Countdown

Eight days from now: c-section
Seven days from now: pre-op anesthesia appointment at the hospital
Six days from now: my dad arrives in town for the birth (but he stays at a B&B, not with us)
Five days from now: my first Monday of not going into work on maternity leave; my last appointment with the maternal/fetal medicine specialist
Four days from now: I try not to melt as the mercury climbs to 90°F
Three days from now: my last Saturday to sleep in for a long time
Two days from now: my last day at work before maternity leave
Tomorrow: is Thursday; I can't think of anything particularly monumental about it
Today: carseats being installed by the police at 5:30

I remain in a state of disbelief that the babies will be here next week, combined with a theoretical level of excitement and nerves. I'm starting to feel physically ready to be done being pregnant. Sleeping is getting uncomfortable and I feel a little like a freakshow when I'm walking around in public due to the size of my belly. Overall, I still feel good--walked 3 miles this morning, for example--but everything just takes more effort at this point.

Yesterday, the kids and staff at GH's school had a baby shower for us. It was so nice! Each classroom gave us a little gift and handmade card, and the teachers went in on a Babies'R'Us gift certificate. It was a real treat for me to meet GH's students. I have heard so many stories about them, but most of them I have not met in person. The majority of them are autistic, but others have various physical and mental disabilities. Two of them sang me songs, a few of them proudly told me that they were graduating from middle school and going to high school in the fall. They were all so excited to touch the babies, and I think they enjoyed getting a glimpse into GH's personal life. I remember that about being in school--the notion that teachers have lives outside the classroom. It was always fascinating to meet a spouse or hear about something a teacher had done on a weekend. It was clear that the kids love "Mr. GH," and of course I already know that he loves them back.

GH had chemo today. Low platelets, so not a long treatment, but at least he got something. After two evenings of high activity on my part (two dinner parties in a row), I'm looking forward to spending a quiet evening with GH and enjoying "just the two of us" time before we discover the joys of being four.