Packing away some infant must haves

Now that Cameron is seven months old I have been reviewing items that can be moved into storage. I say moved rather than sold or given away because I'm not quite ready to put that closed sign on my uterus.

First to get packed up was all my maternity clothes. Yes, I do miss those comfy pants. There is something to be said for waist bands that went over your entire belly, pregnant or not! That was immediately followed by Cameron's infant and 0-3 month clothing. Then I was at a standstill and instead of getting rid of things I found myself adding to them: more clothes, more toys, more bottles, and more furniture masquerading as toys (I'm looking at you, exersaucer!).

After that lull in the 3-6 month range I reevaluated the items still strewn around my house and made executive decisions to pack a few things up that I didn't think Cameron needed any more. First to go? The swing. Ever since I unswaddled Cameron I created a new process of putting her down for naps and bedtime. Nothing fancy but it involved rocking her for a few minutes and putting her down awake in her crib. We primarily used the swing to get Cameron to fall asleep or stay asleep. After three weeks of not using the swing once and glaring at it for taking up so much room in my library I asked DH to take it down and move it to the attic.

The next item to get packed up (although it is still waiting transfer to the attic) is the playmat. Cameron LOVED this toy for the first 5+ months of her life. But once she started rolling she wanted wide open spaces. I removed all the hanging toys and she still plays with those but the playmat has been decommissioned from use.

Also awaiting transfer (but need to clean out a closet first) is the Pack 'N Play. We had it up in the library full time but were only using it for changing Cameron's diapers. Now I just take her upstairs or change her on the floor in the TV. Much easier and removes another bulky item from my library. Next to go will probably be the boppies. I have two of them and they were a requirement while I breastfed Cameron. But now that she is exclusively formula they turned more into brightly colored and patterned cushions. For now we still use them, primarily to prop up Cameron while she is learning to sit up on her own. But once she masters that skill to the attic they will go!

How about the rest of you? What were some of the first things (aside from clothes) you either got rid of or moved into storage? And send good thoughts my way...it's rare to have a basement in Charlotte and I am already feeling the lack!

How is it possible I'm already at 200?

In 298 days I have posted 200 times. That works out to be 2/3 a post a day. Wow, either I'm terribly interesting and have lots going on in my life or I just like writing about things. Yeah. Just like writing about things.

Unlike other posters I never bragged when I hit my 100th post. OK. I'll be honest. I would totally have tooted my own horn but I forgot. So that means #200 is twice as important. And wow, things have changed!

In honor of my 200th post I would like to share the things that have changed since I started blogging:

I am no longer pregnant. Thank goodness! Now, don't get me wrong; I didn't mind being pregnant. In fact, I had a very easy pregnancy. My biggest problem was getting up 5 or 6 times a night to pee. But I was more than ready to be done around week 32. So the last 8 weeks were very, very long. Plus the anticipation of meeting Cameron was just killing me!

I am now a mother. While I spent a lot of time being pregnant and thinking about Cameron, I didn't spend as much time thinking about actually being a mother. And now that I am one, I can't imagine not having the essence of "motherhood" in my life. Bear in mind that this is coming from a woman who didn't have much in the way of maternal instincts! Until Cameron I never understood what it mean to "fall in love" with your child. There are times that I look at her and I swear my heart breaks (in a good way!). I want nothing more than to cuddle her and protect her every minute of the day. Well, add in 8 hours of sleep...

I have become a juggler. These past few weeks mark my return to work and with it I have joined the world of parental jugglers. I feel like I am always worried about time. I want to make sure I'm putting in the face time and hours at work but I also have a much longer morning routine and want to spend as much time with Cameron as possible. I stress that people at work only see me leaving at 4:30 PM and don't see me arriving at 7:30 AM. But if I get my work done and do it well, it shouldn't matter, right? Then why do I feel so guilty? Gah!

Charlie has moved down in the pecking order. Don't feel too bad for him though; he still gets to sleep in bed with us every night. Interestingly, I think that he listens to me better now (well, with some things) because I don't have as much patience for him as I used to. So far he has shown little interest in Cameron but he does hang out with us while we are putting her to bed and seems to recognize her name. He also enjoys licking her after we get home from daycare. Cameron ignores him too so I guess we'll have to wait a while until they are best friends.

DH and I are now parents. Let's face it, before Cameron came along we had it pretty easy. Our biggest decisions involved home improvement projects and our biggest fight was over how to correctly cut crown modeling. Now we need to be a tight team and have open communication about what we expect and need from each other as we raise our daughter. Given that we are both fairly passive aggressive this is harder than I thought it would be! But I know our marriage is growing stronger as a result.

I'm even closer with my sisters. It is probably not surprising that all three of us have children under the age of 1. Bound to happen with triplets, right? A. was the first to experience motherhood with Finn. And while I love my nephew and even managed to arrive a few hours after he was born, I never really understood what she was going through. Ditto for Mommy, Esq. although I was pregnant at the time so I felt more connected. Now Finn has been joined (in birth order) by Ned, Penny, Cameron and Lucy. And my parents have gone from one grandchild to 5 in less than a year. The best part about all these babies is that I received lots of great advice (and clothing!) and have had two resources for every little question. A. and Mommy, Esq. listened patiently as I nattered on about every detail of Cameron's schedule on basically a daily basis. And I am more than happy to return the favor!

