Fearfully and wonderfully made

Audrina Elyse M. Mesa

March 16, 2013, 1:05 a.m.

7 lbs., 50 cm

The one with the end of an era

picture taken at 32 weeks

Today marks my 37th week of pregnancy according to my OB, which means that I can safely give birth anytime now. My doctor and I actually have different due dates, hers is ahead of mine by 4 days. She's basing the due date on our baby's first biometry measurements, while I've always counted from my last menstrual period (LMP). Because this is a planned pregnancy, I'm very sure about my dates. Anyway, in either case, I can give birth any day in the next 5 weeks. I've been paranoid these last two weeks that I might give birth prematurely, so I'm now relieved that my baby has hit full term.

I have no words to describe just how excited I am for our Audrey to arrive. The baby that I dreamed of, imagined, and felt inside me is just days or weeks away from finally being in my arms, and just the thought of it is enough to make me tear up. There is so much love from me, from her daddy, and from her extended family waiting for her.

Happy and excited as I am, I'm a also a little bit emotional over the fact that my precious girl's arrival will mean the end of an era (era talaga???): that of Abet and me, just the two of us. And I'm more than ready to say good-bye to it. Abet and I got to maximize our time together and we have no regrets. We had the time of our lives being young and carefree. We've had our fun travelling as far as our money would take us, we had a beautiful wedding. We got married exactly after 5 years of courtship, and we got to enjoy 8 precious months of being newlyweds playing house followed by 9 months of being eager soon-to-be parents. In those 6 and a half years, I was Abet's princess and the love of his life, and his world revolved around me. Pretty soon, we will have our princess who will be the love of our lives, and our world will revolve around her.

Another thing I'll miss is having Audrey girl all to myself. In the last 9 months, Audrey has been mine, all mine. I'm the only one who can nourish her, feel her move and play and hiccup. Once she's out, I'll be sharing her with her daddy, grandparents, aunts, uncles, cousins, everyone. So yes, I'll missing having both my husband and my daughter all to myself. I'm a selfish girl.

But this selfish girl is excited to be a mother more than anything. Everything will be all worth it once she's here. I'll be sharing my husband with my baby, but I know deep in my heart that Audrey will make our marriage stronger than ever. I'll be sharing my girl with everyone else, but I know that nothing will make me happier than seeing my daughter so loved.

Audrey's arrival may mean the end of an era, but a new, more beautiful one is about to begin.