At nine months pregnant, the standard answer is: large and uncomfortable. Jay is our photo person, so unless he feels so inclined, you probably will not see the pictures of me that look more and more like the Stay-Puff Marshmallow Man. People keep telling me I look “so cute” but I certainly don’t feel it. After five pregnancies, the novelty has sort of worn off. I am fortunate not to get sick, and usually like being “with child” but sleep deprivation and swelling do funny things to a person. Even when “Honey Bunny” (so-dubbed by Sam) finally stops wiggling at night so that I can fall asleep, I then have to get up 4-5 times to go to the bathroom. Climbing in and out of my bunk (which is about 4 ½’ off the floor) had become dangerous, so I moved into the salon to sleep (and be closer to the head). Needless to say, I miss the privacy and comfort of my bed.

That said, I also feel really excited. I love babies. I love the way they smell, the funny little sounds they make, the way they look at you like you are the one new to the planet. I love baby things, like the awesome new stroller that I just purchased (look for boat-baby gear reviews in the near-future), and tiny clothes, blankets, and the basket that was lovingly woven for this little one. I even love cloth diapers, which may sound weird to my non-crunchy readers. I will love them even more now that the Splendide has arrived—part of the new nav-station remodel includes installation of an Italian marine washer-dryer unit. That means I do not have to wash cloth diapers by hand. I am actually going to attempt infant potty-training with this kid, but we’ll see how consistently I can stick with that after she shows up.

The other frequently asked question these days is “Do we have a name picked out?” The answer is yes, and no. We always have several in hand when we go to deliver. We like to see the whites of their eyes before we dub them–we need to see who this person is before we stick them with a permanent thing like a name. We have the benefit this time of knowing that this is a little girl (well, relative certainty, anyway) because we had an ultrasound done in Marsh Harbor this winter. That means the list is half as short. We also have traditionally given our children Biblical names, so that narrows the list too. Suffice it to say that the new baby will not be named Esther, Jezebel, or Dorcas. As for the baby’s actual name, like us, you will just have to be patient. And if, by some chance, the ultrasound tech was wrong, then we will have to go back to the drawing board, come up with a boy name and buy some blue things.

For those of you who are praying people, we would certainly be thankful to know that you are asking for a healthy delivery in the near future (the actual due date is April 22), for a quick recovery and smooth transition as we bring a new baby aboard, and for a supernatural dose of patience. We will be posting stats and pictures of the new crew member as soon as she decides to grace us with her presence!