madi's birthday is coming soon!

I am 37 weeks and 4 days pregnant with my sweet girl today.  As long as she and my body continue to cooperate, she will be arriving on October 9th (just 10 days!!) via cesarean.  I will be 39 weeks that day and it will be precisely 20 weeks since we found out our girl has spina bifida.  Looking back to May 22nd I am amazed by how far we have come...emotionally especially.

While there is still fear of the unknown (Madi's surgery(ies), my ceserean recovery, transitioning from the NICU to home, adjusting to life with 2 kiddos) and worry for what certain aspects of Madison's future holds (i.e.: motor ability, potty concerns), I know that she is going to be one amazing girl and I am just so dang excited to meet her!

We have every confidence in the doctors and nurses that will be attending to Madison and in the hospitals where she and I will be in Atlanta.  We are grateful that my parents are able to come help us there and are willing to stick around for however long we need them.  We know Ben is going to be a great big brother and are thankful to the folks that will be caring for him while we are in ATL with Madi. We have been blessed over and over again by our friends and our community and we know that they will love our girl (almost) as much as we do!

And most importantly we know that God has this.  He has Madi.  He has me.  He has Jeff and Ben.  He has ALL OF IT.  There is no greater peace than resting in that knowledge, so even though there are times when my fear gets the better of me, I keep trying to come back to that - God has this.


So, we have been focused on the awesomeness of what it will be like to see this cute face in real life...

 ...and on getting ready for her arrival!

All of Madison's clothes are clean and ready.  The changing table is stocked, the Diaper Genie is ready to go, the pack n' play is up, the swing and rocker chair thing are assembled (...not the crib so much, but we'll get there eventually!), and she has diapers and blankets and onesies to last a lifetime (or at least a few months).  My house is still a bit of a disaster, but I have 10 days, right.  No biggie!

I cannot wait to meet my girl!  And you better watch out Madison, because there is nothing better than being a Coth-berry....and your BIG brother, Ben, is super excited to tell you all about it. :-)