Save The Date

Every time I see a date now, I immediately think of it in relationship to my due date. For example, I need to change my Brita filter on 4/15. My brain simplifies this to "I need to change my Brita filter after the baby is born."

Certain events get related to the baby's birth, too. Yesterday, I had my last hair cut before the baby is born.

I can't stop thinking this way. My brain is in super baby mode now.

Kid Free Day

Foster Son is on his first overnight visit. No more talk about kids allowed for today.

Baby Basics Class

Husband and I went to a "Baby Basics" class last night, held by our county health department. It was really simplistic and seemed to be geared toward a less-educated group of people.

We learned a few things, I guess. What they might be completely escapes me right now. But a refresher never hurts, right? We learned about safety and about choosing a good day care.

Everyone in the class was pretty quiet, except for this one lady. I'll call her Tweedle Dee. She didn't seem very bright, but she came across as extremely honest and sincere. I liked her. She was pregnant with her 4th baby, but all of her other kids were a lot older so I guess she wanted a reminder about what it's like to take care of a baby.

At one point, the teacher asked Tweedle Dee, "Why might a baby cry?" and Tweedle Dee pursed her lips and sat back in her chair and said, "Because they're SPOILED."

Sigh.

Good luck to you, little baby in Tweedle Dee's belly. Good luck.

Charley Horse Returns

I'm having a lot of trouble verbalizing lately. Poor Husband. He must feel as though I am constantly on the verge of disaster.

I woke him up last night yelling, "Ow! Owwwwww! Help me! It hurts!"

"What does?!?"

Then my throat closed up. "Ch-ch-ch-ch..." Finally I said, "Charley Horse!" I think Husband was relieved to hear that's all it was.

But, oh, it hurt. I'm still quite sore today.

Please don't tell me that this is what labor contractions feel like.

Something To Think About

This might seem counter-intuitive, but now that I've experienced pregnancy, I have so much more empathy and understanding for women who decide to terminate their pregnancies.

I just can't imagine enduring this process without being committed to it. I wanted a child, I have a supportive husband, supportive friends, family, and coworkers, I have insurance and a great OBGYN's office-- and you know what? Being pregnant is still hard. It's hard physically and emotionally and mentally. I can't imagine not wanting to be a mother, not having a good support system in place, not having the financial resources in place and then having to suffer through all of the problems and uncertainties of pregnancy.

When my morning sickness was really bad, I literally thought to myself at one point, "this baby is going to kill me." Granted, I had thrown up so much that I was a little bit loopy and not making much sense (to Husband's shock and dismay). But I can see where, under different circumstances, that experience might have been a breaking point for me.

I've always been pro-choice and I support Roe v Wade as it stands today (no elective abortions past the point of viability and all that), and of course I believe that there should always be exceptions for medical necessity to any prohibitions on abortion. But that was all an intellectual excersize before. I believed in those rights without fully understanding what they meant.
I love Elise so much and I'm so happy that she's grown healthy and strong inside of me. I'll endure whatever it takes to bring her into this world.

But not every pregnant woman feels the way I do about their pregnancy. And I understand better now why that's the case.

Bad Luck Day

From about 7:00 Monday night until about 7:00 last night, Husband and I had a string of bad luck. I'm hoping it's over. I'm trying to think positively and say to myself, "at least it happened all at once and only ruined 24 hours, rather than dragging out and ruining several days." That's a good way to look at it, right?

Monday night, Husband's computer crashed. The hard drive was ruined. About a year's worth of our pictures, a lot of music, and a lot of work Husband had done on personal projects was lost. Why didn't we back that stuff up? Lesson learned. The hard way.

Then yesterday morning, Husband woke up with a terrible cold. Poor Husband.

Yesterday at lunch, I fell and skinned my knee. I've been REALLY off balance lately, and now that all of my ligaments and whatnot are loosening up, I'm a wobbly mess.

I was walking down some steps with Husband, on our way out to lunch, and my ankle just totally gave out. I couldn't catch my balance because I was on the stairs. Fortunately, I was about to step down to the last stair, so I didn't fall far. I did skin my knee up pretty good, though.

I landed on all fours, so my belly never got bumped. In fact, Elise slept right through it. She didn't even stir. She woke up later for lunch, so I know that she was okay. I'm okay, too-- it was just sort of embarrassing. I haven't skinned my knee since I was, what-- 7 years old?

