The apple will fall from the tree when it's ripe...

Or at least those are the words of wisdom from my Aunt and mother regarding when this baby will decide to make her appearance in this world. According to my "due date" I am overdue which means the following, according to Mirriam-Webster:
Main Entry:
over·due 1 a: unpaid when due b: delayed beyond an appointed time 2: too great : 3: more than ready. I would like to go with number 3, please and say that I am more than ready to have this baby! Although it is only 3 days past my due date it seems like forever. I have been looking forward to this day for 9 months and now it has come and gone. It seems to make the suspense of when it is going to happen even more intense and the fear of if I'm going to be able to handle the pain even more great. According to ACOG (American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists) and my doctor a due date really is a silly thing. They should give women a due range, approximately a two week window of when you might have the baby. So they're saying that this could go on for another week, Lord give me strength! I have another apt. with the doctor on Friday to make sure that Baby girl Bechtel is not in any distress. I'm doubting she is, she has been quite active everyday and I assume she is liking hanging out in the captivity of my belly for a couple more days. She will come when she's ready and God has the master plan and I know that, but it still doesn't make it any easier to wait. Afterall we are really excited to meet her!!!!

Since she didn't decide to make her appearance on my "due date," Saturday, and Wes had the day off we decided to take advantage of the gorgeous weather and do some fun things. The day started off with french pressed coffee, sausage, egg and cheese biscuits and fruit salad. Yummy. Then we decided to do some shopping and buy a few more things for the baby's room. We then headed down to the beach and had an early dinner at Fish House Grill. As we were sitting on the dock eating I realized that only 5 short years ago we had just moved to Wilmington, we had no money, no jobs, and not a care in the world. Wes picked Wilmington off the map and here we were. My first job was at Fish House Grill waiting tables. So crazy to look back and then to be sitting there married and pregnant with our first child. Time flies. After Fish House we headed back to our house to relax a bit. We then headed back down to Wrightsville to get Ritas Italian Ice and walk on the beach. When we got down to the beach there was a band playing on Oceanic's Pier. Free music, wahoo. The band just so happened to be playing Jimmy Buffett. What a great end to a fabulous day with my husband. As we got home that night and I crawled into bed with the windows open and warm breeze blowing in I must say that MYONEWORD for the year came to mind. Satisfied. That I definitely was.

How grateful I am!

This morning I woke up before my alarm went off and got out of bed because Wes did not have to work today and I did not want to wake him up. I must say from the time I got out of bed I was in a good mood. The birds were chirping, the morning dew was glistening on my flowers, the sun was shining and my house was already warm. I went to Ken's Bagels as I do most Friday mornings to pick up bagels for our office and then drove down Airlie Rd. as I normally do. Just as I turned onto Airlie Rd. and was about to pray for the impending arrival of our little girl one of my most favorite songs came on the radio, Mighty to Save, by Hillsong. I then began to thank God for everything in my life. Everything that is so amazingly good. First for my wonderful, loving husband, second for this little girl I am carrying, this little girl that He had entrusted us with, then for our families, for our wonderful friends, for the sunshine, for my job, our house, for everything that he has provided for us! I am just overwhelmed with all the things in my life I have to be thankful for. As I continued to belt out the lyrics to Mighty to Save (in a very off tune voice of course) and drive down Airlie Rd. I breathed in a deep breath of salt air and thought to myself life could not be any better. I have been blessed and I am so grateful for all that I have.