waiting

We are in the last days of waiting for baby girl to arrive. These days are sweet and quiet and...not a little exhausting. The whole weight of a full-term baby bearing down on a body that has now been fully consumed by pregnancy. By now, we indulge in the nearness of her due date and allow ourselves to ask: When will she come? Won't she come soon?

I'm struck by the design of pregnancy in its pre-ordained ability to prepare you, to lead you into the next season of having a baby. As this pregnancy has unfolded, my body, mind and spirit are increasingly prepared to receive a baby. And now, we are on the very cusp of meeting her. There is a tenderness and a quiet to our time right now, and an almost palpable feeling that we are closing out one season and about to enter the next. It's a feeling of winding-down and anticipation -- all at once.

Ben and I are soaking up each final minute as just the two of us and dreaming about being the three of us. These last few weeks, we have eaten well together, ventured out to favorite places on Saturday afternoons and readied our home. And now the whole house brims in quiet anticipation of Her. Her little room waits for her. Her small clothes are washed, folded and tucked away in their drawers for her. A bag is packed for the hospital.

So, now, we wait. And we very much look forward to having her here.