Another lesson learned the hard way: use the f***ing hand rails on stairs when you're 9 months pregnant.

The last bad thing that happened was that Husband and I locked outselves out of our house yesterday evening. Foster Son was on a visit, which doesn't usually happen in the middle of the week, so Husband and I were planning to go out for a nice, relaxing dinner. We went home and got ready after work, walked out the front door, and realized that somehow neither one of us had grabbed our keys. Evening plans ruined.

Fortunately, we both had our phones. We called my sister, who we knew would be busy for the next hour and 1/2, then walked to a nearby, less nice, less relaxing restaurant for dinner. My sister was able to meet us and let us into our house just in time for Husband to leave and go pick up Foster Son from his visit.

So far so good today, though. Hoping that the bad luck has passed...

Everything's Bigger In Pregnantland

Shortly after I got pregnant, I stuffed a pillow under my shirt and proudly announced to Husband, "This is what I'll look like in 8 months! Can you believe it?"

No.

Pregnant ladies (for the most part) do not look like non-pregnant ladies with pillows under their shirts. More than just your belly gets big. EVERYTHING gets bigger. The belly overshadows the other parts, but when it's your own body, you notice the changes everywhere.

Pregnant feet spread out. Pregnant thighs get fatter. (I think that my thighs are the most devastating of the changes so far. I understand that they're helping to balance out my ginormous belly, but I still can't completely appreciate the utility of having fat thighs during pregnancy.) Pregnant lady parts get bigger (which came as a bit of a surprise to me). Pregnant butts get wider as pregnant hips spread. Pregnant boobs, of course, morph into the aforementioned porn star boobs. Pregnant upper arms get a bit thicker. Even pregnant faces get fuller.

I saw a pre-pregnant picture of myself the other night and I was like, "OMG! I was so thin! I've never thought of myself as thin, but I look thin there!" It's all relative, I suppose.

After this baby comes, if I can lose my pregnancy weight, I swear that will never complain about my thighs again. Ever.

Better To Keep Some Things To Yourself

Yesterday I was having some hard Braxton-Hicks contractions, so Husband suggested that we practice what we might do while I'm in labor. As we were standing up rocking back and forth and Husband was rubbing my back, Husband began giving commentary, pretending that he wasn't actually talking to me, but just that I could hear his thoughts.

Husband: (Well, here we are in hour 72 of labor...)

Me: I'd better not be in labor for 72 hours! That's not funny!

H: (Wife no longer has a sense of humor. Things are getting tense in here.)

M: Well, YOU try laboring for 72 hours!

H: (Massages are helping, but my hand is starting to cramp up.)

M: Oh, really? Your hand? Just your hand? Not your entire midsection?

H: (Considering asking doctor to perform the epidural into the back of her head, somewhere above her mouth...)

My Pregnant Feet

My observations regarding my feet at 35 weeks pregnant:

1. It's really weird to be standing up and realize that you can't see your own feet when you look down. Of course, I can look around my belly, or stretch my foot out, but it's still a mildly unsettling feeling.

2. Clipping my toenails is a gigantic pain in the ass.

3. My feet look wider. Not a lot. I don't need new shoes, like some pregnant ladies do. But they look slightly more... duck-like. Kind of like cartoon duck feet. Narrower at the back and more spread out at the toes. I'm sure it helps me stay balanced to have my feet more spread out. Plus, I read that the hormones that help loosen your hips up for the baby to come out can't just target one spot on your body, so all of your ligaments get a bit looser. Feet included.

4. Throughout this pregnancy, whenever I don't feel well just about the only place that I can stand to be touched is my feet. I have a feeling that that will hold true for labor, as well. I hope Husband's prepared to rub some feet!

Baby's Hospital Bag Is Packed

Husband's mom made a lovely tote bag, light blue and white, that we took home with us after our Christmas-time visit at her house. This is going to be the baby's hospital bag. It's very roomy, so I figure that if we get any samples or some kind of presents at the hospital, we'll have extra space to pack the stuff we get and bring it home.

