38 Weeks...On Becoming A Mom

It's odd that when you first see those two pink lines on the pregnancy test, the first thought that comes to your mind is, "Oh my gosh, I'm pregnant!!!"...NOT "Oh my gosh, I'm going to be a mother!!!". But somehow, over the course of 9 months or so, God somehow transforms your mind (to match your transformed body!). I have three friends who are all due around the same time as me and, this week, one of them passed that threshold from "Pregnant Woman" to "Mom". In talking with her, it really hit home...I am about to become someone's MOTHER! Seems like I should have thought of this before, huh? Well, of course I knew in my brain what it meant to be a mother. You become pregnant and give birth, and then you're responsible for this person. But I think the message finally made it to my heart this week. And as scary as the concept is, it's also incredibly exciting. God has entrusted us with this little tiny soul to love and nurture and teach. As I'm waiting (and waiting...and waiting...) for my day to pass that "Mom" threshold, I've been thinking of all the lessons I've learned from my parents that I'd like to pass on to Molly:

• You are special. God created you to be exactly who you are. He loves you and so do I.
  


• Cozy houses create cozy families. You may step on each other's toes every once in a while, but you also run into each other more often to exchange hugs and "I love you"s.
  


• Bedtime stories are a "given". There is nothing so important in my day that it would keep me from sending you off to sleep with a story from your favorite book.
  


• I will not run your life. I will create boundaries, but they're there because I love you. Within those boundaries, there is plenty of room to stretch your wings and discover who you are.
  


• Prayer is a part of daily life...like eating and sleeping. Families stay close when they take time to talk each day. The same principle applies to our relationship with God.

These are just some of the most important things I learned from my Mom and they have shaped my image of what a mother is to her daughter. She is a teacher, a leader, a disciplinarian, a mentor, and a friend. It is a strange feeling to now have the tables turned, to be the one worrying about my child and how my decisions are affecting her. As we head into the final weeks of pregnancy I find myself having to make decisions about what kind of birth we'll have and who Molly's pediatrician will be and, all of a sudden, I find myself thinking like a mother. She comes first. My first thoughts are no longer, "How will this affect me?". Instead, I find my mind always going first to, "What is best for Molly?". I am a mother.

The official Birth-Day is growing ever closer. We're at 38 weeks, 10 days from the due date, but my uterus measured at 39.5 cm today at the birth center. (The uterine height in centimeters corresponds to the week of pregnancy you're in). The midwife said that little Miss Molly is definitely running out of space in there but it's her decision as to when she wants to come out. The baby's body sends a chemical signal to the placenta to initiate labor when the baby's ready (isn't this process just amazing!!!). Molly doesn't seem to mind that she's running out of room. She's just as active as ever, twirling and flopping all over the place. The midwife felt that she was "sunny-side-up" at today's appointment (her back facing my back rather than her back facing my belly). But I assured the midwife that she'd pick a new position at least five more times today. And, lo and behold, as soon as we arrived home, that little tushie was poking out, front and center once again!

At 38 weeks, the average baby could weigh anywhere from 5 to 9 pounds and measure in at anywhere from 17 to 21 inches in length. Even though it feels like this journey should be coming to an end, Molly is busy taking care of some last minute business. She is shedding the lanugo (fine downy hairs) and vernix (white oily moisturizer) that's been protecting her skin and keeping her warm for the last 9 months. Her lungs are also busy producing more surfactant. This super-important substance prevents the air sacs in her lungs from sticking to each other when she takes her first breaths. The reason many babies have trouble breathing if labor is induced before 40 weeks gestation is because their lungs had not finished producing surfactant. So, we will wait patiently for our little girl to decide when she's ready to make her debut. We can't wait to meet you, Molly!!!