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.

AI Season 8 Auditions: NYC and Puerto Rico

Ryan claims that West Side Story is the inspiration for the NYC and Puerto Rico combination. I think it will be suckiness. Let's see who's right...

Does Puerto Rico even qualify as a potential stream for American Idol? They aren't a state, don't vote and don't pay taxes. Ryan clarifies that it is a US Territory. Hmmm, does that mean they get all the benefits and none of the crap of being Americans? Someone please clarify.

Anyone else distracted by the boat bobbing up and down in the window behind the judges? At some points during the show it disappeared and also had people climbing over it. Can you tell it's going to be a boring episode if I am focused on such a detail?

In NYC first up is an overly confident immigrant who quit her job because she "just knew" she was going to Hollywood. Needless to say, she's terrible and won't take no for an answer. Ryan Seacrest and Simon Cowell try to smooth things over for her to get her job back. It works which is really more than she could have asked for.

We move over to San Juan for Jorge. The accent is throwing me but I am going to say gay and dorky are two good descriptors. He sings some Latin song that make it hard for me to tell if he's really good or just faking it. He switches to English and is still pretty good. He is put through to Hollywood.

Still in San Juan we join up with Jessica who forgets how old she is. She is not Latina and won a contest to be there. She brought some family and friends with her who seemed to be having a better time drinking than holding signs. Jessica funds her lifestyle with contests. That's some dedication. Good thing she has it because she is not going to Hollywood despite her begging and pleading. Somehow the judges telling her she sucks turns around in her mind to "I wasn't being myself." Got to love delusional people!

Montage of delusional contestants.


In NY we meet Melinda (22) who has a "message" for humanity. And that message is best communicated while dancing naked in her room. Or letting her girls swing free. Enjoy it while you can, they won't stay perky forever! DH kept hoping a boob would fall out of her neon pink dress. I think she's already embarrassed herself enough. She sings Feeling Good and is actually pretty good. But with the personal insight she provided in this audition tape she either won't make it past Hollywood Week or be knocked out very early once America starts voting. We don't like the crazy shit.

Jackie (NYC) is the obligatory rocker chick. I get a raspy Janice Joplin vibe from her speaking voice. Unfortunately she doesn't have any kind of singing voice and just talks her way through a Jason Mraz song. Simon calls her shit out and asks her to sing another song with some real melody. It is much better than the first and the judges are digging it. Simon almost gets brained by the light blocking glass but continues on like the professional he is.

In San Juan there is much less talent. Montage of terrible singers and rejections from the judges.

Montage of "energetic" singers from both NYC and Puerto Rico. Followed by "comedic" performances including the "Crazy Rocker" in San Juan. He comes out as an iPod and Simon is immediately disgusted. Need I even say that he's terrible? I think the majority of these auditions so far have been a waste of our precious TV time. Nick Mitchell was Crazy Rocker's NYC counterpart. And was just as effective. But twice as gay. He did get a good shot off about Simon and Ryan's relationship. The judges are entertained by him (except Simon) and somehow he makes it through. DH rolls his eyes in disgust and claims that Kara is ruining the show.

Montage of good singers including a couple that kiss in front of their golden tickets. I give that relationship one day at Hollywood Week.

Montage of bad singers.

Monique (16) from San Juan brings her 9 year old brother with her and for some reason appears to actually like the kid. Shouldn't she resent him for taking all of her parents' attention away from her? The judges are charmed by Christopher and let Monique warble through two songs. She's pretty good but far from great. She gets a pass through to Hollywood with the admonishment to pick better songs and be less cabaret.

The last NYC contestant auditioned last year. I vaguely remember her as one of the rocker chicks. She cursed a lot in her exit interview. Apparently now she has found Buddhism and works the waiting room like she's royalty. Why do freaks think that a brief appearance on AI means they are famous? The judges remember her and Simon looks suspicious. As well he should, she's just as terrible as last year. DH and I place bets on whether she will snap when she is told no. Simon called it horrendous and she flips them off for old time's sake.

The last San Juan contestant is Patricia who picks Whitney Houston to audition yet. She has a generically good gospel singer voice. I question whether she can sing quietly as well as loudly. Simon didn't think it was good and a terrible song choice. Simon gives her another chance and she signs some song in Spanish that is a bit better. Randy says yes, Paula says no (shockingly!) but she makes it through.

And so ends our auditions. 9 are through from Puerto Rico and 26 from NYC. That brings us up to 149 who will be joining us next week in Hollywood. Prepare yourselves for the drama, the tears, the back stabbing. This is American Idol.

SJ out.

AI Season 8 Auditions: Salt Lake City

Shout out to Natalie for reminding us that we get 3 nights of auditions this week and are on to Hollywood Week next week. Phew. I am definitely done with auditions.

