I had my last ultrasound today to check on little Livia, and she looks great. I wish that the machine at my doctor's office produced better pictures because I would love to post her last ultrasound images, but they're just too blurry. This was also my last two-week appointment, and I will now be going to the office once a week to keep a closer eye on things; this is the real sign that the end is near. As of today, I am 34 weeks and 4 days, but Livia's measurements are a bit larger, putting her at 35 weeks and 6 days. She weighs approximately 5 lbs 9 oz. (but these measurements can be off by an entire pound), and, if I remember correctly, she should gain just about a pound a week from here on out. So, it looks like she will be pushing at least nine pounds when she's born. And here I was thinking that I was going to have a smaller baby since she will be delivered at least a week early. Silly me.
Now that we're getting so close to the end, the anticipation is definitely rising. Marc and I both keep talking about what she will look like, whom she will take after, what her personality will be like, how we're going to manage a baby-baby and a toddler-baby at the same time. I am also getting hit with bouts of nesting craziness, but I am trying to not let it get the best of me... but seriously, I need to go get a changing pad and mattress this week or I will go insane. And get the baby swing out of storage and clean it. And get my breastfeeding "kit" together. Okay. I need to stop. I just realized today that we only have four weekends left before she's born, and I got really excited, but also really nervous. Peggy called the other day to make a plan, and it sounds like she is going to stay down here with us for about a month, and I could not be happier about that because I feel like I will have a little less pressure to do it all right away. It's the little things that I won't be able to do in the beginning that worry me most. For example, as I was putting Roman down for a nap today, it hit me that I won't actually be able to lay him down in his crib because it's so low now, and my body will be a little too weak for that after my surgery. I am also worried about Roman's reaction to me feeding Livia and to me having to spend so much of my day day doing so. I think that having grandma here to keep him entertained may help him with the transition a bit, or perhaps it will just put off the inevitable tantrum. We'll just have to wait and see. And I am hopeful that I will recover at least as quickly as I did with Roman, but I think that part of that will be to not push myself too much and remember that I will need to put off roughhousing with and carrying Roman around for a couple of weeks, and that will be hard for me. But even though I am starting to get nervous about the day-to-day challenges ahead, I am really, really excited to meet this little one. And with just 31 days before her arrival, I know I don't have to wait much longer.