lamaze childbirth education

We started our childbirth education classes on Tuesday. I mentioned Monday that I was freaking out about delivery, and was hoping these classes would help ... I'm not so certain it did. At least not yet.

I'm sure it didn't help that I had this picture in my mind of what Lamaze class would be like - all the moms sitting around on mats (think yoga class), with dads sitting behind them, practicing breathing techniques. In reality, this was not at all my experience.

She covered SO much information, and really made me realize just how much I DON'T know. I just sat there trying to soak everything in, and feeling like I should have been taking copious notes! But I didn't. Really because I know I can always go back and look up the information, and just wanted to take advantage of hearing someone explain it all rather than just reading it. But it left me feeling a little overwhelmed to say the least.

And then the worst part. We watched a birthing video. Somehow both hubby and I made it through high school health class without ever having to partake in this joy. I think hubby was scared for life. And I didn't enjoy it much more. It didn't help that the video - a VHS tape - was from the late 80's. It also didn't help that the lady giving birth was actually naked and moaned like she was having sex rather than delivering a baby! Thankfully we were warned about the naked part so it wasn't a shock, but the whole thing was a little weird.

Towards the end of class we learned some massage techniques and some relaxation techniques. I found it slightly awkward sitting around with seven other couples while my husband massaged my head and arms ... trying to use it as a teach time to tell him what did and didn't feel good. Also the "nonscented" lotion smelled like baby powder and made us both feel sick. The relaxation techniques were helpful but nothing to earth shattering, and hubby didn't really understand what HE was suppose to be doing during the whole thing. But when the times comes I'm sure we'll be happy to have these tools to use.

Don't get me wrong, the class was very helpful. And I'm looking forward the the next few classes. I just feel so out of place and unprepared. But that is exactly what theses classes are suppose to eliminate, so I am optimistic at this point.

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freaking out

I kind of broke down to hubby tonight. The realization that I'm going to have to actually 'birth' this child inside of me VERY soon has really been hitting me lately. And, I'll be honest, I'm kind of freaking out!

My whole pregnancy has really been pretty easy. Sure I've had constant pain in my ribs since about 21 weeks, and frequent back pain about as long. I've experienced the round ligament pain and the leg cramps. I've even been feeling my hip joints loosening up lately, which isn't so pleasant either. And you certainly can't ignore the frequent trips to the bathroom! But really, all of that is pretty easy to deal with. And the excitement of it all definitely overshadows any discomfort. I actually feel bad telling other moms that that I feel ok, because I know that not everyone is as fortunate!

But very, very soon, I'm going to have to deliver this little girl (and hopefully she stays little!) I have no idea what to expect. Sure I've done my research, and I've talked to many women who have gone through it. But there are SO many horror stories out there! Including my mother-in-law (both she AND my hubby almost died) and my sister-in-law. It's hard to hear those stories, and not let my mind run wild.

On the completely opposite end of the spectrum is my own mom. She had all of us in about three hours of labor, and never even experienced early labor - just went right into phase two. So she was able to go through three deliveries without ever needing drugs or an epidural. She did have some complications with my younger brother, but that was because he was a footling breach and had his arm caught up over his (very large) head. They simply wouldn't allow that to happen today.

So I'm caught between expecting the worst, and expecting the best. I certainly don't want to dwell on all the things that COULD go wrong. But I also don't want to go in expecting an easy three hour delivery and then have it last for 12 hours!

Tomorrow we start Lamaze / Childbirth Education classes at the hospital. They say knowledge is power, and I'm really hoping that holds true for me. I'm hoping that this 4 week class will help me feel more prepared, and more at ease about the whole thing.

I have such an amazing husband. I really couldn't ask for a better partner in this whole thing. I let him know that I was nervous and really uncertain about everything. He reassured me that he will not only be there for the class, but he'll really be there. I love him so much, and can't wait to go through this experience with him.

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Ella's crib

After what seems like an eternity of research, and shopping, and deliberating ... we have finally picked out Ella's crib. We ordered it yesterday at Babies R Us. I am SO excited, and really happy with our choice. I just think it is so beautiful. Don't you agree?

