Raindrops on roses

We're going to wrap up this whole pregnancy thing soon and while I have spent some time crabbing about the homestretch discomforts, it's helpful to think positive, so I'm going to take a moment to reflect on a few of my favorite things about this experience:

• Watching my husband become a dad. He has made me breakfast every day since we found out we were expecting, referring to it as "feeding Hannah." He put a lot of effort into getting her room ready, he talks about her constantly, and he takes very good care of me. I'm a lucky lady, and Hannah's a lucky baby.
• Baby kicks. And pokes. And hiccups. And punches in my sister and husband's faces when they got too close to the belly. Nothing in the world compares to feeling your baby move around inside of you.
• Sharing the news. Telling my family, friends, and coworkers that we made a baby is something we will never forget. It's great to have people excited for you.
• Being showered, both formally and informally. The formal showers were phenomenal, and I will always cherish the memories of those events and the love I felt. And the informal, unexpected gifts we received countless times from friends and family members will never be forgotten.
• Finding myself in awe of God's design. For perhaps the first time in my life, I realized how truly my body is on loan to me from God and meant for purposes that are beyond my control. Sometimes it has sucked feeling like I have no control over my physical self, but at the same time I am grateful for what my body is being used for.
• Conversations with Hannah. She will surely know my voice when she comes out. We've talked about a lot of things...our plans together, her favorite color, songs she has danced in-womb to, apologies for bumping her fortress against things, and so on. And she knows my singing voice pretty well too by this point. We don't hold back in the car or the shower.
• The great girl clothes shopping trip Emily and I went on. I had just found out I was having a girl a few days earlier, and Emily was expecting Julia in a few months, so we did what any normal mothers would do: spent an entire day purchasing an excessive amount of baby clothes. It was one of the best days in pregnancy history, made complete by the sharing of two back-to-back dinners (we're pregnant, what do you expect?) and topped off with the sharing of two cheesecake slices for dessert. Quite the day.
• Daydreaming about her. I know when we meet her it will be amazing, and being able to dream about her has already given me a lot of joy.
• Witnessing my dog freak out. Benson knows something is up. He's all squirrely when he enters Hannah's room. He sniffs my stomach. He has no idea what kind of ear tugging and tail pulling he's in for.
• Satisfying pregnancy cravings by way of sweets and Qdoba queso burritos. Those things just didn't taste as good before. Now they are the sunshine on a cloudy day.
• Trading pregnancy tales with friends who are either currently there with me or have gone before. It is such a freak experience and so lovely to have others to share it with.
• Learning how to relinquish control. I like to have control. In this situation, I have none. I hate that, and I am grateful for that at the same time. Sometimes I need to be put in my place.

I could go on. And on. And on. I will probably add to this list, but for now these are my raindrops on roses and whiskers on kittens.