Ten weeks to go!

Baby:
Your baby's face looks much like it will when he's born. He still needs to fill out more to get the characteristic chubby infant cheeks, but he's on his way. He can move his head, open his eyes, and make breathing movements through his open nostrils (although no air comes in).
If your little one were born today, he'd have a good chance for survival at about three pounds and nearly 11 inches long (crown to rump).

Me:
God has given me another chance to show compassion. I am dealing with the nastiest sciatic pain, lower back ache, sleeplessness, preterm contractions, nausea, kidney pain, UTI, and general fatigue and pain. Of course most of these are typical of pregnancy, but none of them are easy. I am being shown what other women go through gladly to have even one baby and I am blessed with this tiny number six in our family.
The baby is very active especially after a contraction, rolling and kicking, punching and hiccuping. The contractions are rhythmic and sometimes hard, but with no change to the cervix, baby is safe for right now. I am drinking loads of water, juice, red raspberry leaf tea, and more water.
The best position for lessening contractions is on my left side- bummer for my sore left shoulder.
Good news though, the kidney pain is almost all gone leaving me with one less problem to deal with. I am certainly being set up to have sympathy as a doula or birth helper.
I would truly love to have any children I have from now on at home. I would also love to help women in health, pregnancy, labor and birth, and postnatal time. I am not sure that I want to become a midwife since they tend to have difficulties in several areas. I recently had a bad experience with a rather unknowledgeable midwife who did not care to increase her knowledge at all. I know she is not the rule. I also talked with doctors and a midwife about having a home birth. I was told by all of them that a home VBAC was not an option since I had a great risk of rupturing or having other complications. I know this is bunk as I had a pretty uncomplicated hospital VBAC. I know my body is quite able to birth a baby, especially since I have birthed babies from this same man who is the dad of all my children. I am not going to be birthing an abominable snowman or a 6 foot Slavic. I am birthing my baby through the natural opening God created for that purpose. I am confident in God's creation and in my body's ability.
I am slowly moving in the direction of UC (unassisted childbirth) for myself. My husband is coming into knowledge that will help him in his attitude towards his future patients in childbirth and delivery. I am coming to trust God much more than I have in the past.

Every week is one more that this baby's lungs are developed more fully to be able to sustain its own life without me. Pray for this baby to have fully developed lungs and all organs when God decides it is the time for him or her to make an appearance.

I have been in a slight panic as we are now 10 weeks away from our due date and we have no baby clothing. I went looking on the internet and found a cool website on how to make simple baby clothing. We are not likely to need socks, so we can leave those out. I am going to sew shirts, pants and shorts, and knit a few vests and hats. Maybe I will make a few pairs of baby mitts so baby does not scratch his or her face. http://www.make-your-own-baby-stuff.com/baby-clothes.html