On being Sick and Sickeningly Grateful

37 weeks, 4 days. All bets are off. Casey Finn could emerge at any moment. Normally at this point in pregnancy the mother is jumping backwards, drinking castor oil, shooting primrose tea, walking 10 miles a day and doing unmentionables to coax the baby out.

I on the other hand, despite feeling like a miserable whale of a human being and infinitely sad for my 13-month-old who wants to get into everything and go everywhere (we are not on the same page with that), am not anxious for this little man to emerge. I am sick as a dog.

I have somehow existed this entire pregnancy with no illness aside the pregnancy-related variety. And now, with every next moment containing the possibility of going into labor, I come down with this ghettoass illness. It feels like the flu, without the fever. So most likely it is just a horrible virus that is hopefully not too serious. But for someone in their last weeks of pregnancy herding a toddler, it is virtually a death sentence.

A week ago I was Wet Jetting the floors every night before bed. Such was my nesting. Now I am lucky if I can make my tissue land in the basket.

This means that my impossibly gorgeous and virtuous man has assumed pretty much all duties of the household. He works, he comes home to help me in the afternoon, he cooks, cleans, then goes back to work for hours in the night. I find him creeping in like a hollowed-out shell in the middle of the night. Does he complain? No.

I know it's practice for what will be the even tougher part of having a newborn and a toddler coexisting in the same roof. But it's hard.

Yet I am so so grateful. For having a soulmate who is the strongest and most loving person I know. Who I can count on to be there for me and our children. Watching him with Holden is the most peaceful, right thing my soul has ever experienced. I love our family. I can't wait to meet our new son (who has permanently wedged his elbow into my ribs but I get him back by my epic sneezes that scare him silly). Oh and I can't wait to not be sick.

Other than that, we are watching the World Cup around here and I am learning all sorts of things about how annoying South African instruments are. Oh, and about the football itself, which is pretty cool too. England and US both play tomorrow and we are anxious to see if they both advance (hopefully). Oh and finishing that nursery (still), which I am doubting will be "finished" before little one makes his cameo. But that's ok. We have what we need.

Mama and also Mama-to-be