One thing is for sure, life has certainly changed a lot since I started writing this blog. I hope you have enjoyed my posts and I look forward to sharing more!

Welcome to the world, baby girl

Yesterday, March 24, 2009 at 1:52 PM we welcomed Cameron Patricia into our family. She weighed 7 pounds 10 ounces and is 18.5 inches long. And needless to say, is also absolutely perfect!

DH and I met with the doctor last week and we decided to proceed with a c-section. It could not have gone better. Ironically, while hooked up for the pre-op tests, I was having contractions 4 minutes apart. And I couldn't even tell! I'm already up and moving around and will hopefully get some solid food for lunch. I can't tell you how much I'm looking forward to that!

Cameron has already had some great feeding sessions this morning after being very sleepy and not interested in feeding for most of yesterday. I guess that isn't uncommon in c-section babies. She also had to go to the NICU briefly because she was grunting after she came out. I didn't get to hold her until a couple of hours after I was in recovery. But I got to see DH hold her before she was whisked off.

We actually got a few hours of sleep last night. Cameron has been sleeping 2-3 hours at a stretch which I hope continues. I think she looks a lot like DH but it's hard to tell with her this small. Here are a couple of pictures. She has so much hair! And it is longer in the back and kind of kinked so I think she will have curls.

Stacey getting ready to walk to the OR.

Little Cameron is already posing for pictures.

Our first family photo

Stick a fork in me

Looks like my dream of winning this year's American Idol pool was cruelly dashed by last night's results show. I was talking with DH about it this morning. What did I do wrong to pick Jasmine and Jorge to go so far? He assured me that my logic was perfectly rational. After all, they were much better singers than Megan or Scott and gave better performances than Anoop. But we've been watching the show for weeks and see their potential. The rest of America? Way more superficial than I gave it credit for. And to think, this is my second season recapping and fourth in the pool! I should know better. I really did think that Jorge having an entire country (OK territory, but still) would bring him through for many rounds not to mention the Latino connection, but obviously that wasn't the case. Yes, Jordan, you were right. Dammit.

In other news, thanks for the advice from everyone about getting my wedding ring unstuck. I tried the ice water trick last night. First of all: that hurt! I did figure out I had to gradually put my hand in or I couldn't keep it in as long as I needed. But after 20 minutes of soaking I still couldn't get the ring off. Even slathering it in oil too. Sigh. I am going to hope that the cooler weather in Charlotte that started today will help. At least it's not so tight it is hurting my hand. I have hope that if I can't get it off until I deliver that it will still be OK and I won't have to have it cut off. But I'll have DH bring the cutting equipment to the hospital just in case!

It has been an extremely long week and I now know why so many women on my pregnancy web boards bitch about still being pregnant in Week 37. I am exhausted by the end of the day and want nothing more than to curl up and watch TV. But I'm so ungainly I can't seem to get comfortable on the chair or the coach. I'm going to start working from home more often with the hope I won't feel as run down by the end of the day. Of course then I have to listen to DH bitch about his job stress (since he telecommutes) but we'll have to get used to this togetherness for the 12 weeks I'm home with the baby!

Is it Friday afternoon yet?

Snausages, mannequins and other stuff

As I have mentioned previously I have been extremely blessed with this pregnancy. After witnessing Mommy, Esq. with her feetloaves I was thrilled at the lack of swelling I've experienced. Socks are a bit tighter and I've stopped wearing my engagement ring, but that's it. No other changes necessary. On Monday I checked to make sure I could still remove my wedding ring. It was a little tight but no problem. But yesterday I noticed it felt a little tighter so I tried to remove it. And now it's completely stuck! It's not painfully tight but there is no question of it coming off on it's own. I've tried soap, lotion and oil and there is no budging it. Aside from drinking lots of water, what else can I do to try and bring the swelling down and remove my wedding ring? My fingers are starting to look like snausages from yanking on my ring. Before I know it the dog will start following me around thinking they are his treats. My ankles have also doubled in size overnight. But I'd be OK with all of that if I can just get this damn wedding ring off before my fingers swell even more and it has to be cut off. Advice please!

DH and I went to our infant CPR class last night. It was, as I thought, an exercise in fear. All of these classes focus on everything that could go horribly wrong with your child. Couple that with a really creepy mannequin and you've got yourself a hopping good Tuesday night. Thank goodness we had American Idol to help us unwind after. Biggest takeaway? Play "Stayin' Alive" while doing chest compressions and your child will live.

I had my 37 week appointment today. Everything is on track except for one thing. Apparently my opening is very unfavorable for a decent sized baby. There is some bone that is sticking out that will make it hard for vaginal delivery. Considering there has been no progress towards labor (no contractions, no cervical changes) it is looking like this baby is going to cook beyond my due date of 3/28. So my doctor uttered the term C-section for the first time this whole pregnancy. Depending on how my appointment goes next week we will probably set up another ultrasound for week 39. If the baby's been growing at her usual rate I think he's going to leave it up to me to decide if I want to schedule a C-section or not. Part of me really likes the idea. It's more a matter of not wanting to labor for a long time only to be told I need to have a C-section anyway. That's like the worst of both worlds. No decision is needed yet and who knows, perhaps I go into labor this weekend and it becomes a moot point. I'm not counting on it but stranger things have happened. Anyone else have a similar issue? What was your decision and subsequent experience?

