another baby-prepping weekend gone....

we continue to check things off of our pre-baby to do list, and we're not left with nothing but "make baby announcements" and "pack an emergency hospital bag." it's a pretty prepared spot to be in, really. i still hope for the final 2 weeks before the due date to mentally prepare myself, and do some last minute reading of inspiring birth stories. but i'm feeling a little closer, if nothing else.

38 weeks:


3, soon-to-be-4, Case Haub boys


the landscaping around the deck that we finally finished:


We headed up to Boone yesterday for a visit to see Thomas the Tank Engine. Jack and I rode the train and he enjoyed some other activities at the event:






Benj was there, too :)



And afterward, we had lunch at Hickory Park in Ames with Mike's grandmother and great aunt.


My 38-week prenatal appt. is today, and I am hoping hoping HOPING the midwife tells me that Gavino the Bambino has rotated back out of posterior position. He had managed to make his way into it a week ago, and since then I've spent quite a bit of time on hands and knees to encourage him back out of it again. One night I was sure I was going into labor because of shooting back pains, and I panicked quite a bit because I had no idea how I'd deal with advanced labor if that was how early labor began.... turned out I was having practice back labor due to his posterior position. I'd like to avoid that if at all possible when the real thing comes! Yikes. Not a good sign when your midwive tells you, "Yeah, I don't know how women deal with back labor. That is really a tremendous challenge." and her nurse and midwife apprentice also tells you, "I had back labor all three times and I literally thought I was going to die." Honesty is great, but yikes!