a matter of hours now.......

well, i'm down to my last hours of freedom before the big event. the kids are both at school, i have sufficiently "nested" (& let me tell you, nesting is incredibly hard the bigger i have become, washing this dishes, doing laundry, and barely being able to reach the sink or washing machine over my giant stomach). i've packed overnight bags, diaper bags, camera bags, laptop bags. i've stocked diapers, bath supplies, sleepers & onsies. i've sterilized bottles & pacifiers. i have even ironed my hospital gown. yep, you heard that right, i am playing the diva role when i go in tomorrow to be induced & i will be wearing my own hospital gown. how cool is that? & i got the matching robe & swaddling blanket for the baby in light green with white polka dots, hee hee hee. i know, it's silly but i love cute things! & didn't i mention i've been doing a lot of online shopping lately?

speaking of, i'm eagerly awaiting this fun toy:

it's a baby timer! you have four different buttons that keep track of various things, like naps, feedings, changings, etc. & you just press the button that corresponds with the activity & it'll keep track of when the last feeding was, or how long the baby has napped. isn't that cool?? it wasn't available in target stores so i ordered it online, along with four other boring but necessary baby items. each one arrived separately last week & this was the last one to get here on friday. i open the box excitedly only to find.........a beaded necklace? what? man, i was so excited to have this thing in my hospital when the baby arrived because, let me tell you--you think you'll remember the last time you fed your baby or the last time it peed but it does these things ALL the time & it becomes a giant jumble in your head. & i write it down but did i mention i am the most absentminded person in the world & often couldn't even remember to do that at the right time. i'm hoping that i can at least hit a button when i need to. ....but instead i have a beaded necklace. luckily, target is getting me a new one & it's on its way. & they e-mailed that i can keep the necklace :)

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so anyway, today is a day to tie up lose ends, enjoy our family of four for the last time, & freak out about how i'm not ready for a baby. i would have thought that by now i would be ready, especially since i've done this twice before, but in some ways i feel the least prepared. probably because kieran & andie are getting older & more self-sufficient & i haven't been in baby mode for a bit. & since i have done this twice before i know exactly how life changing & lifestyle changing adding a new baby to the family is....... & even though it sounds crazy-especially to me-i'm going to really miss being pregnant. sure i'm huge, sure i've been wearing the same old maternity stuff for months, sure i have the typical ailments like heartburn & difficulty sleeping, sure i can hardly heave myself out of bed in the morning. where was i going with this? oh, right, i'll miss this. well, i will really. for the most part i've had a great pregnancy, and because i didn't start really showing until i was halfway through it, it feels like it's gone fairly fast. & it's fascinating really, feeling the baby stretch & move inside, & knowing that i won't feel that again makes me try to pay close attention to it & remember the sensation. as i type this the baby has hicups & it might be the last time i feel this & have the baby all to myself, i think it's really pretty cool.

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i'll be updating tomorrow when we go into the hospital, via my cell phone. i'll be using Twitter, so you can check out the updates in the right hand column. i will most likely be going in early tomorrow morning, 6 or 6:30. so check in wednesday to find out all the fun details!

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