'Are you excited?'

The number one question I get as a pregnant lady is 'Are you excited?'

If that's excited as in going to big party, Burning Man, a new job, a promising date; then the answer is no. Excited doesn't seem to encapsulate the feelings I am having.

The feelings I am having have ranged from themes of 'the Zipper', "I feel like a Science Experiment' 'A pot-bellied three toed tree sloth', and 'the Slow Life'. I hope to write on these subjects over the next weeks.

But excited? As in butterflies in my stomach, counting the moments until the day arrives. Not really.
Maybe its my life strategy of managing expectations. If I don't expect too much, I won't be so disappointed. Sometimes that seems like a very defensive outlook. Other times it seems supremely practical. I don't enjoy the feeling of the floor falling out from under me. There were some years when I went leaping off of waterfalls. But somehow that doesn't seem the best strategy for pregnancy and expecting a baby.
Yet I also think I am denying myself joy- the joy of exploration of growing a new being inside my body, of approaching motherhood.
So this week I am trying to find a way to get excited. What I have read and noticed is that most expecting parents seem to get excited by shopping for new baby things. This definitely does not excite me. Even worse it puts a spell of doomsday over my head as it suggests I am about to begin a life of shopping and errands for meaningless, practical stuff.
So instead I am trying to think of things I can do to build excitement and anticipation for the baby's arrival in early November.
Does anyone have any suggestions?
I just finished my first baby quilt for my inspirational friend, Jolie and her brand new baby Chasin. I could start another for myself. Other ideas?