I've packed 3 receiving blankets, a heavier blanket (in case it's cold or it rains), 3 burp cloths, a onesie, and an outfit to bring the baby home in (a shirt, pants with footies, mittens, a hat, a bib). I'll throw in a diaper and some wipes, just in case we need them, although I know that the hospital provides that stuff for your stay.

Last week at my OBGYN's appointment, my doctor advised us not to pack too much. "Some people show up looking like they're ready to move in. You aren't staying for a week, just a couple of days. Don't pack too much. They provide you with most of the stuff you need at the hospital."

Yeah, yeah. Better safe than sorry. That's what I say.

Pregnant Brain Craziness

I blame everything weird that happens to me on the fact that I'm pregnant. Here's what happened on Friday:

I decided to wash some more baby blankets/towels/washcloths/etc. and I had been in the baby's room, putting a load of laundry together. When I was done, I put my cell phone on top of the stack of laundry, walked through the house, spaced out and lost about a minute's worth of awareness of my own actions, and then put the laundry into the washing machine.

I sat down at my computer for a minute or two, and then looked to my left, expecting to see my cell phone. But it wasn't there. Where had I put it? Hmmm. The last place I remembered seeing it was... OH NO! ON TOP OF THE PILE OF LAUNDRY!!!

I screamed. I ran into the laundry room, and began pulling sopping wet, soapy baby blankets out of the washing machine. Husband was right behind me, very concerned about my screaming.

"Help me find my phone!"

"Okay! Okay!" Husband started sorting through the blankets I had pulled out of the washing machine.

"No! Go look somewhere else. Look in the living room or something!"

About two seconds after husband walked out of the laundry room he shouted, "Found it!" Was it really in such an obvious place? How had I overlooked it? I felt relief that Husband had found my phone, but I felt incredibly stupid for what had just happened.

Husband walked back into the laundry room and looked around at the mess I'd made. I was wet and soapy. The blankets were wet and soapy. The floor was wet and soapy. I felt so embarrassed.

"Hey. Maybe next time you can tell me what's happened when you scream instead of just screaming. I thought your water had broken or something."

Oops. Sorry, Husband.

I seriously don't remember taking my phone out of the laundry basket. I'm glad that I did, but I thought for sure that I'd dumped my phone in the wash. Wow. Pregnant brain strikes again.

Vegetarian and Pregnant

Did I ever explain that I'm vegetarian? I think I mentioned it in passing. I eat eggs and dairy, so I guess that makes me a lacto-ovo vegetarian. I don't eat fish.

I just want to say that my diet has created no problems with my pregnancy. I make sure to get enough protein with the eggs, dairy, and soy products that were already a part of my diet. I eat a lot of greek yogurt now, because it has a good deal of protein in it. And, of course, I take my prenatal vitamins.

I wondered when I first got pregnant if I would crave meat. I've heard that a lot of vegetarian women do. I wondered if I would give in to that craving. I've been a vegetarian for about 12 years, and I just didn't know how my body would react to eating meat again.

I haven't had a single craving for meat, though. I guess that I'm getting enough protein elsewhere. I never much liked the taste of meat in the first place. I love the sauces that go on meat-- barbecue, sweet and sour, stuff like that. But I just put those sauces on vegetarian dishes and I'm as happy as I ever was with a piece of chicken or pork. So there's no part of me that "misses" meat or feels deprived by not eating it.

Husband and I talk about what we'll do with regard to Elise's diet. I think that the agreement (correct me if I'm wrong, Husband) is that she'll be vegetarian until she has her own curiosity about meat. Until she herself wants it. Not in a babyish way where they want to put every single thing within reach into their mouth. But in a sincere I'd-like-to-try-that sort of way. Foster Son eats meat and we don't stop him from having it. We eat vegetarian at home, but when we go out to restaurants, Foster Son usually wants chicken nuggets or a hamburger. Husband usually has chicken. Plus, Foster son has breakfast and lunch at preschool 5 days out of the week, and those meals are certainly not vegetarian.

Maybe Elise won't even like meat, since I've never given it to her in the womb. Who am I kidding? I've basically ensured that she'll grow up to own a slaughterhouse, right? She'll have to rebel somehow.

Here We Go!

Had my 34 week checkup yesterday. All is well with momma and baby.

After the checkup, I had my first painful Braxton-Hicks contractions. They had just been annoying and then uncomfortable before yesterday. Now they're getting more intense.

