First, let me start out by saying that there will be no You Capture this week. I apologize in advance but it just can not be done. (next week’s topic will be Ordinary Moments – the same as last week.)

Yesterday, I overdid it. I had a newborn session in Chicago followed by a maternity session in the evening. Newborn sessions are laborious – when done correctly. It takes patience and heat and hours and hours to complete a beautiful session.

There is all sorts of bending and ridiculous amounts of squatting and it’s hard but it’s worth it. I was at my client’s home for over four hours working with this sweet little baby.

Oh and did I tell you I hired an assistant? I did and she’s great and she attended this session with me which leads me to ask myself “what if I hadn’t done that?” My OB strongly encouraged me to hire someone to help me so I could continue my packed shooting scheduled.

Either that or I would need to clear my packed shooting schedule.

So, I returned home, ate some Teddy Grahams and began preparing my house for the next session. Part of it was going to be held in my home.

The second part of the session took place at an old farm. It’s a pretty good hike to get where we needed to go.

When I got out of the car after that session, I felt like my joints were on fire and my muscles were being cut. I was very uncomfortable. I edited a few of the photos and barely made it up the stairs. I was tired!

About 45 minutes after falling asleep, I woke up to pain around my butt and my abdomen. Intense pain. Over the next two hours, my pain worsened and I could barely move.

I finally decided we needed to go to the hospital or maybe Brian decided when he had to help to just stand up from the bed and listen to me groan in pain. Yep, maybe he’s the one. Either way.

We arrived at four in the morning. We found out first that the baby was okay, that my blood pressure was good and that I was not in labor.

That, in itself, made our trip in worth it. But we still had to figure out why I was in so much pain. I couldn’t walk, I could just lay on my back, no turning on my side, I couldn’t move at all.

The doctor feels I way overdid, that I’m having muscle spasms all over this area. Rather than being admitted, I opted to be in pain at home, where the bed doesn’t feel like I’m sleeping on a diving board. So, here I am in bed, where I’ve been, aside from getting up to pee four times, for the last twenty hours or so. I’m medicated but the medication does not take the pain away – but it does help me relax.

I do think the pain is getting better but the pain is still pretty intense. So, I guess I have to follow the orders of “stay in bed” because, um…I really have no choice.

But this resting thing? Is NOT my thing. I can’t wait to be on the move again and I hope it happens soon.

It’s not really by choice that I leave this space all neglected it’s just that it’s an easy “to-do” on my list to disregard, where other things aren’t so easy to ignore.

Baby girl will be born seven weeks from today. I have so many feelings about this, mostly excitement, because we can’t wait to meet her.

I have some sadness because this is the last time I’ll be pregnant.

Definite fear. What if she comes early? What if…something else happens?

What if she ends up in the NICU  for weeks like Anna and Noah, despite the fact that they were full term?

It doesn’t seem like too much to ask, wanting a healthy baby girl in my arms in the afternoon of October 3rd, one who latches and coos and sleeps. One who takes our breath away, who is the perfect addition to our completed family. To have that moment in my hospital room when Anna and Noah walk in after school, holding Eli’s little hand. All of them sitting on the bed with me, Grandparents taking photos, Brian hovering, proudly, over his family. These things happen everyday.

But life and my history has shown me that things DO happen and they CAN happen to me, so I’m guarded and hopeful.

And prayerful.

And it although it doesn’t seem too much to ask, I realize how miraculous all of this is – that thought never leaves my brain or my heart.

So, we continue each day, mostly working, sometimes playing, getting ready for school and babies.

Anna and Noah’s new shared room is almost complete. And then we paint the baby’s room.

And then, hopefully, at the end of this pregnancy, I will be doing some much needed rest and I’ll be here so much that you’re bound to get sick of me.

That’s my plan.

Two months from today, assuming everything goes as scheduled, our sweet baby girl will be in our arms.

October 3, 2011 will be her birthday.

Also, today marks my entrance into my thirties. I am thirty weeks pregnant. I can not grasp how quickly this pregnancy is flying right past my eyes. I feel like I’m holding onto it’s leash and it’s dragging me along and I’m trying to hang on.

Last night, my parents came over to help us paint Anna and Noah’s new bedroom. (Anna and Noah will now be sharing a room, Eli and baby will have their own rooms for a few years.)

Also last night, Anna, Noah and Eli stayed over at my in-laws house so we could complete this project. (seriously. How lucky are we to have such amazing grandparents in our lives?) Brian and I have decided to make the most of this time away from our children (24 hours) and celebrate our 12th anniversary, which is this Sunday. We’ll be out of town, so celebrating it then won’t be possible.

Today, we are going out to lunch and then going for couples massages. I am so excited for this. Who doesn’t love to be pampered? And also? Brian’s never had a massage before, so this will be so fun. (and much deserved!)

Also, to include our romantic staycation, we will be putting outlet covers back on, buying mattresses, building bunk beds and trying to organize so these two rooms will magically fit into one. (do we know how to celebrate or what?) (also, this task sounds easy except for the 1,432 Barbies and the 5,213 Barbie shoes. UGH.)

Once this project is done, then it’s on to the baby’s room and Ohmygosh, we are having a baby in two months.

What. What?!