Baby Shower in Detroit

Eric's parents hosted a beautiful baby shower for us over the Memorial Weekend. What a special event it was, celebrating the impending arrival of Baby O, along with treasured family and friends (some of whom traveled in from out of town and many of whom we don't get to see that often. It was a reunion for many people... kinda strange to see tears flowing at a baby shower, but they were good tears.)
Everyone was so generous and we couldn't even begin to fit all the gifts in the car for the drive back to Chicago. Thankfully, Eric's folks are coming into town in a couple of weeks and will bring the remainder.

Here are a couple of pics, but if you'd like to see more, click through here for a few more. There was a tropical theme and Eric's mom and aunt went to tons of trouble to make the day extra special, with lots of fun touches. And let's not forget to mention Aunt Susan's a-may-zing coconut cake which was the perfect ending to a yummy meal. Now there's a recipe which is a crime not to share...

Thank you to everyone who made this day possible - we felt very loved and we know our baby is too!

Getting our ducks in a row...

Oh. My. Goodness. I'm going to be 30 weeks this week. In my 30's. I'm considered 'term' at 37 weeks and that is just crazy.

There's still so much to do, but we are slowly but surely getting our ducks in a row...

Last Friday we ordered our nursery furniture - a 3 piece crib/tall dresser/changing table & dresser combo in white, and a super comfy, feels like I just plopped into marshmallows, padded rocker/recliner. We had our choice of upholstery for the latter, and we're being bold and going for a gorgeous appley green shade, which I think will add a burst of freshness and color to the otherwise mostly white/chocolate brown/pale blue color scheme we're tending towards.

At least the rocker comes fully assembled :), I think it might take us a while to put the crib et al together.



And today, we can check the box next to 'interview and choose a pediatrician'. After garnering some recommendations from friends, we had made our first consult appointment with a doctor and I think we're quite happy and there's no need for future interviews. I'd actually met this doctor over a year ago at a friend's baby shower, and she is very lovely, answered all our questions to satisfaction, and is just up the road in Evanston. Her offices are also located kitty corner to Evanston hospital where I'll be giving birth - quite handy.

We're getting ready for you, Monkey!!

What a good boy!

Results were in from my glucose screening blood test earlier this week - everything checked out great. No suspicion of gestational diabetes, great iron levels (no hint of being anemic), and a few other things I don't understand but it's all good. Blood pressure's great, LOST half a pound since the previous appointment (I'll attribute that perhaps to the laps I've been swimming at the YMCA - I don't think it was the Ben & Jerry's I had earlier this week with Eric); and all in all looking good and healthy.

Also, it would seem that Monkey has already turned head down, which is fantastic. If a baby is still breech at 32 weeks you really want to start trying to turn him (all kinds of methods for this), but I've been chatting with him for a while and asking him to start wiggling his way into the right position. Looks like I have an obedient little boy on my hands! So here's hoping that if indeed he IS in the right position, that he stays there. He does still have some room to swim around and back again. Hopefully he finds his current spot super comfy.

28 Weeks

How time has flown. I can barely believe I'm 28 weeks alsong already. Monkey is going to be here all too soon. Of course we are so excited to meet him and start our life as a family of three, but there is still so much to do! I need these next 2,5 months to feel more prepared for birth, to exercise more, to read more books, prepare the nursery. At this point Monkey has a pair of shoes (for around age 1); a bib; and an adorable blue and white spotted elephant I couldn't resist at Be By Baby. We're going to need to order that crib furniture soon - although we'll have him in the room with us the first few months.

Earlier this week they took my blood for the glucose screening test. This is the one where they check to see if you're at risk for gestational diabetes. Personally I think it's a bit of a crock anyway, as very many results for GD are false positives and it gives far too many people impetus for unnecessary c-sections. But I am still hoping my results are good so that I don't have to maneuvre my way through that one.

However there is still a possibility that Monkey is a big boy. I am carrying on the large side, but this could mean any number of things. Something that has been very frustrating to me during pregnancy is people exclaiming that 'wow, you're big! are you sure you're not carrying twins?' And when I say that I'm not, they delight in telling me that the baby is going to be really really large.

This is frustrating to me because a) it's insensitive - how do you think a woman feels when you say that? And b) we don't expect women to be the same size when she's not pregnant, why should all women carry the same way when they ARE pregnant? And a bigger belly doesn't necessarily mean a bigger baby, so if someone is feeling nervous about the birth in the first place, this is not a helpful comment in the least.

One thing I have been learning over and over from classes and reading, is that the mind/body relationship is crucial during labor - if I'm fearful or doubtful of my body's ability to deliver, this can manifest physically. Not to say things will go perfectly if you just 'believe', but it really helps to have a confident, relaxed attitude, and encouraging labor support.

Vivid Preggie Dreams

The books and websites all say that when you're pregnant, watch out for the vivid dreams! Yes, indeed! My three most vivid dreams about the baby have all been pretty nightmarish though, and it's obviously my fears coming through...

One was after we saw our friends' newborn baby, who was just a teeny little thing - Eric and I left terrified at how vulnerable and delicate infants are. That night I dreamt I didn't know how to hold our baby properly and didn't support his head, with horrible consequences!

Another was after a nutritionist came to speak at our Bradley class. This doctor was very informative and I'm really glad she came to speak to us, but I left feeling worried about my pre-natal vitamins and whether they were good enough. So THAT night I dreamt my baby was born with 6 fingers on one hand and 4,5 on the other.

And then, a couple of nights ago, after an earlier conversation with a friend about the wonderful benefits of breastfeeding and breastmilk, I dreamt that my baby arrived (um, delivered with some ground coffee, vs labor/birth!) and he had razor sharp teeth! No breastfeeding was possible then, obviously!

Oi vey. And there are still a few months left to go - I wonder what other crazy dreams are in store for me!

Bradley Class Update

So, Eric and I have now completed 3 of our 9 Bradley classes. They're held every Thursday night for 3 hours, and there are about 10-15 other expecting couples in the class with us, due from anywhere between May 20th and July 29th. That's us, bringing up the rear... we obviously signed up pretty early, but we are both SO glad that we're learning everything now.

Bradley has been a wealth of information so far and I'm excited and grateful that people recommended it and we are able to go. I went into it feeling nervous about labor and birth, and kinda wishing there was a way out of it - and have done a total about face. NOW I'm actually looking forward to natural birth, and should something happen that does require drugs or medical intervention I think I'll feel quite disappointed at not being able to experience it. Don't get me wrong - they do not pull any punches about the pain, however, you are really empowered to know and believe that a woman's body is fearfully and wonderfully made, and totally equipped to do this thing!!

Kicking, no screaming...

In the past few weeks I've felt our little boy kicking around. At first I wasn't sure whether the tiny movements I was feeling was really him, but as time goes on I recognize his kicks and punches as being definitively 'the baby'. It's quite exciting - it seems that pregnancy brings something fun and new pretty much every week :).
I have been LOVING pregnancy thus far. It is such a joy to know that our little son is growing and moving and what a privilege to be the one to experience it. When Monkey kicks and Eric is nearby I call him quickly - but often by the time he is able to rest his hand on my stomach, Monkey decides to quiet down. And then poor Eric is disappointed that he's missed it. When he has felt the tiny flutters though it has been thrilling.