Finished!

Asa's room is FINISHED! Well, except for hanging a few pictures on the walls, it is DONE! Mom not only helped me cut the fabric for the curtains last week, she helped me sew them! I could not have done it without her. :) She showed me a new kind of seam to make them extra durable, helped me measure and mark off things, AND she would take the material to the ironing board to press it so I could sew it. It saved SO much time and up-and-down for me! Matt installed the curtain rods, and they are hanging!! I can hardly believe it! :) :) :) I thought about putting up pictures of the room, but we should be able to hang those final things this weekend (hooray for a long weekend!), so then I can post really, no kidding finished pictures (minus Asa, as far as we know....). ;) Mom made the most incredible cross-stitch that PERFECTLY matches Asa's bedding. That is the #1 thing we need to hang. We also have some amazing forest animal photographs Matt's uncle took that we need to choose from and hang 1 or 2. Lastly, I want to put a frame somewhere with the verses about Asa from 1 Kings on one side and the poem Mom wrote for Grandpa's birthday on the other side (so basically, the story behind his name). I'm SO thankful his room is ready for him before he's here. :) That is a huge blessing!

Now I'm on to things that are much more trivial. I am hoping to sew my nursing cover this evening. I'm going to try a sleep sack pattern, too. And I promised Matt I would embroider some things (bibs/burp cloths) with some designs he picked out. And we're packing our bags for the hospital, installing car seat bases, and all sorts of surreal things!

We had a really sweet shower on Saturday night hosted by our Bible study. It worked out that my mom was in town too, and it was really fun to have her meet the people she's been hearing about for the last year or so. God has provided us with friends. It was amazing to look around us and see in the flesh the community He has given us here over the past 3.5 years, and many of them just in the last year. It's been hard to wait at times, but He has been faithful in answering our prayers for friends here. And even friends going through this parenting transition at the same time as we are!

So the house is tidied up, Asa's room is ready, and as of tomorrow, Asa is a full term baby! He could really come any day now--though I don't *really* think it's RIGHT around the corner. It puts some things (like packing the hospital bag) in perspective to know it COULD be any day so we should go ahead and do them. :)

Even though I feel squished inside and my heartburn has returned with avengeance (confirming that he has indeed NOT dropped yet), I'm not physically at a point where I'm thinking, "Get this baby out me!" like you hear so often. The anticipation is getting to that point though. Matt and I were talking the other night about how I processed all the changes with getting married. As MUCH as I wanted to be married to him and couldn't wait to be back together after being apart 3 months, there was still this piece of grieving/letting go of life as I had known it for 20+ years, of leaving behind a lot (basically all) of familiarity. I told him this feels similar. I know in my head everything is about to change. And I HATE change--I am SUCH a creature of habit. But at the same time, I look forward to "meeting" Asa, holding him, and figuring out this "new life" together. I am so thankful for our faithful God who, though there were (/are) plenty of days I ached and cried for home after moving, has been SO INCREDIBLY gentle in adjusting me to life in Florida and as a wife and teacher. I know there will be times I miss just hopping in the car and doing what I need to do or spending a day however I want. But we are SO INCREDIBLE thankful for God's gracious gift of Asa in our lives and KNOW He is the one to lean on as we learn to be Dad and Mom and staying at home (for me).

We will keep you posted on any news and progress. We have our 37 week appointment tomorrow. And it sounds like he'll be here June 22 at the latest! :)

Love,
Becca