Welcome to the capital of Mormons. I'm sure Helen could give you a whole sermon on the coolness of "sister-wives" but I don't watch Big Love and I think it's creepy. I don't know much about Mormons aside from the occasional knock on my door. Yes, I understand that "officially" monogamous marriages are endorsed. But there is a reason Mitt Romney had to keep justifying himself to America when he was running for President.

Salt Lake City is apparently the home of High School Musical 1-3. Is it sad that Paula is the one who knew that? And why didn't I? It looked more like Arizona to me. Paula is confident in the talent here. Randy Jackson didn't know what state it was in and I question whether he is eating enough to sustain himself. He's looking particularly svelte this season.

Up first: David Osmond, son of one of the original Osmonds. Like Donny and Marie, Alan Osmond decided a huge family was the way to go. Kind of sad that both David and Alan have MS. I wonder who is going to win? The blind guy or the MS guy...we need a Family Guy or South Park episode on that immediately. David sings a Christian Rock song (of course) and does a decent job. Apparently every male singer this season feels as though lots of runs and trills is the way to go. The judges give him a lot of constructive criticism which of course means he's in.

Next we are treated to a Gothic freak, Tara Matthews, who has decided that pouring her size 20 body into a corset and fishnets is a good way to go. She also has ESP so she should have known that coming in to audition would only earn her the ridicule of the judges and the audience.

Montage of really bad singers.

Chris and his friend, Greg the Rabbit, bring in some Simon love to Chris' audition. Kara rightly calls it weird. She was prepped for what auditions are like, wasn't she? After letting him sing two songs Chris is dismissed. But Greg gets a hug from Simon. In my opinion that makes it all worthwhile. I love you Simon!

Montage of rejections contrasted with the "niceness" of the potential contestants. I yawn, loudly. Ryan tries to stir up trouble by telling the waiting room to stick to their guns when the judges say no.

Single mom, Frankie Jordan (24) auditions. She does has an unusual tone that is reminiscent of Amy Winehouse. I like her and think she could easily pass through Hollywood Week. The judges are unanimous. Stay off the drugs, Frankie!

Megan Corkery is also a single mom. She tells us her sob story of her divorce (not surprising considering she is 23) and I am completely distracted by her arm tattoo. I get an old fashioned vibe from her voice as well and think she has some "chops." She could use some vocal coaching but could go pretty far. The judges are unanimous on her as well.

The judges have been using "different" a lot to justify their selections during these auditions. A word of warning. That was the focus of their search the year that Fantasia Barrino won. And we've all seen how that worked out.

Montage of contestants accepted through to Hollywood set to a David Cook song. Earn those royalties while you can!

Austin is 17 and the Senior Class President. This is a kid who has had everything handed to him on a platter. Is this is "adversity" that he can write about on college applications? He sings a Train song and is mediocre in the garage band way. He obviously doesn't have any training because he doesn't pull out the runs and trills so common in musical theater students. Simon let's him sing his second song and it's a little better than the first but not much. The judges are bowled over by his "aw shucks" charm and let him through. Looks like he needs to find something else for his essays. I predict Hollywood Week will break him.

Montage of crying rejects. Montage of bad singers.

Odd girl from Hawaii who moved from that tropical paradise to Utah so that she could get noticed. Utah? WTH? Only if she wants to get noticed to be some guy's fourth wife. Her parents must be crazy too. She is very tall which put me in mind of Jordan Sparks (Randy agreed). I am shocked by her good audition. I really thought they were going for the crazy edit. She is through to Hollywood.

Speaking of crazy. Our last contestant of the night is "free spirit" Rose (17) and her obligatory sob story. Why does AI do this every time? Can't we go out on a high note? Why does it always have to be death or illness or poverty? Jeesh. So we are prepped that she won't be a weird one but an actual contender. Simon loves her look immediately. Rose does a great job with a Carol King song. She does have some minor pitch problems but that could be easily coached. Needless to say, she is through to Hollywood.

Montage of golden ticket holders.

All told, 13 moved on to next week. That brings the grand total up to 114. Tomorrow night is NYC and Puerto Rico. Odd combination which makes me think it's going to be a train wreck. Perhaps they have plumbed the depths of NYC one too many times?

AI Season 8 Auditions: Jacksonville

Hopefully this American Idol recap is just as good and snarky as my previous posts. DH is flying back from Boston so I am watching this solo. That means I'm missing my sounding board for all my eye rolls and comments.

Even though I am still full from dinner I am all settled in with a bowl of ice cream and my handy remote. Commercials are no one's friend. Let the games begin.

We open with some old shots of Randy Jackson from his Journey days to introduce us to Jacksonville. Little known fact but I've been there. And it probably comes as no surprise that it was a boring visit. I am not expecting big things from Jacksonville. Once in the audition room I see that Simon is sitting on the camera left of the table and Randy on the right, opposite of their normal positions. It really threw me off. Apparently I need consistency in my reality shows along with my regular life.

