A.L.

since october when i found out i was pregnant, everything has been about "before lylah." (OK, so we didn't know her name in october, but you know what i mean.) "this will happen, this has to get done, that will happen before lylah gets here." it's as if there has been a looming deadline at the end of june that has been on the horizon for, well, nine months. everything has been measured in this time before her arrival. afterwards? who cares! B.L.! get it done!

today, a particularly difficult day of waiting (as if there are easy days of waiting any more) that saw the announcement of two other babies (that aren't mine!) delivered, i had a thought: there does in fact exist "after lylah." it started when the women's retreat randomly popped up in my head, and i realized that lylah will go with me to that. and then i started thinking about how we'll have birthday parties and school will start and thanksgiving and christmas will come and...lylah will be with us. A.L....after lylah.

it was just a sweet moment of perspective that as minutes crawl by to the (no-one-knows-it-and-it's-driving-me-insane) deadline, there is so much to look forward to right past that! she's coming! and she's gonna be with us! just a perfect addition to our family.

how very, very exciting (hormonal pregnant lady sob!)!

lylah ruth: 39 weeks, 1 day.