Waiting and seasons

It has been interesting to experience different people's reactions as I draw ever closer to my due date. To me, in some ways, the time feels like it is creeping on, while at other times, it seems to fly. I'm 36.5 weeks along now, which means that in just a few days I will be considered "term"...and according to the doctor and the guesstimated size of my son, it would be just fine for him to come whenever he is ready.
In some ways, I am beyond ready. I will admit that I am not a huge fan of swollen feet (my multiple ankle surgeries make this extremely painful, though I'm sure it's not comfortable for anyone!), and even though I've only gained 12 pounds to date, the extra weight is also not very fun for my multi-surgical ankles to drag around during my "I-stand-all-day" job. It will also be nice to be able to bend over, reach my shoes, and not lurch up from chairs as if I was an overweight behemoth doing the hokey-pokey. In other ways, I want to treasure these last few days that just Josh and I have together. Once Ben comes, our identities will change-no longer will we be just husband-and-wife; we will be mommy-and-daddy. We certainly have a goal of keeping husband-and-wife as our primary relationship, but I know that this new step will require much less selfishness on both our parts! Which of these two feelings has the upper hand at the moment changes constantly, and is also somewhat dependent on how I feel physically (I'm in a pattern of feeling pretty wretched-meaning nauseated, crampy, contracting a lot, and exhausted-about every other day...the good thing about this is that the days where I am merely uncomfortable and very tired feel amazing by comparison!). It is interesting to live life so day to day. I definitely still schedule things, but each day I wake up wondering, "Could it be today?" And it could! So my current operating mode is, if it is today-wonderful! I will look to Jesus for strength to get through a very intense and painful experience. If it is not today, I will look to Him for strength to get through a 9 hour day on my feet-which can also be an intense and painful experience!
Anyway, the comments I get from others vary widely, but just today, included:
"Are you ever going to drop that baby, girl?"
"You have been pregnant forever! WHEN are you due?"
"You look great...for being 9 months pregnant." (not entirely sure what that one means!)
"Are you ready for that baby to come out?"
"What's the plan for getting peanut out of there?" (ummm...well, I figured I'd probably go into labor and then, you know, birth him. The way thousands of women have done for thousands of years)
"Oh man, you think you're tired now...just wait!"
"These kids, always wanting to have babies...don't you realize that your 'before children' phase was the best time of your life?"
Plus a whole plethora of birth horror stories.
It's kind of interesting how people tend to want to one-up other people in terms of "how much life stinks." Get a group of people together and start hearing birth stories...they get more and more horrific and tough the longer the conversation goes! Most people are happy to wax eloquent about how much better life was "B.C." I am not naive enough to think that this journey we are embarking upon is easy or all smooth sailing, but really...how is this encouraging or helpful? I am comforting myself by reminders that I have heard this kind of talk before. I heard it in college ("this is the most carefree and stress free time of your life!"), graduate school ("at least you don't have to deal with the real world yet! Put that off as long as possible!"), right after marriage ("oh man, the first few years suck majorly! Get ready for the honeymoon phase to end!"), and also at other times. So far, each of these seasons has been accompanied by both blessings and beautiful, wonderful times and struggles and deeply difficult times. I am hoping this is the nature of seasons of life. There isn't a "better season" that we should strive to stay in for the rest of our existence. I think it would be naive and prideful to say I am "ready" for this new season. I think I can say that I am looking forward to it. I look forward to deepening my relationship with my husband through it-I know we will have to be more intentional about making that happen now that there will be a little one in the picture-but I refuse to think that it is impossible because he will be in the way (which is how some other people seem to see it). I choose to enter this new season with joy, embracing the challenges along with the sweet times.
I shall keep you all updated! :-)