Bathroom improvements for pregnant ladies

Now that I'm in my third trimester, the call of the wild, so to speak, has been happening with more frequency. I am fortunate that we have a master bedroom with an "en suite" bathroom. So it's probably 20 feet from me to relief every night, about 5 times a night. Poor A. has to climb stairs to get to her bathroom. I think that would make me sleep on the floor of the bathroom instead. Of course, then there's the whole, trying to get up from a prone position, that would be even more difficult.

But I digress. Since I have spent so much time in bathrooms recently I have decided that there is a simple fix to make things easier on pregnant women. A handicap bar in every bathroom. Yup, I shamelessly use the handicap bathroom at work now so I have something to help me get back up. If Michael Bloomberg can approve more stalls for women's rest rooms, how about adding in a bar to every stall too?

I wonder if it's too late in my pregnancy to have DH tackle some bathroom renovations...

A big baby or perhaps going early?

DH and I had our last ultrasound this morning. She's still a girl :-) and apparently is at 6 pounds 12 ounces and already has some hair. I think I can see the hair on her ultrasound picture which is very cool. My doctor said that she's definitely big if I'm really at 36 weeks 3 days so I'm probably farther along than that. I suspected as much seeing as I've been measuring ahead all along and my due date had been shifted out a week at my first ultrasound.

Of course now my expectations are that I will go early and I'm going to be even more impatient for the next 3+ weeks to go by. I also found out I'm negative for the GSB test and didn't gain any weight from my last appointment. Yay! Talk about a great appointment. Now if only they had a cure for those stretch marks that seem to be multiplying...

DH and I are meeting with a pediatrics practice this evening and another next week. We also have an infant CPR class (DH's idea) tomorrow and breast feeding class on Saturday. And somewhere along the way we need to squeeze in an appointment for the car seat check/installation and packing the bags for the hospital. March really is the month of the baby!

March will hopefully be the month of the baby

Happy March 1st, everyone.

4 weeks to go! True, the estimated due date is just that but I am hopeful that the baby will decide March is a much better month to come than April. Not to insult April as a birthday month - mine is on April 6th. I'm just looking forward to being a mom!

According to my weekly pregnancy newsletter the little one should be about 6 pounds by now. However, my family history would indicate that my baby is probably a little smaller. DH and I are going to our final ultrasound on Tuesday so we'll see what the estimate of the baby's weight is then. Although those estimates tend to be extremely unreliable.

Perhaps the best news about being 36 weeks is that by the end of the week I will be considered full term. So if I go early for some reason there should be few (if any) issues with the baby.

My weekly newsletter also tells me that I should not be able to eat full sized meals any more because the baby is taking up so much room. My gorging at PF Chang's followed by Ben & Jerry's ice cream last night doesn't lend credence to that.

My biggest complaint is that I am very uncomfortable by the end of the day at work. So I've started working from home a couple of days a week. It allows me to stretch out on the couch if I need it and not feel like I'm smooshing the baby.

Is there no such thing as waiting it out any more?

I'll admit it. I'm getting antsy to get this kid out of me. Not because the pregnancy is bad. Far from it. More because I am bored with this stage and ready to move on to the next: motherhood! I'm also not at the "scared out of my wits" to be a mom stage yet so this would be the perfect time for the kid to pop out. In 4 weeks I'll probably be begging her to stay in...

As a part of my obsession I have been doing a lot of web board reading on WebMD (third trimester) and BabyCenter.com (March birth club). At it appears as though every other woman out there is having a scheduled induction or c-section. WTH? One woman writes, "I have an EDD (estimated due date) of 3/14 but am being induced on 3/12." Why? There is no medical reason for the induction aside from scheduling. Not to mention the number who are whining that their doctor won't let them schedule an induction. Women have been giving birth for hundreds of thousands of years (would millions be accurate? probably). Let it come naturally! The best are the women who say, "I am at one centimeter dilated and have been for a week so I am scheduling my induction." or "I have been having small contractions every two hours for the past week." That probably means you needed a week to prepare yourself for labor. Just because you aren't progressing and you have one day to your due date doesn't mean somethings wrong. Gah! Am I wrong to be disgusted with some of these women?**

I have heard that inductions end up with more complications like the need for vacuums or c-sections. So even though it would be nice to not be pregnant I'm not going to rush it on my end. However, if I'm a week past my due date (which was already pushed out from 3/21 to 3/28) I will take the freaking induction. But that's more of a fear for a huge baby than anything else.

So, what do others think about the number of inductions and c-sections? Any corroboration for increasing percentages? Does anyone else roll their eyes at the whining?

**I reserve all right to completely change my mind when I am at 40 weeks pregnant and suffering from contractions. That is my right as a pregnant woman. Deal with it.

