Tuesday, October 25, 2011

32 1/2 Weeks

It just keeps getting closer!! Here I am at 32 1/2 weeks.

32 1/2 weeks
 This picture was taken yesterday. The only full length mirror I really have access to is the one in the bathroom at work so please forgive the ugly tile that lines the floor, it is obviously, not my choice :) So yesterday I had my check up and my poor midwife Jayne had come down with pneumonia on Friday and was hospitalized over the weekend! So I ended up seeing the NP Tammy. I really like Tammy and very much wish she was a CNM. But alas, it is not so. But she says baby is in good position with her little bum/back on my left side, she's head down and I'm measuring on schedule. Well, Tammy says I'm measuring "small" at 32.5 weeks, which is the calculation I have but their computers were down yesterday and they calculated me at 33.5 weeks with a due date of December 15 so I don't know how they do they're math. It's kinda funny how things go wonky if they don't have access to their computer files! It's really a good thing my pregnancy has been uneventful and normal as she didn't have any of my information to go by. Which makes me wonder... where's the paper chart Jayne has with her every time I'm in? They right down my weight, blood pressure and measurements... it's in a chart-like folder... is it only a figment of my imagination? Also, I can see their file room when I check in. Are those files merely for looks?! Well anyway, she said baby sounds good and healthy. I even told her she has the hiccups a lot and she said that's a sign of a healthy baby! :) Good to know because me, being my paranoid self, was kind of worried about how often a baby should have hiccups in utero!

In other news, I decided to purchase the hypnobabies home study course. It was half the cost of the hypnobirthing classes so I figured I would try it out. I probably should have bought it a little bit earlier so I would have more time to practice but here I am. So we started it on Saturday night. Our assignment this week is to listen to the two tracks on Disc 1 and alternate the two each night for the week. I have found that my mind has yet to learn how to cooperate on being aware of everything around me and not letting it distract me! Let's hope I can learn to be less mentally nosey. :)

That's it for today! We're supposed to get a big snow storm tonight/tomorrow so batten down the hatches!! We'll see if it actually accumulates to anything.

Saturday, October 15, 2011

Certificate of Completion!

So our last childbirth preparation class was this past Tuesday. We watched two videos, one on the procedures that will be done on the newborn just after birth, e.g. weight, measure, first bath,Vitamin K shot, goo in the eyes (goo = antibiotic ointment), and more tests to ensure baby's health. This video was kind of funny to me because it discusses what the baby might look like for those with romanticized visions of the baby coming out all cute and cuddly... the truth is, newborns can look pretty weird! In a good way though, but the video warns the unsuspecting soul of what you might encounter. For example, baby may have a cone shaped head from it's tight squeeze through the birth canal leaving it looking more like an alien baby than you would have imagined. Also, the baby will be covered in something called lanugo and vernix... i.e. the soft hair and goo that protected baby from pruning up in the amniotic fluid while in the womb for 40 weeks. These, along with various other characteristics that might make those already less inclined to have children make a clear check mark in the "No" category.

The second video was on the postpartum period and what to expect. You know... emotional changes, lifestyle changes, sleep loss, basically a bye bye to your previous life but a hello to a new, yet sleepless life with a beautiful baby. One very serious topic this video covered was postpartum depression. When going over the symptoms of postpartum depression including: excessive worrying and anxiety, irritability to name a couple, Marc looked at me with a smirk and said, "I think you already have it" Har har... very funny. I think excessive worry and anxiety and irritability can be expected from almost every pregnant woman... smart aleck!

The end of the class came and our instructor shared the very first word a baby says in baby language as taught in the Dunstan Baby Language which was "neh" meaning "I'm hungry". She said this "baby language" is used in baby's first 3 months of life. It seemed interesting and I may check it out. 

Upon completion of our classes we got this nice little certificate
Our certificate of Completion of Childbirth Preparation Class
 Basically this means... we showed up! The jury will be out on whether or not what we learned will take! Hopefully Marc learned a thing or two! I asked him if he learned anything and he said "Hold your breath, count to ten, and it will all be over soon" My husband the comedian. He added, "these classes can scare the... poop out of you at times and other times leave you laughing". (Poop obviously was not Marc's choice of wording but I edited it for family friendly content.) Well, we'll see what the future shall bring when D-Day comes!

Friday, October 14, 2011

Drake's 3rd Birthday

 It was my puppers 3rd Birthday yesterday!! Yes, I know in dog years he's something like drinking age, but he's still my little pup!! Because he's our first (furry) child we have to make it a special day! It actually started on Wednesday.  Last year I made him a pupcake but this year I didn't have time to make one. So we went to Wag N Wash to get a bath, some new toys and a birthday treat. The pupcakes they had were miniscule and the larger birthday cake was $18 and totally not worth that price! So we got him a beef loaf and they piped "Happy Birthday" for us on it.
Birthday Beef Loaf

So last night we got home and sang him happy birthday. I even put a little paper birthday hat on him that Marc kept on his head while we sang. Then as soon as Marc let it go, batted it off of his head and tried to chew it... classic Drake.
Birthday pup!

So he got a bit of his birthday beef loaf in his dinner and he also got to play with one of his new toys, a super tough stuffed saber tooth tiger. He loved it!

Drake at 8 weeks old.
Drake at 3 years old!
They grow up so fast!! Happy Birthday Drake! To many more!!

Thursday, October 6, 2011

Class number 3

Well, we had our third of four childbirth prep classes on Tuesday and this time we talked about the medical "augmentations & interventions" like manually breaking he water, getting pain meds, etc. We also talked about if one might need a C-Section. Did you know 1 in 3 women will end up having a C-Section?! I didn't either and frankly, I didn't want to know. Sometimes ignorance is bliss. Not that I'm not prepared should the need arise but I hate statistics! I'd rather be ignorant of that fact. So back I went to read my hypnobirthing book and get the more soothing possibility of birth and to try to shove te idea of C-Section out!

One more class to go!

Sunday, October 2, 2011

What a Blast!

Well, S-Day came and went with what I think was an enormous success! Friends, family, food and fun. The ultimate party concoction! Sara and mom threw me a beautiful party with all the love in their hearts and it went off with only one hitch... the music game! We were so looking forward to this game. It was supposed to be like name that tune except that all the songs were songs with the wordy "Baby" in the title. Sister had spent a whole day cutting the songs to 3 second parts and when the time came, the darn CD player wouldn't play it. What a bummer! But other than that, baby Pictionary was fun with some interesting interpretations of the cards. :)

Of course we got A LOT of things for the baby and I feel so very blessed. Sister also made me a poster board of the progress my baby bump has made over the last few months. Everyone decorated a onesie for the baby with fabric paint and of course, the food was awesome. Although, I wish I had gotten more chicken salad and one of the chocolate nests we made for everyone! Not much more to be said except Thank you Lord for all of the wonderful people I have in my life but most especially to my sister and mom, how special you make me feel!

Enjoy the pictures
Grandma trying not to get dirty as she paints a onesie.

Our first prize winner!

Me trying to multi task with the video camera and timer during baby pictionary.

Everyone deep in guessing mode during Pictionary.



Opening the gifts!
My baby bump progress.