Our first contestant is proud of comparisons with Season 1's Justin Guarini. Really? I think 2 people watched from Kelly to Justin (yes, Natalie, you were one) so I wouldn't be particularly proud. He decides to sing Marvin Gaye and he's actually pretty good. But the package is all wrong with the clothes and hair and vocal trills and hiccups. He is let through to Hollywood and hopefully goes to find a stylist, stat.

Sharon brought her cute dog with her. Of course the judges love the dog and I think she had a mediocre voice. But she's cute so Simon and Randy let her through immediately. Paula caved and said yes so it appears as though Sharon will be around next week. For a day or so at least...I kind of like how disgusted Kara is with the sheer maleness of Randy and Simon in some of their selections.

2 down and 2 in. Weird. I don't think that's happened before. That means the crazy should be ramped up next. The next girl wasn't completely crazy but had a terrible voice so she was out. Then was a cute African America girl with an over abundance of confidence for a nasally tone. Simon's comment: "Great smile but the voice is terrible." He then chastised her mother for encouraging the singing. He should have that conversation with every family member or friend of a rejected auditioner.

Miss Florida Latina USA belted out some Whitney Houston and I was fairly impressed. I was expecting her to be terrible. Wearing a tiara and sash does not typically result in a good audition. Simon was spot on with his comment that there was something off about this girl. Then she and Paula had a weird tete-a-tete and the judges passed her through to Hollywood. I feel like we are in Bizarro world tonight. What is up with this show?

Darren Darnell showed some dance moves before his audition that make me sure he was going to be terrible in front of the judges. He did not disappoint with his Boyz II Men rendition and his crying jags. Moving on we see a montage of disappointed hopefuls.

Last up on Day One was a girl who compared herself to Mariah Carey and suffers from some kind of spazziness. Somehow she managed to have Randy sit on Kara's lap and Paula on Simon's. But that was the total amount of entertainment once she opened her mouth to start singing. So the last audition of the day was a bust.

A total of 9 tickets were passed out. 94 total and counting.

We are promised heading into Day 2 that the talent will be much better. It can't be much worse. Randy and Simon are back in their regular seats and all is right in American Idol land. We meet a 16 year old Jasmine who comes with her mom and four sisters. And damn, they are some good looking women! She busts out some Fergie and totally nails it. I would be surprised if she doesn't do well in Hollywood. We'll see her next week and probably in the Top 20.

George, a Physics major, scares me immediately with his Grizzly beard. He is also shorter than Ryan which I didn't know was possible. I'm sure you will be shocked to hear that he was terrible.

Annmarie is 24 and loves Kara. Her adoration appears genuine and she has a great voice. Simon does nail it that she is lacking in confidence and he sends her out to find some and come back for a second chance. I am a bit annoyed at this ploy as she will obviously make it through with her talent. She throws on a little make up and takes off a jacket to show off her body. She sings a song I love ("Bubbly") and I am very excited about her. I like her modesty - it's a refreshing change from the hubris of all other contestants. The judges pass her through as well they should.

TK is back for a second year. He looks familiar but I don't really remember him from last year. He sings "Imagine" which he doesn't do as well as David A. did last season. But he does a nice job and has a good tone to his voice. Simon nixes him but the other three put him through to Hollywood.

Michael freaks out when he is told that he can't audition with his guitar. He stares at it during his audition so there is some kind of weird dependency there. I'm thinking a nice therapist can really help. He doesn't help himself with a terrible song selection. He is practically begging the judges for a shot and was correctly denied.

Another 7 for 16 total come out of Jacksonville. At 101 golden tickets we head to Salt Lake City tomorrow. The home of David Archuleta's enduring sweetness. I am bored with auditions now and ready for Hollywood Week. I know that Puerto Rico is still to come which means we have another whole week of this audition mess. I will give AI some editing credit with showing more talent than crazies this year. But the claim was the talent was so good they had to show more. Um, I'm not seeing that. Perhaps showcase a few more of the stellar performers? How about the rest of you? Are you still enjoying auditions or are you ready to get the show on the road?

SJ out.

Random Tuesday thoughts

Did you all hear about the octuplets born in California yesterday? Now, as a multiple myself, I can't really judge the family but let me try anyway. It is extremely unlikely that fertility treatments were not involved in this situation. By continuing with a pregnancy that has 8 fetuses (yes, one was a surprise but even 7 is very dangerous), the family has guaranteed that one or more of the children will have serious health issues over most of their lives. Weights ranged from 1 pound 8 ounces up to 3 pounds 4 ounces. I have to wonder at the quality of life for those children. However, with that said, I do love to watch Jon and Kate Plus 8 (twins and sextuplets) and think that their family is functional, loving and healthy. So who knows?