Nursery complete, except for baby...

I wrote about two months ago about the great job DH did with decorating the nursery. Well, he did the heavy lifting and I did the actual decorating. This past weekend we put the finishing touches on it and I wanted to share it with you all.

We received a bunch of books to start the baby's very own library. The pictures on the wall are Flower Fairy prints.

The changing table is all set up and diapers are in the basket just waiting for the first diaper change! Place your bets, will I or DH be the first to use the changing table?

DH's sister-in-law generously donated her glider and ottoman for all the night-time feedings. My mom sewed the curtains.

We also made a big trip to Babies 'R Us for all the remaining items from our registry. Plus a few more "must haves" that caught my eye while we were shopping :-) DH was a trooper but it only took about 2 hours door to door so it wasn't that much of a strain. Then when we got home he had fun putting together all the baby gear. My house now has a lot more "stuff" than we did a few weeks ago!

I did 4 loads of laundry for this baby that still has 5 weeks to percolate. I was motivated and wanted to finish off the nursery with all the cute clothes we received from the baby shower. I can already sense that the itty bitty socks are going to cause me the most headaches when it comes to doing laundry! Another annoying baby clothes discovery is the clothes that are not labeled consistently. For example, a onesie says, "3 months." I assume that means 3-6 months but what if I'm wrong and it should be in the 0-3 month pile? And what about those onesies that say M? They look like the 3-6 month clothes so I put them there. Am I way off base? A first time mom needs to know.

The closet built ins are filling up quickly! Right now there is room for everything but I'm sure it won't last long once our daughter arrives.

Currently I have the closet organized into 0-3 months, 3-6 months and 6+ months for the 3 racks. Does anyone know where I can find the round plastic size indicators to hang? Department stores use them but I can't find them to buy. And getting arrested for shoplifting is probably not a good idea at this stage in my pregnancy. I found some adult sized ones but not for infant/baby sizes.

The finishing touch for our nursery is still to come! Right now we are t-minus 5 weeks for my due date. I am more than happy to go early but family history indicates this may not be the case. Either way, I am feeling like I am ready for her, at least from an organizational standpoint. I can't wait for the hardest and most wonderful part to start but she needs to arrive first!

AI Group A results and baby update

So 2 out of 3 isn't bad, right? It appears as though Simon's wish for Michael Sarver to still be in the competition came true. I was kind of surprised because I thought for sure he and Brent Keith would split the same demographics leaving Anoop as the third top vote getter. I can only hope that Anoop is one of the contestants selected for the "Wild Card" round. All of the judges responded very favorably to him for both his voice and personality. There is no guarantee that one person from each Group will be selected for "Wildcard" but considering how bad the other performances were the only other person I could see is Anne Marie.

That leaves us with Danny Gokey (no surprise), Alexis Grace (cute as a button but needs to stop wearing silk slips to perform), and Michael Sarver (who will need to step it up to stay in the competition). Who are we extremely happy to see go? Say it with me: Tatiana. I didn't watch the results show but DH told me she was crying loud enough to drown out Danny's repeat performance. I also heard that Michael Johns and Carly from Season 7 performed a duet. Considering the crap we had to sit through on Tuesday night it's nice to remember the good performances from last season, no?

In other news I had the start of my weekly doctor appointments yesterday. I put on a few more pounds than I would have preferred but apparently that is normal at this point in the pregnancy. I am measuring at 36 weeks even though I am not even 35 weeks. So this little one could possibly be early! But A. had Finn late and Mommy, Esq. went right up to her C-section date with twins so there is no guarantee...

Because I am measuring more than a week ahead, my doctor said I will get another ultrasound at around 38 weeks to measure the baby's size. Yay! I was hoping I would get to see her one more time before she comes out. Of course if I'm told she is already at 8 pounds I will not be a happy camper. Smaller babies run in the family so I don't think it will be much of an issue.

DH and I were supposed to meet with a pediatrician on Tuesday evening but I ended up with a flat tire so we had to reschedule for early March. Thank goodness DH works from home and he could pop over to the parking lot I was stranded in and change the tire. Yes, I do have AAA but it always takes so long for them to come. DH was there in 15 minutes and we were home another 40 minutes later. It took him about 15 minutes to change the tire. I was impressed. I am annoyed because we bought the tires 2 1/2 years ago and now I need to get a new one. It wasn't a nail or anything that could be patched. It was a decent sized rip.

DH and I are planning a big baby shopping trip on Saturday for the remainder of our "essential" items. We were very fortunate that many of our registry items were gifted to us for the baby shower. So it should just be lots of little stuff. I also have about 6 loads of laundry to do for all the cute baby clothes we received. I think I need some more little hangers...

A baby filled weekend

When the first baby laughed for the first time, the laugh broke into a thousand pieces...and that was the beginning of fairies. - J.M. Barrie

That was the first sentence of the baby shower invitation my mother and sisters sent out. It was extraordinarily appropriate, not just because our nursery theme is fairies, but because this past weekend was filled with laughter.