I had a lot of them. I knew they weren't real labor because they didn't get stronger with time, and also, they were interruptable. They started getting really bad after Foster Son went to bed, so I took a hot bath and that stopped them for a while. Husband sat in the bathroom with me because I didn't want to be alone. Once I got out of the bath, I had a few more contractions, but they weren't as bad.

On top of the contractions, Elise kept her elbow poking into the edges of my hernia. It really, really hurt. I don't understand how sitting with her elbow poking out like that can possibly be comfortable. But she does it nonstop lately.

Oh, and one of my cats unintentionally clawed the crap out of me last night. She left little bits of claw in my skin and Husband had to pull them out with tweezers.

I had a crummy night last night.

Momster

Last night as I was getting undressed to take a shower, Husband says to me:

"Wow! I don't think you're gonna make it another 6 weeks. You're so pregnant! You're more pregnant-looking than anyone I've ever seen!... Except Octomom. But she's a monster... Well, not a 'monster'... but her face looks like a cartoon cat's face."

Tinkle Tinkle Little Bladder

For the past 3 days NONSTOP I've felt like I have to pee. I go to the bathroom, stand up, and the feeling instantly comes back. It's like having a urinary tract infection without the burning pain around my urethra.

I hope you like your comfy bladder pillow, little baby.

I can't really tell when my bladder is full now. I just try to go to the bathroom periodically to make sure that I don't end up peeing on myself. It's a gamble. I'm keeping my fingers crossed. And my legs.

Infant CPR Class

Husband and I took an infant CPR class this past Saturday. The instructor covered not only how to perform CPR on babies, but on children and adults, too.

It was very informative and I'm so glad that we went.

I'd never taken a CPR class before. It seems like everyone that I know had to take one in high school, but I never did. Husband had taken one before-- I'm not sure how I missed it.

The class taught how to perform CPR and what to do if a person is choking. A friend of mine in high school told me that his baby sister had died while choking on some food in her high chair. And his dad was a doctor. So it can happen to anyone.

Hopefully, I'll never need to use it, but better safe than sorry.

Work Baby Shower

We were given a baby shower at work this past Thursday. It was very nice-- potluck lunch with a Valentine's Day theme. We got lots of great presents and it was so nice to see all of our coworkers supporting us and being excited about the baby.

We seriously have almost everything we need now. I want to get a few more outfits in bigger sizes-- 9 months and 12 months. And maybe a few educational toys, like those rainbow colored stacking rings. But other than that, we're mostly set. We have 3 months worth of diapers, 6 months worth of wipes, and lots of toiletries. We have all of the bath stuff we need, a play mat, a swing, a crib, a bassinet, a car seat, a diaper pail, etc., etc.

Now we wait...

Breastfeeding Snacks

In our breastfeeding class, we talked about ways that dads can help out with the baby. If dads can't help feed the baby, there are still lots of other things they can do to help, of course, like burping the baby and bringing the baby to its mother. One thing that we talked about that I hadn't really thought of is that the dad can make sure that the mom has lots of good food prepared and easily accessible. Especially in the first few weeks, when it's harder for the mom to get around, since she's still recovering.

The instructor suggested preparing sandwiches and putting them in the fridge before the dad leaves for work in the morning. Making sure the grocery shopping is done. Getting bottles of water to put next to the area where the mom will be breastfeeding.

Husband and I have decided to start stocking up now. We bought some individual serving cups of applesauce this weekend. I want to get some more fruit cups and some dried fruit, too. That'll be a good start. And none of that stuff needs to be kept in the fridge, so we can stack it next to the rocking chair where I'll be feeding Elise.

More Stuff For Husband's Hospital Bag

We've added socks, a pair of jeans, a sweater, mints, Jolly Rancher candies, and the DVDs for season 1 of "Arrested Development" to Husband's hospital bag. His backpack is completely stuffed full. I figure that if there's anything else that Husband needs, someone can bring it to him.

Now I have to work on my bag. All I have packed so far is a toothbrush, a travel size of contact solution and a contact lens case, and some fuzzy socks. The basics. The necessities.

I'm 34 weeks along now, which means that if I go into labor, even though the baby would be early, the hospital that I go to probably wouldn't try to stop the baby from coming. That's what we were told in our childbirth preparation class. I keep having a lot of Braxton-Hicks contractions, which is a good sign that my body's getting ready.

