34 Weeks!

34 weeks of belly stuffed into a bikini! (photo credit Maggie Keegan Gross)

Well, here we are at 34 weeks- hard to believe we only have 6 weeks to go before meeting Samara, our not-so-little Peanut!  Saturday, we got to take professional photos with Maggie Keegan Gross, a very talented photographer who specializes in maternity, newborn, and family portraits.  We had a great time and even got an amazing sunset at the beach!  It was a really fun experience and we can't wait to see the fully-edited photos in September.  Even though Mindy feels quite large these days, she is still surprised to see pictures like this.  She also startles when walking by a mirror or window (is that Tweedle-Dee me?!).  But in all seriousness, wanting a big preggo belly all her life, it's like a dream come true.  This is not to say that bellies are the most comfortable thing to live with.  We have learned that many daily activities are different:

- Breathing (difficult)
- Tying shoes (still doable, but barely)
- Painting toenails (doable, but painful, probably not going to be doing it any longer!)
- Getting out of bed (still possible, less than graceful, often involving a 3-point turn)
- Going up the stairs (possible, at the rate of 1 step/minute)
- Washing dishes (just as easy, but you have to stand like a foot away from the sink and bend over to reach!)
- Cooking (mostly unaffected, Mindy's dishes taste as mediocre as they always have)
- Blogging (obviously still possible, bad humor unaffected)

Yes, life has already changed for the Smiths, although not nearly as much as it will in a little over a month.  While we still feel like we are getting into something much bigger than we can imagine, we do feel much more prepared now that we have completed our childbirth classes.  Last night was the final class, and we have learned a lot about labor, delivery, and childcare along the way.  We still have a lot to learn, but now we are a bit more prepared for what this little lady has in store for us.

That's all for now.  Only a few more updates until Sam arrives!
Love,
Aaron and Mindy