I arrived at the Manchester airport about 2 hours late after flying via Newark from Charlotte. Along the way, I got air sick and sat in the plane for over an hour on the runway. So needless to say, I was extremely happy to arrive! And I've officially learned my lesson that paying a bit more for a direct flight is 100% worth it...

Friday afternoon I borrowed my mom's car and went to see Mommy, Esq. and her family. I was very glad to get some alone time with the twins because I couldn't get my hands on them for the rest of the weekend. There were too many other family members and friends waiting in line! It was wonderful for me because in about 6 weeks I will have my own little one. I observed Kristin and Aaron as they went through the bed time rituals with the twins. It was such a big difference from my visit in September. Ned and Penny have so much personality and are constantly laughing and smiling. They definitely made me even more excited to meet my daughter.

Saturday was my baby shower and it was absolutely wonderful. So many family members and friends were able to be there, despite the fact that it was Valentine's Day and the start of school vacation in Massachusetts. I did wish that DH could have been with me but he was probably very relieved to not be subject to 30+ women talking about pregnancy and babies! Everyone was extremely generous and I cannot wait to finish up the nursery and share photos. I also have so many cute outfits for the little one I won't even know which one to start with! Regardless I'm sure we will take a million photos and I will post them for you all to see once she has arrived.

Me showing off a special blanket made by my grandmother, Mimi, for our little girl.

Two (and a half!) generations of Jenkins women. Yes, Mommy, Esq. and I look very much alike!

Jeremy's family was also able to join. Here are three generations of Sweeney women.

On Sunday we went to our family's church for the twins' Christening. Or baptism. I am using them interchangeably so someone feel free to correct me if I am in error. Ready Mommy, Esq.'s account here.

I haven't been to church in forever and definitely not since the previous senior pastor retired. He was the one who married DH and me, not to mention my sisters and their husbands and he also presided over three family funerals. Needless to say, it was strange not to have him there. But the service was lovely and the twins were incredibly well behaved. No crying and complete pandering to the congregation. Mommy, Esq. claims it was luck but I think she should take more credit for her organizational skills. The kids were just up from a nap and bottles were ready for eating once the actual baptism was completed. They also managed to keep their white outfits in pristine condition, even with Penny's "toxic" diaper!

By the way, does anyone know when it became acceptable to wear jeans to church? I was appalled to see kids and their parents (!) so casually dressed.

Aren't we sooo cute?

Maternity Center Tour

DH and I had a 45 minute tour of our hospital on Tuesday night. The delivery rooms are nice and large and the recovery rooms are private which is great. A big thank you to jerseygirl77 and Danielle for their advice on questions. The only thing that struck me as odd was that they bring the baby out of the room for pediatric visits. Apparently they do that for all babies. I haven't decided whether I'm going to throw up a fuss about that or not yet. I'll be sure and read the fine print when we pre-register.

The labor rooms include a TV, VCR, DVD player, radio, jacuzzi tub, birthing balls, etc. The hospital also provides free wireless for instant gratification of baby photos sent to family and friends. They do not allow video cameras or still photos during the actual birth. I'm totally fine with that! And DH is too considering he will be firmly planted at my head and not helping the doctor "catch" the baby.

One of the coolest things they do is when the baby is born the entire hospital hears Brahms' Lullaby playing. And if it's twins then they play it twice! How cute is that?

In our group of 10 couples we were the only one having a girl which I thought was cool. One couple didn't know but the woman having twin boys made up for them. There were two other tours immediately after ours with a similar number of couples in each. Thankfully the labor rooms were not completely filled while we were there so I'm hopeful I won't have to battle it out with another mom when I arrive for my delivery. Plus most of the women in our group were delivering in April or beyond.

Today I am flying up to Boston for the baby shower my mom is throwing for me. I should be boarding the plane as this gets posted if the auto post feature works correctly. Mommy, Esq. is having a Christening for her twins so it will be a fun filled weekend. I'll post when I'm back photos from both events. Happy Friday the 13th, everyone!

We're off to see the center...

Well, OK, it doesn't quite work like "We're off to see the wizard," but DH and I are heading out to the hospital tonight to check out the maternity center. I'm not sure what they are going to do for an hour tour but I'm excited to see the set up. Apparently every labor room has a big tub, shower and plenty of space for hanging out. We will also stop by the nursery I'm sure so we can ooh and ahh over how tiny the babies are and how it's it now less than 7 weeks away for us!!!

The brochure also told us that we can only have a max of 4 other people in the room during delivery (including the significant other). Um, that kind of creeps me out. I was watching a Baby Story last night and some girl had her mother and grandmother with her! "Hi, Grandma, check me out giving birth!" Crazy... Relatives can come in after I'm all cleaned up and feeling a little more like myself. Not that we will have anyone with us unless I go 2+ weeks late and my mom is here. No offense, Mom, but if that's the case, I will have to kill someone.

Any particular questions I should come in asking? I'm more than happy to be that annoying person who asks all the questions and gets weird looks from other expectant parents.

I will try to get the American Idol recap up first thing Wednesday but if we get back late I may have to defer for a day. It's the Chair week, people! I love the Chair. And the elevator. And Simon saying, "I totally disagreed but I was outvoted, so you are in." But first up are more auditions to cut us down from 75 contestants to a manageable number for the Chair.