As soon as you're ready, Elise, I'm ready, too!!!

Keeping It Clean

Husband and I bought some dye and fragrance free, sensitive skin laundry soap for the baby about a week ago. Forget Dreft or whatever it's called. I'm sure it works great, but it also costs a lot, too. Baby-specific soaps and creams and toiletries in general always seem to cost inordinately more than kid or adult stuff does. What a racket.

Anyway, I've started washing baby stuff as of tonight. I have a load of crib sheets and receiving blankets in the washing machine right now. I can't wait to pick which receiving blankets to take with me to the hospital. I think I'll bring maybe 3 of them. Just to be sure that I have enough.

Drop It Like It's Hot

I think that Elise is starting to move down now. Not that she's officially dropped, but I feel different. I can breathe a little better and instead of feeling her elbow above my belly button, I'm feeling it below my belly button.

I think that my big ol' baby belly looks just a little bit different, too. Husband and my sister agree.

Maybe I'm just imagining it. Hoping for it. But we're getting near the end either way.

Positive Thinking

My daily affirmation, starting a few days ago: The baby will come out of my vagina.

I figure that a little positive thinking can't hurt. Hopefully Elise hears me saying it and is silently nodding her head in agreement.

Putting It Into Perspective

A note to the partners of pregnant women: no matter how much she fusses or acts annoying, no matter how many times she sends you out at odd hours to get specific foods, no matter how much cleaning or painting or furniture assembling she asks you to do, you've got it easy compared to the work she's doing growing that baby.

Husband has been amazing. He hasn't complained once. I try not to ask TOO much of him, but sometimes I just can't help it. When my morning sickness was really bad, I couldn't do hardly anything around the house. And now, sometimes Elise puts her little elbow in my hernia and it hurts so much that I just need to lay still until she moves. Husband always picks up the slack without so much as a sigh of resignation. His extra support means so much to me.

Believe it or not, being so physically and emotionally dependant on someone else is weird. At least for me. It's upsetting sometimes and it's hard to keep asking for help to deal with things that used to be no big deal a few months ago.

I know that a lot has changed for Husband during this process, and he deserves lots of credit and acknowledgement from me for all of his hard work. Husband at least has the comfort of still feeling like the same person, though. His body is the same, his emotions are still functioning on an even kilter, he isn't newly forgetful or feeling sick all of the time. He isn't getting punched and kicked and elbowed all day long. He isn't worrying about how his body will withstand childbirth or whether he'll get a sneak-attack punch to the bladder and pee himself in public. He does more around the house, but so much of his existence and what he expects on a day-to-day basis remains familiar. For pregnant ladies, every day can bring something new. Sometimes the new things are happy and sometimes they're scary, but not having the comfort of familiar patterns can be very disorienting.

Husband has done a lot of great things for me during this pregnancy. He's been so wonderful. And one of the best things that he's done is to acknowledge the hard work that I'm doing. Even when I'm lying down resting, my body is working very hard, and Husband knows that. It means so much to have that kind of support during pregnancy.

Rock Me, Amadeus

I'm still working on getting music together for my labor day. Just this morning I was reading that having relaxing music that you enjoy can be a good distraction for a laboring mother. It can help drown out noises from the hallway while you're in your hospital room, and it can give your brain something to focus on other than the pain.

Of course, I may not want to hear it once I'm actually in labor or it might end up annoying me. But I'd rather have it and not use it than not have it and wish that I did.

I got my classical music play list completed yesterday. Yay! It's 22 songs long and the play time is one hour and 34 minutes. I've got some Mozart, Beethoven, Vivaldi, Bizet, Debussy... I forget who else. I'll try to remember to post a play list later.

"Fur Elise" is on there, of course. :)

Elise's First Birthday Cake

Husband and I bought cake mix and frosting for Elise's first birthday cake. Yellow cake and triple chocolate fudge frosting. I'm not much for baking, so I'm not going to try and make a cake from scratch. Cake mix will have to do.

If I have time during early labor, I'll bake the cake while I wait to go to the hospital. It will give me something to do. Something happy and good-smelling.

We already have cake toppers that say "Happy Birthday" and one that is the number zero, since it will be her zero-th birthday.

