37.5 weeks

I'm about 2-and-a-half weeks away from my due date and between the 100 degree days and the sleepless nights, I'm starting to hope that perhaps Hopper will be inclined to join us sooner rather than later. I know. I know. I've said time and again that I need time to get through the 80 million things on my To-Do-Before-Hopper-Arrives list. And I DO need time. Except that in addition to time, I also need energy and the combination of no sleep, ridiculous heat, and active toddler are robbing me of all energy and motivation. Which is to say that no matter how much longer Hopper stays in, I'm probably not going to get a whole lot done, so he might as well mosey on out.

I've been pretty lax with my baby preparations this time, but I have managed to get a bag packed...well...not PACKED exactly...but I did make a pile of things on a chair in the office that will EVENTUALLY be put into a bag. And by "eventually," I mean, "probably when I realize I'm in labor." And although we haven't installed the infant car seat in the car, we did pull it out of storage and put it in the TRUNK of the car, so at least we'll have it with us. And although I haven't been staining furniture and organizing and re-organizing baby clothes and researching baby gear and decorating a cute little space for the baby, we have put together a cradle and gotten all the newborn clothes and diapers washed and ready. So, you know. We're ready...in a laid back, this-is-our-second-kid kind of way. Which is not to say that we're not excited. We totally ARE. It's just that with Luke, we had so much STUFF ready and in the end, he spent all day (and night) in our arms, while the stuff sat and collected dust and the cats slept in the crib.

But even with the low-key preparation that's going on around here, we've been talking a lot about the impending new arrival, especially with Luke, who now has some very interesting ideas about this whole baby brother thing.

• He knows that Hopper is coming to live in our house, but believes that after Hopper is born, he (Luke) will get to go live in my belly.
• He believes that Hopper is bringing him a truck.
• He believes that Hopper will share all of his (Hopper's) toys with Luke because, in Luke's words, "My baby Hopper is nice!"
• Yesterday, after he played with a friend who has a baby sister, he asked me where his baby sister was and I said he doesn't have a baby sister, but will soon have a baby brother. His reply: "My baby brother is Baby Hopper. He will live in my house soon. When Baby Hopper lives in my house, my baby sister will live in Mama's belly." Um....you know what, kid? Let's give it a few years.
• Today, he kept asking to "see Baby Hopper." I explained that Baby Hopper is still in my belly, and therefore, not really visible. He responded that he'd like to go "in there with Hopper." I explained that no, there's not enough room in there with Hopper. He then poked at my belly and said wistfully, "Hopper...there's enough room out here..." and pointed at the living room. Looks like I'm not the only one who's anxious to meet our little Hopper.