tonight he paints. Then all of the furniture can go back and decorating can resume! We are waiting until Baby P arrives to add a majority of the "decor" elements because of the color palettes we chose, but there will be enough to make it feel homey and lovely and ready for our little boy or girl to come home to. 

We've been receiving beautiful neutral baby gifts ever since the baby shower, like the adorable grey onesie and shoes in the nursery above. Mr. Charming and I have been reading book after book after book devouring all the information we can on birth partnering, the Bradley Method, natural birth and naturally birthing in a hospital setting. Which brings me to our big decision. 

We decided to hire a doula. 

Now, for most of you who are readers or clients of mine, it probably wouldn't shock you so much since you know my lifestyle and most of you live a similar lifestyle. And natural labor and birth care is just the norm. However, I knew this decision would be a controversial one in family and friend circles and I actually took pause before making the choice. Then I realized, this is my birth. This is our baby and our experience. No one elses. So I called her, signed the contract and something in me relaxed. To have that extra professional support for Mr. Charming and myself through the biggest day of our lives is something that was important to me. 

Having gone back and forth on it, and studying it like crazy like I do, Mr. Charming and I both got on board and I feel like God led me to the right birth team for me. And that's all that matters. I have to remember that. Little people pleasing Mandi needs to remember that. 

She's been a wonderful coach thus far and got me going on Red Raspberry Leaf tea to prepare my uterus, dates to prepare my cervix and my chiropractor has been an awesome part of our team as well to help align everything for the birth. We are coming down to the wire to where it's just going to be us, having studied and prepared as much as we could, labor and birth is going to be what it is going to be. 

It's going to be what God planned it to be. And I'm telling myself daily, I can fight it or accept it. And I know in my heart, mind and soul, that accepting it is the only option, haha. 

Off to start packing my hospital bag! 

9 Months tomorrow. Where did time go?