I wonder if they'll let Husband bring the cake into my recovery room. If not, we'll eat it when I go home.

Breastfeeding Class

Boobs are awesome.

Husband and I went to a class about breastfeeding last night. It was informative and the instructor was good. We talked about myths and facts, the mechanics of breastfeeding and how it should feel, how many wet and poopy diapers the baby should have and what the poop looks like (babies sometimes pee orangish-red the first day or two!), positions for holding your baby (we used dolls for that), how to get a good latch from the baby, and nutrition while breastfeeding.


I'm really hoping to breastfeed for at least a year. I'm hoping that I don't even have to supplement with formula and that Elise can breastfeed exclusively, adding solid foods to her diet at the appropriate time.

Husband said, "You'll need to get one of those breastfeeding cloaks." I'm hoping that a blanket will work.

One thing that I learned from the class that I didn't know yet is that your milk jugs keep growing for a week or two after the baby is born. I knew that they got bigger when the second milk comes in, but I didn't realize that it could take that long for them to reach their full potential. No point in getting nursing bras right away.

There is a breastfeeding support group here in town, too. Not sure what that's all about, but maybe once I get started breastfeeding I'll understand it better.

Alright, Boobies! Get ready! 7 more weeks!

Baby Doctor? Check!

Husband and I interviewed a pediatrician's office yesterday. There were positives and negatives, but mostly positives, so we've decided to go with the dorky-cute doctor that I mentioned earlier.

He's actually a bit less cute in person. Very nice and, as Husband said, "non-threatening." I think that Husband meant that in a he-doesn't-look-like-the-kind-of-guy-who-has-had-much-success-with-the-ladies kind of way. But I mean that he seems very pleasant, willing to listen, and doesn't seem to be the kind of professional that either condescends or tries to talk over your head.

The bad things about going to this pediatrician's office are that it's 25 minutes away from my house and that sometimes it's hard to get in to see this particular doctor for sick visits because he's so popular. BUT I'd rather drive a little farther for a good doctor. And there 2 other doctors and several nurse practicioners in the practice, so I could always take Elise to a different doctor if need be.

Positives include: a sick waiting room and a well waiting room, 24-hour access to a nurse, a highly recommended doctor, and a doctor who is willing to work with me to make sure that my vegetarian diet is adequate for breastfeeding (without telling me that I should stop being vegetarian).

While Husband and I were waiting in the well waiting room before we were seen, I even got to talk to a mother who had been taking her son to this particular doctor for about 2 years. She had nothing but good things to say.

Husband and I are happy to have selected a doctor for Elise. I feel like "Yay! I've accomplished something!"

More Regarding Husband and the Hospital Bag

I should have explained, when talking about what my husband will bring with him to the hospital, that my darling spouse carries upon him at all times a "man purse." I prefer to call it his "bag" or if I'm feeling saucy then his "man sack." But he seriously carries more crap around his body than I ever imagined necessary or even possible. Flashlights, multi-tools, knives. He is teetering on the border between boy scout-like preparedness and compulsive hoarding of tactical supplies. If I go into labor in a dark cave, Husband is equipped to pry the baby from my body, tie off the umbilical cord, and then sterilize a knife and cut the cord himself.

Magzilla and Jen gave some good suggestions of things for Husband to bring with him to the hospital in the comments section of my last post. Some of these things are already found in his ever-present man sack. Headache medicine. Money. His cell phone, with all of the contact info of our relatives (we consolidated that information into his cell phone a few days ago), AND a cell phone charger. Lord only knows what else. He pulled out a pair of needle-nosed pliers from his bag today. When asked to explain what they were doing there, he was strangely evasive. I've decided that I just don't want to know.

I fully expect to find random electronic devices and/or items found exclusively at camping stores in the bottom of Elise's diaper bag in a few months. Cuz, you know, what baby doesn't need a titanium spork, just in case?

Husband's Hospital Bag Is Packed

7 weeks to go, and Husband is ready to run out the front door, if need be. He packed his hospital bag last night. Of course, Husband needs to bring a lot less stuff with him than I do. I started my bag, but I didn't get very far.

