It’s the final stretch of the pregnancy and the anticipation of going through labor is here. It’s still unreal that we’re going to be parents. In a few weeks, there will be someone else in our home and our family… for the rest of our lives.

This is the hibernation trimester and final preparation period before our baby is here! Our shopping list is complete and our nursery room is coming together. The nursery is in transition as we’re planning to have one “on-duty” parent sleep here for the first few months.

We also focused on education by taking baby classes, watching and reading online resources, and learning from healthcare providers. After taking three hospital classes, a few virtual sessions, and meeting our doulas, I am more informed but not necessarily prepared as we know birth can be hard to plan and predict.

Feeling our baby move is a daily thing now. He’s rolling or kicking gently —if he doesn’t, it’d be a concern. I also feel huge… My belly is growing each week and it’s getting hard to do certain physical things like putting socks on or getting out of bed.

My back is also sore from the extra weight. But other than that, I’m doing just fine —getting at least 6-8 hours of sleep, having a normal appetite (if anything snacking too much), and being mentally able to focus. At 36 weeks, I’m officially on maternity leave! Hoping to hit 40 weeks so I can have more time to myself and cross tasks off my to-do list.

It’s still surreal that our lives will never be quite like how it is now. I keep mentioning to Chi, “[Insert days/weeks] from today, there will be another human in this house!”. I’m excited to meet this little guy but also nervous, anxious, and all the emotions. It will be hard to get through labor and the newborn stage, but expecting it will be a one-of-a-kind life experience filled with a unique type of happiness and love I’ve never experienced. Wish me luck and let the countdown begin…