Rollercoasters

If only I had a picture of each girl on a her roller coaster. Joe took them both out on special days over the past week or so, Maya to the Mall of America to and Elle to Como town. Somehow they have both grown tall enough to ride the roller coasters at their respective amusement parks (Como is geared more for littles, but even so this was Elle's first coaster).

I'm about to take Elle on her special day with me (Maya and I hit the Science museum... Elle and I will explore the Children's museum... and yes, I look forward to a day when museums are not the peak of my physical stamina!)

I can't help but think of their roller coaster adventures as emblematic of my current condition. Pip and I are at 36 weeks now. Just two weeks before he's officially full term (and the age Elle was when she was born!). Just four weeks before a likely due date. This means I'm frequently overcome by that oh-so-slow sensation of crawling up the roller coaster's first hill, waiting ever-so-impatiently to meet this new member of our family. The excitement is unbearable.

Then there is the alternate sensation of racing down the tracks toward our due date, list of  last-minute "to do's" flapping behind me like a banner. So many things are piling up; small half-started projects (prepared crafts and activity ideas for this summer, blog posts for Doing Good Together), combined with huge commitments (a 6-year-old's birthday party.... one last nature adventure?!) that I hope to complete before the baby.

This waiting for baby thing is a wild, wild ride, more so this time than before. Sorry to slap in an overused metaphor, but the herky, jerky way time is passing lately just fit too perfectly.