Getting Ready for Baby...

A few people have told me to have a special toy or something to give Sophia when it's time to feed the Baby. I thought this sounded like a pretty good idea so I bought a bag and had Sophia pick out some paints. She very happily painted her bag with a little help from Bama yesterday. She was sooooo excited to paint! We totally got it everywhere, but whatever. She was proud of her masterpiece. I stocked the bag with some exciting new books, cards, and stickers. I tried to find things she could do on her own and since she loves to read so much I figured books was a safe bet. I also bought a giant Magna Doodle that I figure I can switch out between her bag of books to keep things exciting! I hope it works!

Here Sophia is making sure the safety buckles are in working condition. She was thrilled when we brought the carrier out, just one more thing she thinks is for her babies! She's been playing with the swing for weeks! I think we've finally got her to the point where she pushes it gently, but for a while there it was going at full throttle...yikes!

passing the torch, er, crib, to the baby

Yes, the rocking chair is still comfortable, thank you.

Here she dictated that she would sit on the ottoman and Mommy would sit in the chair

Aunt Annie arrived to pick up her charge!

taking the last few shots before Baby arrives!

Look at the size of that belly!!

Deep breath. And again. Okay, I think I'm ready. I mean physically, I'm totally beyond ready. I was ready to have this baby out of me weeks ago, but mentally, we'll we're still working on that! ;) Actually, I'm much more ready than I think I ever was with Sophia. I know more of what to expect, sort of anyway, and I now know what a true joy having a child is, so that part is a little less scary. But, since I'm a true neurotic I've got a lot on my mind! I'm naturally a bit worried about surgery, but I'm confident in my doctor and I'm sure things will go smoothly. He did say at my visit today though that going back through an incision will make it heal less quickly so he'll be leaving the staples in for a week. So, that first week out I'll have to make a trek to both Baby's doctor and mine! Blech! In other visit news...I did not even gain one pound this week! Woo HOOOO! I'm not sure how that is seeing as though I really believe I ate my weight in leftover golf-ball cupcakes, but the scale don't lie! I grew 1 cm, which is perfect, and I ended up at 40 cm, which is only 1 cm over "ideal"...they say to gain 1 cm/week and technically I'm 39 weeks, so I feel pretty good about that. I'm just over the fact that I will have these ghastly stretch marks for the rest of my life. It is what it is. It's going to be a struggle to lose the weight, but I'm hoping that since I'm off the steroids that will be my jumping off point. Speaking of which, as soon as I stopped the steroids, my rash came back in full force. Bastards. It can last up to 12 weeks post-partum and I can't really remember how long it stayed with Sophia, about a month or two I'd say, but I don't remember it being quite as itchy, so that's a plus.

I've had an emotional day as I finished up all the odds and ends I could think of. I really thought about Sophia today and how her life is going to be so different. My friend Julie told me that when she had Luca, she almost felt as if she were breaking-up with Massimo, and although it's kind of a funny analogy, I sort of felt that way today too. It was definitely weird to think that this was the last day on earth she'd be an only child! Rationally, I can look at the situation and say that I couldn't imagine life without my own brother and the relationship we have and I hope that Sophia will have an equally close bond with her sibling, but I also worry that she'll be traumatized. I know it will be an adjustment it's just that she's all I know right now so the thought of her being sad, jealous, etc. just breaks my heart. My Parents as Teachers rep did tell me though, that after about 2-3 months kids Sophia's age don't even remember life without their sibling. That's pretty good news, 2 months isn't that long, right?! I also try and remember that she LOVES babies and she is such a sweet and genuine helper around the house, that she may be excited by this new edition...I just don't think she understands it's going to actually live here!

At the end of the day though, things are changing and I am really trying not to worry about all my fears, rational or not! I am truly excited about meeting this new baby. It's time. It is already so loved and so wanted and we have a lifetime of happiness as a family ahead of us. That being said, I'm going to go ahead on record and say that I think it's a girl, so call Vegas and place your bets for boy, because I'm always wrong! Truly, I second guess my "feelings" all the time and I have no idea what I truly think about it's gender. If you'd like to get your vote in before it's too late, feel free to post it! Part of me hopes it's a boy because it'd be really fun to have a boy, and who knows if we're going to have any more kids. But, on the flip side, I always wanted a sister and if it's a girl Sophia will get that opportunity that I always wished for. Really, I guess it's a win-win situation. Send us good vibes as we go into surgery tomorrow and pray for no complications! Surgery is scheduled for 7:30 am which means we'll have a baby by 7:45! We'll let everyone know the details as soon as possible and feel free to call or visit us during our hospital stay! We're used to loud, busy rooms and I'm sure the baby will sleep through the whole thing, so we'll see you soon!