Spring has sprung, I hope

DH and I were blessed with a fantastic weekend weather wise in Charlotte. Temperatures reached 70+ degrees on Sunday and will again today. I realize it is only the second week of February but I can't but feel that our cold winter weather is done for. I'm sure a nice ice storm will come along to prove me wrong. But in the meantime, I have hung up my winter coat in the closet and hope to not pull it out until next winter!

It was so nice outside I felt guilty about the massive cardinal bathing itself in my disgustingly dirty bird bath. So I pulled out the hose for the first time this year and cleaned it out. I also filled the bird feeder. We have so many birds that the bird seed lasts less than 24 hours. But Charlie loves to watch the birds so whenever I remember I fill it up.

Other than that, DH and I had a lazy weekend broken up by some shopping trips and eating dinner out on Friday. I tried to pick up an exercise ball from Target but the medium one (65 cm) seemed way too small. There are a few reasons I want an exercise ball and using it for exercise is just one of them! I have heard it is great for pre-labor and during labor for easing back tension. Plus Mommy, Esq. swears by it for bouncing and calming her twins. Anyone know what size I should get? And should I swing by a sporting goods store instead of a Target?

In other news, I am now T minus 7 weeks until my due date. Apparently the little one is now over 4 pounds (the size of a pineapple) and over 17 inches long. DH is impressed that she somehow fits in my belly. I know she does because now I grunt every time I get out of a chair or roll over in bed. I'm also a lot more short of breath and run to the bathroom at least once an hour. As I said, T minus 7 weeks!

Pregnancy Updates

I had my 32 week appointment yesterday and everything is looking good. Although now I have to go in every week which seems extreme. Good thing DH and I have excellent insurance! I must be a godsend for my doctor. No real problems, 5 minute office visits, and lots of research on my own.

I am measuring between 32 and 33 weeks and my weight is very much on track (thank goodness!) so I don't have to give up the ice cream yet. The little one is currently head down but that won't be locked in until after week 36. At this point the doctor does not think I will go beyond my due date (3/28) because my original due date was 3/21. He pushed it out with the first ultrasound. Apparently if I go to week 41 I will be offered an induction and he recommended I take it. But in his words, "I would be surprised if you make it that far." Yah! Music to my ears and my burgeoning belly.

Many women get a final ultrasound at week 36 but apparently I don't unless the doctor thinks the baby is turned the wrong way. Interesting. The MBA in me wonders about the weekly doctor visits over the next 8 weeks compared to cost of an ultrasound. I might be willing to make a trade off if it was offered to me. But of course in the US health care system we are not offered choices like that.

I have been extremely fortunate with my pregnancy. Now that I'm at T minus 8 weeks, I figure I'm not inviting too much bad karma by talking about it openly in my blog. Of course this could mean that my labor will be hell, but that's a risk I'm taking regardless.

First off, I got pregnant at a great time of year. Sure, I look a little bigger in the more bulky winter clothing but I avoided pregnancy during the brutal hot months of the summer. Charlotte was blessed with a warm winter so aside from our trip to Massachusetts, I never had to deal with really cold, snowy or icy weather. And it will be well into fall once the baby arrives which means outdoor trips are not only doable but potentially pleasant.

For some reason I have been blessed with a lack of pregnancy symptoms. The only thing I've suffered from is a burgeoning waistline, some stretch marks for aforementioned waistline, occasional lower back pain and minor abdomen pains. Very occasional. All basically gone by the third trimester. I did suffer from some annoying carpal tunnel syndrome symptoms that seemed to appear only when I was relaxing in front of the TV or trying to fall asleep. But it was off and on and really only lasted a few weeks. I've had one or two bouts of heartburn but I had two bowls of chili on Sunday with nothing! And I'm carrying very high so I figure it would have kicked in by now if it was going to.

And finally, I have an amazingly supportive husband. He pitches in on everything without me even asking which is so nice! He was out raking the backyard on Sunday and didn't even bat an eyelash at my lazy ass reading the paper and watching TV. Of course I haven't really dragged him out for a big baby shopping trip so that might change. DH hates to shop. On the plus side for him I have been incredibly mellow with pregnancy. No crying outburst, conflicting emotions. Nada.

So what does this all mean? For me, it means I'm open to more kids down the road. Pregnancy hasn't been a big deal. But check in with me in 8 weeks and I might have a very different answer!

Adventures in Childbirth Class

This weekend DH and I had 10 hours of childbirth class. We had the option of 2 hours per night over a 5 week period or this intensive weekend class. I'm glad we chose this one because we "got it over with" in one shot. The class was offered at the hospital where I will be giving birth so we got a chance to see a bit of that as well. Our maternity tour is next week so I'll have a better sense of the facility after that.

Our teacher, Ann, was a very nice woman with 3 grown children of her own. I never got the feeling that she was pushing a particular agenda (natural childbirth only, breastfeeding only, etc.) which was nice and made me trust her a lot more. On Friday night we were joined by 8 other couples but one couple elected not to attend Saturday's session. It was a pretty homogeneous group. One half Taiwanese mother and one Indian father. All married couples and all within the 25-40 age range. It was pretty cool for me because there are no other pregnant women on my floor at work so it was nice to be surrounded by 7 other women who were going through the very same things I was. Unfortunately there was not a lot of time for socializing. Most couples were due in the mid to late March time frame with a couple being induced on 2/14 (she was on best rest and had a lot of blood clots in her legs) and one other due the first week of April (ironically on my birthday, April 6!).