Husband packed 2 pairs of underwear, 2 t-shirts, a pair of shorts, his swimming trunks (to get in the bath tub with me, if we want), pajama pants, and his toiletries. We still need to pick up a few protein bars or something for a snack that he can eat. We heard that the hospital cafeteria is pretty good, but Husband is worried that he won't want to leave me and wants to bring some food just in case.

What else does he need to bring? I'm sure that we'll think of more stuff to throw in his bag, but that's why we're packing early-- so that by the time we really do need to leave for the hospital, we'll have thought of everything and packed accordingly.

Feeling Really Queezy Again

Oh, man. The morning sickness feelings are resurfacing. I'm feeling queezy a lot lately. No official puking yet. Just the occasional burp/vomit-in-my-mouth. Ugh.

Thinking About Cord Blood Banking

At first Husband and I were really into the idea of cord blood banking. I mean, our first thought was, "why WOULDN'T we do this?" Now we're not so sure. There are some valid-sounding criticisms of the process.

Pros:

• you could save your child's life or your own life or the life of a sibling by banking cord blood because the stem cells in the blood can be used for a stem cell transplant to treat certain diseases;
  
• in the future, there may be more uses for cord blood stem cells than what we use them for today, as scientists are working on figuring out new ways to use them

Cons:

• the likelihood that you'll actually ever need to use the cord blood stem cells is super low, especially considering that there may be other, more viable alternative treatments to the disease in question;
• the cord blood stem cells can only be used to treat certain blood and immune system diseases and this kind of process is best reserved for people who know that their family is prone to certain genetic disorders or that already has a child with a treatable disorder that can benefit from the new sibling's cord blood donation;
  
• even if you do eventually need to use the cord blood, the sample could have been stored improperly (apparently there is not a "standard" way to store the samples as of yet) or there might not be enough stem cells in the sample for there to be a successful stem cell transplant (this is especially true if the patient has become an adult by the time the cord blood is needed, because adults would require more stem cells for a successful transplant);
  
• the private cord blood banking companies are often criticized for misleading clients/advertisement viewers about the process and potential benefits of cord blood banking;
  
• some critics say that cord blood might be important to the baby and taking the amount of cord blood needed for the banking process (instead of letting the baby get all of the blood) could be detrimental to the newborn

Anyone have any opinions on this?

Labor Day Supplies

Husband and I are getting ready for the big day. Collecting things that we're going to take with us to the hospital.

I've been working on my list of music to put on our MP3 player. I've decided that I need at least an hour's worth of calm, slow classical music. I have other kinds of music picked out, too, but I really want some relaxing classical music available.

We also bought two things yesterday to take with us to the hospital: a rolling pin and baby soap. The rolling pin is for massaging me. Husband read that rolling pins work really well, and I have to admit that the broad, firm pressure on my back feels really nice. Plus I figure that if Elise has any trouble coming out, we can use the rolling pin on my belly and squish her out of there like a tube of toothpaste. (Just kidding.)

The soap is for me to smell. It's a bar of Johnson's baby soap and it smells like the shampoo. So this is my crack pot idea of labor aromatherapy. But just smelling that scent makes me happy, so I figure that it might help me during labor or motivate me when I'm having trouble.

I'm totally going to be "that lady" that the labor and delivery nurses talk about for the next few weeks following my delivery. "...AND THEN her husband takes out a rolling pin and starts rubbing it up and down her back while she's clutching this bar of soap to her nose and crying! All with Vivaldi's "Violin Romance" playing in the background. You should have seen it!"

Doctor of Baby-ology

We're looking for a baby doctor now. My doctor doesn't see patients under 5 years old, which is fine because I don't really like her that much anyway. I want to find a really good doctor for Elise.

At our last childbirth preparation class, the instructor reminded us that we might want to pick a baby doctor. They have baby doctors on call at the hospital, and if you don't have a doctor picked out before you leave the hospital, whoever is on call that day will see your baby. But I'd rather pick out someone that I prefer.

Husband and I have been asking people at work for recommendations. One doctor was recommended several times, so I set up an appointment with his office next week to go check it out. I looked the doctor up online and found not only lots of positive comments about his doctor skillz, but I also found his picture. He looks like Clark Kent's dorky little brother. (My personal kryptonite? Cute nerds.)

So, Elise, your first doctor might be not only smart and talented, but totally crush-worthy. See how much Mommy loves you?

