Engineering Lab vs. Hawaii

It's Friday night of Spring Break and we are sitting in the Engineering lab ...... Justin watching March Madness and me blogging.  Some people may think it's a little on the boring side, but I have to say we are both quite enjoying ourselves. 

As Spring Break approached we were under the impression that we just might be welcoming our baby boy sooner than later. On March 6th, I was dilated to a 2 and 70% effaced..... the Dr said he could be here in 2-3 days or 2 weeks. Justin and I had a couple of sleepless nights after hearing this. Jumping at any sign of labor -- makes me laugh now. 

The days have passed by with few contractions and no real progress. I have to say my emotions have been all over. At times I so want to be done being pregnant and have this little boy in my arms and then the next minute I am soaking up the time Justin and I have left to easily (well 9 months pregnant easily) hop on the motorcycle for a ride up town. After reading, learning, and practicing for labor I wonder if it will it ever come, and yet I fear the moment it does.(oops,  I mean I am relaxed, confident and completely capable!) The aches and pains have become rather annoying but oh how I am enjoying every ounce of sleep I can get now.  But oh, for the wondering and waiting..... When will he come? How will he come? How will Justin and I handle labor and delivery? What will the little Schmidt look like? Will I still love him when I am waking up every 2-3 hours to feed him? 

In the recent weeks I have also felt tender feelings. I enjoyed writing to our baby boy in his journal, expressing my experience of carrying him these 9 months along with the love I have already felt for him. In our prayers we have expressed our gratitude of the opportunity to have a family and for the the health of all three of us throughout the pregnancy. I am also eager for the moment of birth. What a unique experience, a manifestation of God, His power and love. It will push all of us to our limits, which will in turn give us each a new perspective on life. Justin and I have talked about how those things in our life that stretch us to our limits do provide us with the most growth and perspective in life. This will definitely be one of them. 

I know when he gets here we will adjust and have the time of our lives, but I have started to feel the itch to make the most of each day while he is so easy to care for (in the tummy) and so we have. This Spring Break we have found time to ride the motorcycle, go on bike rides, play with friends and family, stay up late, sleep in, sit next to each other studying or surfing the web, something we did quite often while dating, and preparing for the move to Oklahoma. For me substituting and for Justin catching up on studies, news, and March Madness. Those last two items might throw you off, but teaching really is a passion of mine. And through the time Heavenly Father has given me to substitute these past two weeks, along with Ensign articles has turned my disappointment about not being able to teach history to a bunch of middle schoolers this past year to excitement in preparing to teach my children -- especially the gospel -- the original subject I wanted to teach. God so blesses us and watches over us in miraculous ways. I love in the beginning of the Book of Mormon when Nephi writes about how the book is a compilation of the tender mercies of God -- when I take the time to write and ponder about my life I do see God's tender mercies. 

This Spring Break was nothing like our Hawaii trip two years ago -- quite an extreme opposite, but it has been absolutely wonderful in it's own way.