The Soho Crib from Delta Children's Products converts to toddler bed, day bed and full sized bed. So little Miss Ella just may be in this same bed until she turns 18! It doesn't have a drop side and it's JPMA certified, so it's completely safe and really sturdy. And it's just plain beautiful! It will look so great in her yellow and grey nursery.

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touring the birthing center

Monday we finally got around to touring the birthing center at the hospital. They offer free tours the third Monday of every month, but we've been unable to make it there until now.

We don't have much to compare it to - since we obviously haven't done this before - but we liked what we saw! All the birthing rooms are private and include whirlpool tubs. They also have mobile fetal monitoring systems - so I'm free to be in or out of bed and moving around as I wish - and my OB can monitor the results in her office or even from home! The birthing center is up on the 6 floor (the top floor) and all the rooms have floor to ceiling windows, so there's a nice view - not that I'll be paying attention to that! But it's still a nice little perk.

The birthing center itself is fully locked and monitored 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Everyone who comes in has to be let in my a nurse. They do not allow random people to come in to just to see the babies in the nursery. They do welcome any family that I want there though, and even have a beeper system so that family can move around the hospital (aka go down and get food!) and be alerted when delivery is near.

And they play a lullaby throughout the entire hospital every time a baby is born. How cute is that?

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early pregnancy class

Yesterday we went to our first prenatal class at the hospital. They have several classes that they offer, most for free. This one was an "early pregnancy" class. I'm not so early pregnancy anymore, but this summer just got so busy and time kind of got away from me.

There wasn't a ton of new information, but it was all very good. She went through all the stages to fetal development, which was good review. Most of it I already knew from my weekly emails and my iPhone apps, but it was nice to have someone else walk through the entire process. It was also really good for hubby to hear.

She also talked about all the different changes in my body, the symptoms I may experience, and what exercises and remedies are safe. I've had a pretty easy pregnancy so far, but I haven't avoided everything! So it was a good reminder of what I can do for some of the discomfort.

The biggest question she answered for me was about daycares. I have been quite baffeled about how to fined a good daycare in our area. I never went to daycare myself, and know very little about them. Honestly I don't want to send Ella to a daycare. I would love to be able to stay home with her, but financially that is not an option yet. And I really do love my job.

The nurse told us about the Child Care Resources & Referral website. Each state has their own, but the national site is http://www.naccrra.org/. On the site you can search for daycares in your area, and it will even tell you which ones have openings! I'll definitely be looking into this!

The most reassuring part of the class was hearing the nurse talk about the views of the hospital. I was very happy to find that they are very similar to my own. They feel strongly that natural induction is the best way. They also are very open to using minimal drugs, and they allow you to move around as much as you want during labor. Another cool thing, being that it is a smaller birthing center, they have a one-to-one nurse to patient ratio during labor and delivery. And the birthing center is also a locked facility; they do not allow strangers in to "look at the babies in the nursery." It's very reassuring to know that I will be so well cared for!

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nursery sneak peak

Like many things, I've been dreaming about Ella's nursery long before I knew about Ella. For a little over a year, I've had a pretty good idea in my mind of what I wanted it to look like. I'm loving the gray and yellow combo that's so popular right now. In clothes, in decorating, anything.

Unfortunately this color pallet doesn't seem to have made a big splash into nurseries realm quite yet. I know in my head what I want her room to look like, but I've never actually SEEN it done anywhere.

I first found this Dwell Studio pillow online at Target, and fell in love with it. And amazingly, when I saw it in person I loved it even more! So my mom bought it for me as my "shower gift." It'll be my inspiration piece of sorts - the yellow that I use to match everything to.

I've been searching the internet for months for a crib bedding set in this color scheme - to no avail. They all just seem so busy. I'm looking for something a little more calming, and a design that can grow with her. I did finally find this Modern Berries Modif crib set from Rosenberry Rooms that would be perfect for what I have in mind. It is gorgeous, but a bit out of my price range. And by a bit, I mean a lot. It's $399.99 and doesn't include a quilt.

The closest thing I've found to what I have in my head is Leighton's nursery on ohdeedoh. Leighton's mom has a lot of great ideas that I hope to borrow. I love her crib set - which she found on Etsy.

