Ready or not?

This is why I love having
girls.

People often, kindly, ask me how my pregnancy is going, and whether or not I'm ready for a new baby. It's such a big question, that second one.

So I'll answer the first one first. The pregnancy is going fine. I'm only just entering the achy, insomniac stage--a month or two later than last time, for which I'm grateful every day. That doesn't mean I don't have my share of weird symptoms and issues (why is my foot swollen and hurting? Why all the indigestion? Why do the kids need something, or try to crawl on me, every single time I sit down?!?)

I had a doctor appointment Friday, and brought the girls for the first time since the big ultrasound. Except for the super-annoying, super-common chant of, "I'm bored, I'm tired, I'm hungry," they behaved like princesses (the good kind, not the snobby kind) and enjoyed seeing Mommy in the hot seat for once (I wonder if they wished I'd gotten a shot).

College friends!

I was rather charmed that when the doctor pulled out the tape measure and the heartbeat thingy, and two smiling faces peered over the table. The girls, up unprompted off the chair they'd been nicely sharing under threat of having to stand instead, were pretty excited to check on their baby sister! It was their favorite part, of course, aside from introducing their stuffed animals to the surprisingly interested nurse and the doctor.

I'm measuring 32 weeks (I'm 35 along) and didn't gain weight despite my food tour of Durham with Aunt Nancy. Has the baby dropped? Is it just because it was morning and I'm smaller in the mornings? I'll have an ultrasound next time to make sure everything's okay; I'm not really worried.

And onto the second question: are we ready?

ISU: the next generation.

Are we ever ready? Is it even possible? The truth is, we are definitely not ready in a practical sense. Definitely not. If the baby comes now, she'll be sleeping in a drawer, wearing outfits that have not recently been washed and wearing her sister's size 5 diapers (they're just for nighttime), plus whatever we can nab from the hospital. Oh, the horror.

The children have stopped asking me if I'm going to have the baby today, but they'd probably better start up again in the next few weeks. And we've been working a lot on getting ready for the little one.

For instance, we've thoroughly scrutinized photos of Baby Kalina and Baby Elise, read a few "I'm a big sister now" types of books, ensured that the baby has a "soft blankie" (this is a big one for Elise), covered "baby etiquette" in minor detail (so far), and stocked her room with a few presents people have given us (Elise is very protective of the baby's things for her).

We took our houseguests to the
botanical garden!

Still to do:
-Take a picture of my growing belly
-Fill the freezer
-Get the baby's room, clothes and diapers ready
-Track down all the baby equipment that's scattered throughout 3 different areas of the house
-Clean, clean, clean
-Visit the zoo, the children's museum and all the other fun places for the "last time." (Ever?!? I can't help but wonder)
-Finish all my freelance work to the best of my ability
-Give kids a crash course in all the "self care" items I've been neglecting for months
-Pack the hospital bag
-Finish Elise's and Kalina's baby books (eek! but I have this blog, right?)

In short, it does feel like I'm preparing for the end of the world. "It's not the end, it's the beginning!" I try to tell myself. We'll do it all in August: there's time, right?

The kids are getting ready in their own ways, which includes asking lots of good questions (Will the baby have hair? Kalina thinks no, Elise and Mommy think yes. "Will the baby fall on the floor when she pops out of your tummy?" -Kalina) and making lots of assumptions ("If the baby crawls toward bath water that's too hot, I will scoop it up and pull it away!" -Elise "I will catch the baby when she pops out of your tummy!" -Elise). They are excited for the baby to walk, run ("It'll be the slowest runner!" -Kalina), talk, toddle, sing, laugh, smile, eat mushed-up food, eat birthday cake, and all the rest. Me too. Kalina has also just begun to be on the lookout for things the baby shouldn't put in her mouth. I have a feeling she will be an annoyingly vigilant big sister (much to her mommy's delight). They do anticipate her being very cute--a unanimous sentiment in our family.

They're prepared to laugh at the baby's antics, from expecting her to "sing cute little songs" to swing in the baby swing. They anticipate that a highlight will be having her grab their fingers (they're not far off, honestly!). Elise also anticipates a lot of waaah-waaaaahing (as she calls it). 

[Elise, as an aside, also has a baby in her tummy. It used to be Ellie, her doll, who was born on her birthday (so the story goes), but now it's a boy baby. Ask her if you can feel the baby move sometime...]

And they're already starting to bond. They like to say hi through my tummy and, occasionally, into my mouth (they think that'll help the baby hear them). 

But I don't think they have any idea how much their world will be changed (they think they're tired now!). Oh well, they like surprises. Right??