Most of the class was focused on "classroom" style learning with slides and videos. The rest emphasized hands on practice of breathing and massage techniques.

The best part of the class for me was that it made childbirth seem much more real and less of an imagined activity. I have an overactive imagination so watching the videos really helped me to realistically visualize myself in that situation. It actually made me fear childbirth a lot less which I had not anticipated! However, I think it freaked out DH more, but I'll get into that in a minute.

Interestingly I responded best to the women who used a lot of movement in their labor. Of the three videos we saw, one woman went completely natural, one had Pitocin and some narcotics and the last had Pitocin and a full epidural. The woman who had the epidural was restrained in her movement which seemed to make labor longer (mentally). I had always anticipated having an epidural but now I am considering seeing how long I can go without one. When DH and I practiced the different positions for managing contractions I kept thinking to myself, "Sure, I am not actually having a contraction right now but I think I can do this!" We'll see how that stands up once they really start...

Every time the video showed the actual birth of the baby, DH had to look away. I was immensely interested and actually got a little teary eyed (in a good way) with the first one. After the first woman gave birth DH turned to me and said, "Are you sure they won't let you schedule a C section?" He got a little woozy at the first video and I had to tell him to turn away with the subsequent ones. I kept joking that he is going to pass out at some point during my labor. It could really happen folks! Now, in DH's defense, there was quite a bit of blood in each of the births related to the episiotemies that the women had to get. That shit definitely creeps me out too.

Ann told us that our hospital has a 90% epidural rate (!) which is extremely high but it is the main hospital and gets all the high risk pregnancies. The suburb facility has only a 50% rate which is much more in line with my expectations. Jeesh, from all the boards I read it should be more like 10%. People are extremely evangelistic about natural childbirth. I am much more of the mindset of whatever makes it work. My worst fear is that I labor for hours and hours only to be told that I have to have a C-section. All that work for nothing!

DH was pretty impressed that I already knew a lot about what to expect in labor and delivery. Um, since I'm the one that has to suffer through it I had to know as much as possible. But book reading (or Internet reading) is not the same as seeing an actual birth. I may be taping "A Baby Story" on TLC now to get even more educated.

DH and I are attending the maternity tour next week and a breastfeeding class the first week of March. He is also now interested in infant CPR so we'll try to fit that in too.

In other news, I am now 32 weeks and one day pregnant! The little one is 3.75 pounds (apparently the size of a jicama) and 16.7 inches long. Considering I feel her at the same time poking up very high on my ribs and the opposite side way down in my pelvis, I think our daughter is a bit longer. Or a gymnast. I have entered the "fattening up" period for the baby. I just hope that I don't gain too much on my end! I have a doctor's appointment tomorrow so we'll see. In other fun symptoms I am back up to multiple trips to the bathroom at night. Aside from that, I really can't complain.

Friday updates

Thanks to everyone who has been visiting my blog this week. I won't be offended if you only stop by for the AI recaps but I will still be commenting on life in general so if you come by during one of those posts, suck it up!

I had my 30 week doctor's appointment earlier this week. Because the practice has 6 doctors and it's whoever is on call who delivers the baby, I have been meeting with more than just my primary OB/GYN. The doctor I met with this week, Dr. Considerate, was totally awesome. I am now hoping he will be delivering me. Although, as he even said, the doctor only spends like 10 minutes with you in the delivery room unless something goes wrong.

Dr. Considerate told me that the entire practice has a 38% C-section rate. That seemed extremely high to me (even with the trend towards scheduling and early delivery) but it is right in line with NC stats. My preference is for vaginal delivery but obviously I don't have control over that. DH and I have our childbirth class next weekend so I'll be sure and post more thoughts after that.

I am measuring at 31 weeks which puts me right at my estimated due date of 3/28. DH would love it if I go that weekend because he's scheduled his two fantasy baseball drafts the weekend before. Me? I'll probably want this baby to be out well before then! Plus, I'd prefer to not have the baby sharing my birthday (April 6). I already share it with A. and Mommy, Esq. That's enough. I've gained just around 20 pounds which I'm pretty happy with at this point. I think that the stomach flu helped last week since I gained less than a pound in two weeks. There's that silver lining...

In other news, NC unemployment rate is up over 8% right now compared to 5% from a year ago. Charlotte is in a hot spot with the financial industry challenges. Despite some bad news earlier this week I am still feeling confident in BigFinance and that my role will not be eliminated. I even invested in some stock this week. Not much but if the price rebounds it will be a very nice return. Why do I mention this? Well, given we are expanding our family very shortly, financial considerations are very much top of mind. DH and I feel squeezed even though we are crazy conservative with savings and retirement and spending. Of course he would say I'm not very conservative with spending but I haven't been shopping in months (aside from Xmas presents)!