So my plan? I'm going to make my own crib bedding! I'm enlisting the help of my mom and mother-in-law and I'm going to make my own crib bumper, skirt and blanket. Hopefully I can find a pattern with a similar feel to the one from Rosenberry Rooms at the fabric stores. For the blanket, I'd like to find large pattern - like this Bananafish Love Bird pattern from Target below. If not, plan b is to make a quilt like the one in Leighton's room. I figure I can just buy a white, yellow or gray fitted sheet to match whatever pattern I find.

Hubby likes the idea. Mostly I think he just likes how excited I AM about it! He thinks it's great that I'm so excited about making my own stuff for Ella's room. Being a graphic designer though, he had some input as well. He said we need to have another color for an accent - that gray and yellow is a little too dull. So at his recommendation, I'm planning to add plum into the mix somehow as well.

Those are my thoughts for now. I'm all about personalization.There's nothing I dislike more than "boxed sets" so to speak, where everything in a room is exactly the same pattern. I like random things that are pulled together that coordinate, rather than match. I've got many other ideas flying around in my head, but I'll keep them for another day.

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diaper bag

A couple weeks ago we were doing some shopping on a sunny Sunday afternoon, and we wondered into a boutique that had maternity clothes. They had some absolutely adorable and trendy things, but unfortunately they were a little out of our price range.

But we did find our diaper bag! I saw it and instantly fell in love. It is cute, but not cutesy. Hubby still thinks it's pretty girly, but we are having a girl after all. And he'd have our little girl anytime he'd have the diaper bag, so I think he'd still feel comfortable carrying it.

 It's the Duo Deluxe diaper bag from Skip * Hop. It has so many great pockets, all of which are magnetic - not velcro. It includes a diaper changing pad (which hubby thought was for a laptop at first!) It has an exterior pocket for a bottle and your cell phone. It has special clips to attach it to the handle of your stroller. It's not the largest diaper bag out there - but I think I actually prefer that. I'd rather have a small bag to take everywhere, and then a second when I need extra stuff.

I convinced hubby to buy it for me right then and there - even though we hadn't done any other shopping for diaper bags. But the great part is, I later found it at Target for cheaper! So I returned it to the boutique and promptly added it to my gift registry!

They also have this great coordinating Central Park outdoor blanket + cooler!

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stroller / car seat dilemma

Now that we know Ella is a girl (oh I just love being able to use a name when I'm talking about her!), and with the realization that I'm past half way through this pregnancy, I'm feeling like I need to get my butt in gear with planning and preparations!

There are SO many things to be done. And SO many decisions to be made. I don't really know where to start! I'm making my lists of course, because that's what I do. But I decided it was best to start with little steps. So I thought picking out a stroller and car seat would be an easy one to start with.

Not so much.

For those who have been there, you know. When it comes to strollers and car seats, there are so many different options and features to think about!

Well I decided to start my search at Target. I didn't really know what I was looking for, so I just started out by looking at size, material and looks. I saw the Baby Trend Expedition jogger stroller and Flex-Loc infant car seat. I loved the heavy fabric, the triangle-shaped carrying handle, the small size of the car seat despite working for a baby up to 30 lbs, and really I loved the sophisticated black/gray color combo. I'm not a jogger, but something about a jogger stroller still appeals to me. It just seems like it may be more maneuverable. The one big downside, that hubby noticed, was the "puzzle piece" buckle. In order to secure baby in, you have to put the two pieces together first, before clicking it in. That may not be a deal-breaker, but it's certainly a big negative in our minds.

Next we looked at the Graco. We really like the SnugRide 35 infant car seat, with the MetroLite stroller. So many car seats only go up to 22 lbs, and we really like the flexibility of this one going to 35 lbs. I wasn't crazy about the patterns I saw at Target or Babies R Us, but found the Laguna Bay pattern online and really liked it! I'm really not looking for something super girly, even though we're having a girl. So I like the neutral-ness of this teal/green combo. I also liked the fabric on this one, the stroller has a much bigger basket below, and the buckle is much easier to manage with a squirmy baby (with each piece going in separately.) Another difference to the Baby Trend car seat, is that this one has the base release lever located at the head of the seat, as apposed to the foot. Hubby liked this one better, I liked the other - I guess it's just a preference thing!

