The Ups and Downs of Pregnancy

The day draweth nigh. Paula has less than 2 weeks until her due date and is hoping that the baby comes just a bit sooner than that. In response to the question that everyone is asking us—no, we don't have a name yet. Yes, YET. But she will have a name; don't worry about that. If we have to call her Shepherdoodle for the rest of her life, she will have a name.

Overall, the pregnancy has gone very well and we have had few complaints. One contributing factor, we believe, is Paula's height—less problems with rib invasion and stomach upset. (I’m sorry, Carolyn!! [pictured above]) The baby simply has more room to stretch out in there. At one point Shep said with pride, "My baby's riding in a Cadillac!" I'm sure he meant it in the best possible way.

As far as preparations go, things are coming together. We had to move Shep's work clothes out of the closet to make room for the crib, but that really wasn't too much to ask. Now he's working on getting the bookshelves finished for the office so we can move the books and office supplies out of the bedroom.

If the labor and delivery goes as well as Paula's pregnancy, we will be very blessed. The plan is to have a waterbirth at a local birthing center and avoid the hospital at all cost. We're looking forward to it as we hear more and more people raving about their experiences with waterbirth. Don't worry though. If anything does go array, the hospital is not far away.

Please pray for us. This trial will be like none other, I'm sure. Although billions of women throughout history have given birth, it is our first time and we don't quite know what to expect. We are trusting in the Lord though. He will get us through.

If you'd like to see pictures of Paula's baby showers, click here. For pictures of our house in its current state, click here. For pictures of our house one year ago, click here.