Ready

I am beyond ready to meet this baby.

I feel silly for saying that when I'm not yet to her due date.  We're past July, which would have been a stretch for her to come quite that soon, but I guess I was assuming that she would have come a bit early since she's not my first. 

I've done everything that I can--gone on walks (an even a two mile run this morning), ate spicy food, sat on the exercise ball, and everything else that everyone suggests.  My bag is packed (and I remembered clothes for my husband this time), Ella's bag is packed and already at our friends' home, we have a carseat base in each car, with the carseat sitting by the door, next to my bag.  The house is clean (and staying mostly tidy).  Everything is wrapped up at work.  I feel that if I don't have her this weekend, that I'll have to start a new project at work on Monday (there's no way that I'm staying home to just twiddle my thumbs and wait). 

Going into labor tonight, and having her tomorrow, seem--to me--like they would be so ideal!  We had a great morning at the zoo with Ella, followed by lunch, cookies, and a nap.  I then went and got a massage while she slept, so I'm feeling totally relaxed and ready.  The plan is that Ella will go to her little friend's house if/when labor truly starts, and my parents will either jump in the car or hop on a plane.  (It's so different this time around to be concerned about Baby #1 while waiting on Baby #2!)  I know that my friend (Ella's friend's mom) would make it work to care for Ella in the middle of the week, but it would just be so much easier on the weekend.  Not to mention, my dad is a pastor, so it would be ideal for him to work tomorrow morning and then head down with my mom, spend the week or so here once the baby comes, and then head home.  If we wait much later into the week, he'll likely have to wait until after church next Sunday to come down.  Lastly, I intend to take weekly pictures again, like I did with Ella, and it would just be so much easier to add them into our Sunday routine than in the middle of the work week. 

But I know it's not about me.  It's about this perfectly-content Baby, and about God's plan.  I can wish and plan and wait and hope and drive myself stir-crazy, but ultimately, I need to wait.  If I've learned anything through this experience, it's that God knows what He's doing. 

Today's blessing was seeing Ella respond so positively at the zoo.  We have an annual pass, so we've been to the zoo plenty of times, but it's been too hot to go lately (and was indeed rather warm today).  But she is "clicking"--cognitively speaking--in so many amazing ways these days, and it's just amazing to see her interacting and truly "learning" about the animals, instead of simply admiring them.  I'm sure I'm rather biased, since she's mine, but she is one cool kid, and I fall in love with her more and more each day.  (And you can see why I'm so anxious to meet her sister!)