These two were really the best options we could find to actually look at in our town. We live in a decent sized city, but for some reason we don't have a Super Target or a dedicated Babies R Us (just a section in Toys R Us.) So the options are rather limited. But we plan to do some shopping in a bigger city sometime soon (hopefully!)

But since doing our shopping, I've had several people recommend the Chicco KeyFit 30 infant car seat to me. Then the weekend before last, hubby's mom went to buy a stroller for the cabin (for my 2-year old niece), and came home with the matching Cortina stroller. We used it several times for walks over the weekend, and I have to say I'm really falling in love with it! It is SO easy to push! The umbrella comes fully detached from the back, so you can put it in front of baby if you are walking into the sun. The basket is large, the tray comes off completely, the seat back is adjusted by actually hardware rather than just a strap like the others I've seen, and the fabric is great. The only real downfalls I see are the small cup holders (my Camelback water bottle doesn't fit), and there is a plastic window in the umbrella that doesn't have a flap to cover it.

So the hunt continues. We need to do more shopping so we can see them in person, rather than just online. And of course I need to check into Consumer Reports for safty ratings and such. But I think I'm leaning towards the Chicco at this point.

What systems do you use? I'd love to get your thoughts and recommendations! I am sure there are so many factors that I have not thought about! I'd love to hear any input you have to share.

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baby has a bin!

I have been so blessed by people's excitement for us, and their out pouring of gifts already. Since we don't necessarily have a 'nursery' set up yet, all of these wonderful gifts have been simply placed in the living room, until I can figure out what to do with them. And now it has grown to quite a pile:

So I finally decided I had to do something about this pile. I first grabbed my MacBook, opened up an Excel document and recorded everything I've gotten and who it is from. I don't want to forget any of these wonderful people and their generosity. I also want to make sure I get thank you notes in the mail asap so they know how much they are appreciated.

Then of course I had to take pictures of everything so I could share them with all of you!

This adorable blanket & picture frame are from hubby's cousin and his wife.

These song CDs and Winnie the Pooh board books are from my mom.

Just look how cute these are!

We still haven't solved the issue of the nursery (more on that someday) but I figured the least I could do was organize everything in a bin, even if it is still sitting in the living room. So now the baby officially has a bin of stuff!

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sleep

You may have figured out by now that I LOVE my sleep. Scratch that, I NEED my sleep. If I don't get a full eight hours I'm not a happy camper. And if I could get nine hours I would just be in bliss. I'm not much of a morning person either. I'm not cranky, but I'd much rather just be left alone to get ready in peace - at least until after my shower. And it's pretty much impossible for me to get out of bed before 7am. To me the ideal sleeping schedule would be midnight to 9 am. Ha like that's realistic!

This is why I'm so thankful that this pregnancy hasn't disrupted my sleep all that much. On the occasion that I do wake up to go to the bathroom in the middle of the night, I can always fall right back to sleep. Really I hardly wake up in the first place. I just stumble to the bathroom, and then stumble back to bed.

Hubby and I are both very hard sleepers too (though he doesn't seem to need as much sleep as I do). He snores, I grind my teeth, but neither of us care because we sleep right through it! We usually sleep right through storms, the neighbors baby screaming (we share a wall), sirens, etc.

All of this has been a slight cause for concern for me lately. Especially since one of the number one things I hear from people is, "Enjoy your sleep now! Because once the baby comes you won't be getting much!" Great. Thanks for the vote of confidence people.

But will I be ok? Will I ever get sleep? But more importantly, will I hear my baby cry in the night? Will I wake up to feed him? Will I wake up if something is wrong?

Well Sunday night I had a little encouragement. Hubby and I have been leaving our windows open at night, to save a little money on AC. There was a slight chance of rain, but we were too tired to care. At 3:38 AM I suddenly was awake. I heard a couple small rain drops on the window and got hubby up to help me close the windows. Not more than a minute after we crawled back into bed, it started pouring! Like, I'm talking down pouring rain, thunder, lightning, the whole deal. We would have had a big puddle of a mess to clean up in the morning.

Something tells me my body is getting ready for this baby!

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