So so mellow

Well. Here we are. Homestretch. Two weeks? Three weeks? One week? We'll see. Mostly, these days, I am: napping, reading, walking slow. Aching, stretching, lying on the couch. Watching baseball, looking at the internet. Dust-Bustering cat furballs. Thinking about having a baby. Running small easy errands. Sleeping. Smiling. Emailing. Sometimes crying. Feeling Ivy move down and down and squirm and poke. Nesting hardcore.

Today I woke up at 7am and spent about 40 minutes thinking about what needs to be done in the house to prepare it for birth + baby. So much is already done, and it is pretty clean, but this is the nesting thing, I realize, and I could not go back to sleep until I'd visualized every room in the house in its ideal, clean, prepared state. Luckily Ruby came down for Jason's birthday, and she stuck around and helped me tremendously.

The baby room is temporarily the birth room—we've set up the birth tub, and Ruby helped me move stuff out of it and get it clean and organized. She also helped me move our bed and eliminate Jason's bedside table (sorry dear) to make room for the amazing beautiful bassinet that Jenn made (made!) for us. (Well, for Ivy, really.) And Aubs came over and hung up curtains in our living room to make it more private, and Jason is currently doing the dishes. Yay, help! Learning to ask for it. Because I do need it.

Yesterday was Jason's birthday and his gift from me was something he's mentioned several times over the course of our relationship, long before we'd made any sort of baby-having plans: matching monkey suits for him and his child. You know, for Halloween, or just hanging out, being matching monkeys. So I commissioned Mali, Aubrey's terribly talented roommate and pal, to make 'em. And they are awesome and adorable and Jason looks so cute. I had her make Ivy's costume fairly large, more toddler-sized than infant-sized, so that she'll be able to grow into it. I cannot wait to see them both in full monkey regalia.

Amrit was here yesterday, and everything is proceeding apace: Ivy's "snuggling" down lower, as she puts it, dropping gradually rather than in one fell swoop. Amniotic fluid levels are great; blood pressure's great; everything seems to be the right size; and Ivy's heart rates are excellent. Now, we just wait.

I am enjoying this waiting. Not feeling anxiety or worry or 'when will it happen?!' Just trying to be peaceful and calm and enjoy every moment as it is, as it comes. Happiest birthday dear Jason!