It's finally here...

... my last day of work! In a few short hours I will be embarking to work one last time before my maternity leave begins.

I thought I would feel more excited, but instead I've been more focused on the next stage of my life - giving birth to and then taking care of a baby! Go figure...?

Anyway, I'm definitely happy to be finished work as I've been feeling more uncomfortable as the days go by, but lately I've been working through a lot of fears about how much my life is about to change.

It really is pretty scary. Most of my pregnancy I've been far enough away from my due date that I've been free to just feel excitement about the baby coming our way. Now that my due date looms closer and closer reality is sinking in. The unknowns of labour and giving birth along with the upcoming lack of sleep and unknowns in caring for an infant have been on my mind.

I'm always giving advice to myself because I tend to overanalyse and overthink everything, and fortunately I seem to have a rational part of my brain that calms the other spazzy part down - and the advice I've been giving myself is:

1) Baby steps (thank you Bill Murray) - one day at a time, one contraction at a time, one feeding at a time, one diaper change at a time, one night at a time, one situation at a time.

2) The most important thing is to try and RELAX.

3) Ask for help when I need it.

4) Learn to let go - of the often insensitive unsolicited advice, of little mistakes I make or others make, of trying to be perfect.

Ahhhhhhhh... deep breath.