This has been a crazy busy week and I'm looking forward to a nice, lazy weekend. I hope you all are too! Just 9 more weekends (potentially) of kid-free enjoyment for me and DH.

The daycare saga continues

DH and I have been cruising around Charlotte looking for that perfect daycare for our daughter. We are at T minus 5 months for starting daycare (assuming L&D is a little early for me). Now I wish we had started the search 6 months ago! Of course she wasn't even a twinkle at that point but I swear, that's what our daycare search has taught us. Have you started trying to get pregnant? Then put your name on a list now! Seriously, it's crazy.

We've toured 3 places so far and will probably tour 2 more depending on whether the facilities offer infant care or not. Our first appointment was the one. I just knew that we would love the facility and want to have our daughter there. First of all, location-wise it is perfect. Even if my next role at BigFinance puts me back in uptown rather than the suburbs it is still on the way to the daycare. And it's on the way to/from my current workplace and less than 2 miles from our house. Perfect!

It is a church run facility and for some reason, DH and I have been very much drawn to those. Not because we are particularly religious. Heck, no! The last religious ceremony I was at was 2 1/2 years ago at my wedding. It's more of the philosophy and the fact that it is not a chain. This particularly place (let's call it KidsChurch) has an awesome facility and a 4:1 ratio for infants. They have kids all the way up through elementary school so we could potentially keep our daughter there for many years. It's definitely the most expensive but it rated 5 stars according to NC (the best) so you get what you pay for. Wait list? One year :-( But the admin thought that would be cut down considerably in May once they go through the wait list to confirm placement. Plus some folks would probably be pulling kids out because of layoffs in the region.

The other facility we really liked is also church run (let's call it LittleChuch) is a bit farther away (closer to my current workplace) but is definitely doable. It only goes through pre-K but still plenty of time. Also 5 stars and the teachers seem really great. It's a bit less expensive than KidsChurch but not by much. Wait list? Potential start in August. Interestingly we toured the facility with another couple. It kind of made me competitive. Shocking, I know. But I was ready to whip out the checkbook just to get in ahead of them.

The last place was a chain facility (ChainCare). It is the farthest away but has immediate openings. No surprise considering it is a 4 star facility and offers a 5:1 ratio for infant care. The facility was fine and I liked the director but it definitely felt more "clinical" to me than the other two places. The director said she is hoping for a 5 star rating this Spring and will ask for funding for an additional teacher for infant care if she achieves it. But I can't really hold my breath for that to occur.

DH and I have decided we will put our names on the wait list for LittleChuch and KidsChurch. We have to wait until tomorrow because we got a few inches of snow last night/this morning so the city is shut down. We still need to check out a few other places before we decide if we want to put the little one in ChainCare for a couple of months before we can get in to one of our "final" choices. Is this what's it's going to be like for private school? No wonder people go crazy in NYC with this stuff.

I told DH that I have a feeling everything will work out and we'll get in to KidsChurch with no wait. For some reason I am the most optimistic person throughout this pregnancy. Nothing can phase me. Of course we'll see how that pans out when I have my bonus discussion. Optimism can quickly become pessimism when dealing with money issues...

Shout out to LauraC for her help with my NC childcare question on Friday. The admin was just confused as we suspected!

The illness from hell

Sorry I've been so quiet for the last few days. I know many of you have been expecting my initial thoughts on American Idol. I promise to post them this weekend once I'm fully recovered from my stomach bug. Yes, I am currently suffering from a stomach bug that has knocked me for a loop. I'm tempted to blame Janusz for giving it to me since he stayed over for a few days recovering from "bad sushi" but his lasted for 4 days and I'm starting to feel better at 36 hours into the illness.

It has been so long since I was this sick I think I need to go all the way back to when my grandmother tried to poison the entire family for a comparative incident. Yes, that's right. Mimi attempted to pull a Lucrezia Borgia and do away with her entire family. OK, I'll be honest. It wasn't deliberate. It was an archaic oven that was actually 50+ degrees cooler than what the temperature gauge said. Mmmm, all that bacteria cooking away in the turkey! It was a lovely Thanksgiving dinner followed by a fight for the use of the two bathrooms. Yes, this story is still told fondly at basically every family event. Even if Mimi isn't there.

DH has been wonderful as I recover from this sickness. Of course I've made his job easier by sleeping basically the entire time. I was up from 1 AM until 7 AM running to the bathroom every 15 minutes. It settled down to about once every 30 minutes and I managed to sleep until 6:30 PM when I roused myself for about an hour to have some toast and head back to bed. The dog was in heaven since it meant he got to sleep in the bed with me all day. We don't normally let him do that (although I swear he does when we leave the house) so he thought yesterday was the best day ever while I thought I was dying. The best part was having to wake him up because he was snoring so loud I couldn't sleep!

The only good thing was that I felt the baby moving a lot like she was telling me, "It sucks to be you but I'm floating along in here fine!"

In other news, DH and I are back to the drawing board on baby names. The one we picked moved way up the list of 2008 most popular baby names. I'd prefer to pick a name where my daughter isn't one of 5 in her class, you know? So feel free to pass along suggestions.