Pregnancy Update

Apparently I neglected to make a mass announcement regarding the upcoming arrival of Baby Bowers #3.  This was brought to my attention after thirty or so people contacted me today (which was a couple of weeks ago, now) via fb, text, phone, and email telling me they had no idea after I posted the following on fb this morning:

         After a lengthy discussion on baby names over  

         breakfast this morning (involving a baby name book 

         and MANY suggestions from both boys, Ahab 

         included-I think we'll pass), L stated, matter-of-

         factly, "Just name the baby God, guys.  That would

         be powerful."

I'm not an announcement person, anyway, but..oops.  Well, hello, third child!  I'm breaking him or her in early.  ;)

As mentioned in an earlier post, I've meant to post a pregnancy update for quite some time since there are several things to note, all of which I'll probably forget when I lose my mind after having 3 kids.  (Actually that ship sailed long ago, probably before I had any kids at all.)  I'm super excited to finally be getting to this from my couch and not from my hospital bed while in labor in a desperate attempt to record this pertinent information right under the wire.

Today marks 36 weeks, which is considered to be the mark at which it would be safe for the baby to come. Hallelujah & praise the Lord!  This is a HUGE relief since L tried to come so early-I've successfully surpassed the threat of bed rest and avoided us having to pay/meeting our deductible back to back at the end of '13 and again right off the bat in '14.  You know I love a good deal and that would not have been a good deal.

I Feel Like an Elephant
First, I'm to that point in this pregnancy where I feel HUGE, no matter what anyone says.  (My sweet family, friends, and multiple complete strangers-Weird, right?-have been so sweet to say otherwise, but I still feel large.)  Perhaps all that gravy I ate during my first two trimesters has something to do with my feeling of heftiness.  And, unless this baby weighs 35 lbs, the potential to still feel large after it arrives is probable.  I'll count those chickens when they hatch and eat another brownie while I wait.

Second, I feel like the length of this gestation is rivaling that of an elephant, which I now know ranges from 550 -669 days.  I cannot believe I've only been pregnant for 9 months.  I am thankful.  And ready to be done.  :)

The Name Game (suggestions welcome)
We've had a hard terrible time coming up with a girl name, just as we did twice before.  We've had a boy name we LOVED each time, but had 2-3 girl names each time, none of which we really liked.  And, the ones we had for J were no longer on the list when we had L just 18 mos later.  Fortunately it worked out fine since we had boys.  I'm thinking our luck with the name thing is probably waning and we should really have a girl name we can like longer than a few months.

You Look Adorable!  Who, Me?
To the precious college student/angel from Heaven taking my order at Chick-fil-a a couple of weeks ago who greeted me with, "Aw, congratulations!  You look adorable!" you made my day.  :)  (Trust me, I did a double-take and she was not talking about L, but about me.)  I made sure I expressed my gratitude multiple times for her sweet comment.

The "I can hardly tell you're pregnant," comments are long gone now and have been replaced by, "When are you due?"  At least no one's asked if I'm sure there's only one in there, which is good since I'm not sure I could manage a polite response to such a remark.  What kind of person asks a question like that?!

A Couple of Baby Bump Pics
I stuffed myself into this non-maternity shirt (& Christmas gift) because I could not wait to wear it.

Pink or Blue
I was really thinking girl up until my last OB appointment two weeks ago.  The baby's heart rate was 137, which is right where it's been throughout my pregnancy and throughout both previous ones.  Dr. S maintains the heart rate is completely dependent on the baby's level of activity at the time it's recorded and my mom says Sarah and I were both boys according to the heart rate method.  Still...

In Conclusion
All that being said/written, we are so blessed to be able to have another baby.  I have never lost sight or appreciation of the fact that several years ago we were unsure as to whether or not I could even have children.  We are ecstatic to meet this little one (and a little desperate) and look forward to introducing him or her to you!