President Obama is in the process of redefining democracy in America. He built a huge database of voters when campaigning for president and plans to leverage that as he rolls out his initiatives. Needless to say, the Senate and House have come out against this as they don't want phone calls, emails and letters from their constituents over the next 4+ years. But I believe as the Internet has proliferated America, it has changed the way we consume information. I am a much better informed voter today than even 5 years ago thanks to real time news dissemination. So why not weigh in on more of the legislation that is being proposed? Does this mean our future could result in direct voting on issues rather than a representative government? Depends on whether we can employ real time voting or if people have the desire to be that involved in government at all levels.

Layoffs, layoffs and more layoffs. Like many of you, the last "recession" I lived through was during the Internet bubble collapse in 2000 and 2001. But at the time I was living in Boston with two roommates, had a decent job at SmallResearch and was close to family. So basically I didn't have any of the pressures I have now being pregnant, a home owner and major income contributor. I feel as though I add significant value to BigFinance with the work I perform but I am nowhere close to the level needed to understand what hiring/firing decisions are being made. This is definitely a scary time. I just have to keep reminding myself that our parents lived through quite a few of these cycles and everything worked out.

I am still inspired by the heroic actions of Captain "Sully" Sullenberger to put Flight 1549 down in the Hudson safely. I have devoured every piece of news on him and the situation. Usually when I first hear "heroic" news, I am immediately suspicious. How altruistic really were the actions? I think I watch too much TV with its twists and turns. It has warped my brain. But I never felt that way about Flight 1549. I understand why Sully couldn't talk to the press immediately after the accident (regulations and all) but I never felt like he would be anything other than a hero. What would really turn my stomach is if the passengers come out as money grubbing a**holes. It was an accident, and fortunately not a tragic one. It's not like they ended up on a remote island for 180 days and escaped death and destruction. Wait, wrong show...

25 Things About Me

Mommy, Esq. and BostonDish both tagged me on Facebook for this meme but I thought I would post it on my blog to share since my blog is linked to my Facebook page. For those of you who know me well or have even been reading my blog regularly, many of these won't be surprises. But I hope to throw a few unexpected nuggets in too!

1. I am a picky eater. And I hate it. Here's hoping the baby takes after DH!
2. I would love to write a fantasy novel but I'm lazy and prefer reading other people's works and appreciating/critiquing them.
3. Shhhh. Don't tell DH but I don't mind cleaning. I just need to be motivated and preferably have NPR's "Wait, Wait Don't Tell Me" on in the background.
4. Shopping is boring if I go by myself.
5. I love living in the South and don't miss the snow at all.
6. I love that we were able to buy a house but worry we bought at the peak of the market.
7. I want to create a totally awesome landscape in our yard. Think fountains and waterfalls. If only it didn't require lots of time, money and back breaking work.
8. I miss family and friends in Massachusetts, especially with the little one on the way.
9. My middle name is Williams. I hated it when I was a kid but now I think it's pretty cool to have a family name as a middle name.
10. My sisters are my best friends (I never thought I'd say that during the high school years!).
11. I couldn't have moved to Charlottesville for B-School or Charlotte for a job without the support and encouragement of my dear husband.
12. I don't believe in soul mates but I believe DH is a perfect fit for me (and vice versa I hope!).
13. I like my job but don't love it. I'm not sure I need to love my job to feel fulfilled.
14. I wish I was an expert in one thing.
15. I worry unnecessarily about things.
16. I dream about winning the lottery but never play it.
17. I work for BigFinance but DH handles our money. Good thing he does because that means we save lots of money.
18. I don't miss smoking at all. 10 months, no problem.
19. I don't really like watching movies. Especially re-watching them. But I re-read books constantly.
20. I think my dog is the best-est dog in the whole wide world. He really is our first "baby."
21. I could take multiple naps in one day and still sleep through the night.
22. I am a day dreamer.
23. I hate to exercise. Seriously hate.
24. I am worried about labor, delivery and everything that comes after.
25. I am excited beyond words to meet our little girl.

Boredom

As of today I officially have 9 weeks to go until my due date. And I'm totally bored. Yup, I am struggling to come up with doing something fun and interesting this weekend. Anyone have ideas? At this point they don't even have to be good!

I'd love to go baby stuff shopping but my mom is throwing me a baby shower in 3 weeks so I should really wait until after then. The nursery is almost done, we cleaned the house last weekend and I'm saving a couple of really good books until closer to delivery. There's always the 40 hours or so of TV I've got on my DVR but shockingly it is not appealing.

I am trying to enjoy the last 9 weekends (give or take) without a baby to obsess about. So for those of you who are already parents, what do you recommend I indulge in for the next few weekends?