the waiting game

We're at 34 weeks now, and the waiting game begins...when will the baby arrive? We're not hoping for anything too early, mind you, but I am feeling pretty ready to not be inhabited! As my energy becomes more sapped, Abby's is growing (correlation?); she was (literally) bouncing off the walls when she walked out the door for school today! She has been falling asleep during rest time at school--something she hasn't done for months--so I wonder if she's having another growth spurt. Her feet are now longer than my hands, and she is talking about sharing my clothes (and reminding me that the doc says she will be taller than her momma).

After school yesterday, Abby said "Let's go on a mommy and Abby adventure!" I was imagining a nap, but that was obviously not what she was thinking. So I suggested we go get manicures. She's never had a "real" manicure before, I mean the kind mommy doesn't do at home. I bit my lip and let her pick ANY color she wanted, no matter how wild. She went with a sensibly bright pink-fushia color, with glitter over that and flowers on her thumbs. They actually look very glamorous. I went with a french manicure on my already sensibly short nails. Funny how when your hands look nice, you feel more put together (even in your pajamas). Then we went to an art supply shop and got stretchy bracelet-making plastic wire, tracing paper, a flower stencil, and a kit to make a dolphin mosaic. I was thinking the mosaic would take her the whole weekend. She polished it off this morning before school. It has hundreds of pieces, but she apparently has some serious ability to concentrate on one thing till she's done with it.

This has been a big week for me: I finished and handed in my last seminar paper. This means I'm totally done with classes for my PhD! I have a ton of research and writing to do yet, but it feels great to have completed the coursework. I polished off my grading for the quarter (big sigh of relief) and handed in those grades, so now I have research for a professor to do, but on my own schedule!! I'm finally thinking about packing a bag for the hospital, wrapping up some scrapbooking so that baby #2 actually feels documented, and sitting quietly asking myself what I FEEL like doing! I have not had a chance to slow down like this in over two and a half years. No prelim studying, no papers to finish, no summer research projects to do. I'd take a deep breath if kiddo weren't pushing my lungs into my throat. :) Anyway, I feel really good about this time before baby arrives, and I'm actually super excited to see this little kiddo in person!!