Baby Smells

This morning I caught a whiff of what smelled like Johnson's baby shampoo. Before my brain had even consciously processed what the smell was, I was about 10 times happier than I had been. BAM! And then "Yay! Baby shampoo!"

I've heard that pregnant ladies are drawn to baby smells. Baby powder and that kind of thing. Some women even like smells such as bleach-- super clean smells. I don't think that my senses have become quite that overrun with baby mania. But the shampoo smelled divine.

I almost want to go buy some. And then shower with it so the smell stays on me. Do they make baby shampoo air fresheners? They should.

Pain In the Lady Parts

The front of my pelvis hurts today. What is that? The "pubic bone"? It feels like I got kicked in the crotch, like, an hour ago. What I mean is that it's not a sharp pain, just a dull achy pain. Sort of like the pain that gets leftover after your body deals with the initial shock of an incident such as getting kicked really hard.

My pelvis pain is worse when I stand up. I wish I had one of those motorized scooters. Just for today.

When I wake up in the mornings now, I'm usually kind of sore. It seems that wherever the baby has been laying is where I hurt. My back or one of my sides will ache for about 30 minutes, but eventually it goes away. Lately, my upper thighs hurt, too. I'm not sure why. Like the other pains, it generally goes away in half an hour or so.

But this pubic bone pain isn't going away. I wonder if the baby is doing something to cause it or if my body is just starting to make room for her to come out.

Last Childbirth Preparation Class

We had our last childbirth preparation class last night. We reviewed, talked about post-partum issues, talked about inducing labor, and talked about pooping on the delivery table.

It was all very enlightening. Here's how I expect my labor and delivery to go: I'll be in pain for a long time, eventually beg for drugs, poop (not even in a toilet) in front of my family and a few strangers, squeeze a baby out of my body, cry a lot and be happy when the baby arrives, and then bleed for 6 weeks or so while my body recovers.

Can't wait!

Baby Swap

At my 32 week check-up yesterday, I told the midwife that Elise has been less active lately. She always passes her kick counts, but over the last week or two she has been moving around noticeably less often.

"It's like there's a different baby in there!" I said.

The midwife sent me to get another ultrasound, just to make sure everything is okay. No umbilical cord wrapped around her neck or whatever.

Everything turned out to be fine. Her movements must be smaller now, or I'm just not feeling them as much. She was moving all over the place during the ultrasound.

At the end of the exam, the technician gave us another quick peek with the 3-D ultrasound, so we could really see the baby's face.

I swear, she looks completely different than the last time we had an ultrasound done.

She has incredibly full lips. Neither Husband or I have full lips like that. I kept joking that someone switched my baby. But really. She looks COMPLETELY different.

It's like there's a different baby in there.

Her nose definitely looks like my nose, though. Poor thing. Other than that, she doesn't look like either one of us. (Those lips!) This prompted Husband to joke, "There's really no polite way to ask for a paternity test..."

I'd gotten so used to thinking she looked one way, that seeing her look different was quite a shock. Husband kept telling me that it's probably totally normal. That she looks different from the last ultrasound and she'll look different again by the time she comes out.

I expected her face to look fuller-- not different.

Then Husband said that maybe the lips just fill out first on babies and that the rest of her head will catch up and grow bigger like her lips. This sent me into full panic mode. "If her head has to grow enough to make her full lips look thin like ours, she'll never fit out of my pelvis!!!"

Husband says she looks like a little model, with her pouty lips. Our beautiful baby.

I wonder what she'll look like when she comes out!

Pregnant Lady Movie: Baby Mama

Husband and I watched "Baby Mama" yesterday. The movie with Tina Fey and Amy Poehler. It was alright. The comic timing was sometimes a bit off, and it didn't quite live up to its potential in terms of jokes and gags. It would have been even less funny if I weren't pregnant right now, but since I could relate to some of the stuff that was going on, that made it more amusing for me.

For example, there's a scene where Tina Fey is trying to get Amy Poehler to take a prenatal vitamin and the vitamin is HUGE and Amy Poehler can't swallow it. That was funny to me not because of the slapstick that was going on, but because prenatal vitamins ARE big, and trying to swallow them in the first trimester DOES make you want to gag.

Anyway, I checked the movie out for free from my local library, so all I invested in watching it was an hour and a half of my time. So I guess it was worth it.