Class, Carseats & Ice Cream

Busy day today!  It started out with an early class at the hospital - "Newborn Care".  The class was geared towards teaching us about what babies look and act like when they're first born.

The instructor showed us how to swaddle, bottle feed, change diapers and give Sea Monkey a bath.  Most of it was pretty much common sense and seemed pretty intuitive,  but it was still good to have someone show us the right ways to do things.  Each couple got a doll to practice with.  Mike practiced changing the diaper and I practiced swaddling.  I think we did pretty well considering we were working with a plastic doll that had legs and arms that didn't move.

The instructor also told us about what happens right after Sea Monkey is born - They will make sure they get a good cry from him first, then they will place him on a blanket on my chest.  They wipe him down a little, put on an ID band and then place him on mom's chest.  They like you to do this for the first hour - they call it the "Golden Hour" - where Mom, Dad and Sea Monkey have time to bond.  I'm all for this - at least this was our plan from the beginning.  That the first hour would just be the three of us.  However, my plan from the beginning was that I didn't want Sea Monkey thrown on me until they wiped all the gunk off him.  In fact, I gave Mike 2 jobs during delivery:  #1 Don't watch  and #2 Make sure they clean all the junk off Sea Monkey before they put him on me.  I've come to realize I'm being slightly ridiculous about both of those things.  I think I'm just going to let it all happen - and try to enjoy it all.  If Mike wants to watch, go ahead.  Personally I wouldn't want to watch, but if he does, who am I to tell him he can't watch his son being born?  Anyway, I digress.....   

When we got home, we decided it was a good time to install the car seats.  Even though we have just about 7 weeks until Sea Monkey's expected arrival date, better to be early than late right?  I searched and searched for the instruction manual but couldn't find it.  So I went online and printed a copy.  Mike was very good and read the manual so he knew how to do the install.  The kind of car seat we got has a base and a removable carrier.  It looks like this:

See how it says "# 1 Rated Easiest Car Seat to Install"?   They really mean it.  I'm serious!   I had heard horror stories from people telling me how hard it was to install the car seat.  So I figured it was going to be really complicated and take half the afternoon.  We had both cars done in about 10 minutes total.  We lucked out because both my car and Mike's truck have these metal hooks on the seats, so we were able to install the car seat using the "latch system".  Literally the only thing you do is pull two clips down (one on each side), snap it onto the metal hook on the seat in the car, and pull a string so it's tight.  The base has a level on it, so as long as the bubble is between the lines, you're good to go.  I plan on going to the local police department to have it inspected just in case, but it was so easy to install!  One more thing checked off the "to do" list .....


We spent the afternoon relaxing a bit.  Mike took a nap with the dogs, and I watched stupid Lifetime Movie Network movies and ate kettle corn popcorn.  Leftovers for dinner (Mike was mad I ate all the mac & cheese), and then .... we went for ice cream!!!

I've been having a craving for soft serve ice cream in a cone.  It's slightly annoying because it's so much easier to buy a container of ice cream at the grocery store to have on hand to eat whenever I want, but no, I had to have soft serve.  That requires going somewhere.  Even though I've been craving it for a few weeks, I haven't craved it enough to actually go out and get one.  (No, Mike never offered to go get one for me and bring it home).  Well tonight, I asked Mike if he would come with me to get ice cream.  Figuring that he hates dessert and most sweets, I thought I'd get a big, fat "no".  He surprised me and said yes!  Off to Dairy Queen we went!  I got my soft serve vanilla ice cream in a waffle cone.  It was delicious.  And I only dripped twice - once on my huge belly and once on my leg.

Overall, a good day.  

I'm getting more and more uncomfortable (and impatient) with each passing day.  Sea Monkey must be getting fairly big because when he moves now, it hurts.  It's no longer cute to see my belly popping up and down with each kick.  Instead, the kicks and rolls are accompanied with groans from me because it's getting uncomfortable.  My belly is so big now it's becoming nearly impossible to bend over.  Socks are a nightmare.  I even struggled to lean forward tonight to pull toilet paper off the roll.  The next 7 weeks better go by quickly!  

This week we have another busy week - Childbirth Education class on Monday, Breast feeding class on Wednesday, and our last ultrasound on Thursday!  We get to see Sea Monkey one more time before he's born.  Hopefully they can give me a "guesstimate" on how big they think he might be.  

That's all I've got for now.  If anything fun or exciting happens at Monday night's Childbirth Ed. class I'll be sure to write about it ....

Childbirth Education - class 1

Last night, we attended the first of 3 childbirth education classes.  I was sort of excited about it, because when I signed us up, I remember thinking how far away June was but how close it was to Sea Monkey's estimated arrival.  So it was exciting that the classes were starting!  Mike and I had an early dinner and headed to the hospital for the class - it started at 7:00.  We left a little early and took our sweet time getting there since we really were not in any rush.  We had plenty of time to get there!

As we walked down the hall towards the classroom, I notice the door is open and I can hear voices.  I thought to myself, "Oh good, we're not the first ones here."  Then as I turn to actually enter the room, I notice

the room is FULL and the instructor is talking away.  It was 6:50.  So I look around, feeling like a MORON .... The class started at 6:00.  GREAT.  I was so embarrassed!  But I SWEAR I was told the class ran from 7 - 9.  I had 7:00 written down on 3 different calendars so there is NO WAY I made the same mistake 3 times.  We found out we really didn't miss too much - pretty much just introductions and the first part of what they think you should bring with you to the hospital.  I've done a fair amount of research on that myself so I don't feel like I missed out on too much.

There are 6 other couples in the class, and everyone we spoke to was very nice.  And I don't think I'm the oldest one there!  At least I don't look like the oldest even if I am.  The instructor is nice ..... she's a labor and delivery nurse.  You can tell she's passionate about her work and really enjoys what she does.

Class was pretty interesting!  I took a few notes, and we both definitely learned a few new things.  The instructor reviewed things that are good and bad to eat during labor, and advised us to stay away from heavy / fatty foods.  Many women vomit during the labor process .... so you don't exactly want to relive that taco, do you?

We spent a fair amount of time discussing "comfort measures" and positions that are good to use during the early stages of labor to help the process along and to minimize pain.  She suggested water - taking a bath or shower, heating pads and hot water packs, and a tube sock filled with rice that you can heat in the microwave.  I always see those things in the kiosks in the mall, and they sell them for good money.  Nice to know I can make one at home for about $2.  Some of the positions she suggested are squatting and bending over a chair or counter.  I guess this helps relax the pelvic floor muscles and helps the baby get into the best position for delivery.  There are 2 women in our class who are taking prenatal yoga - and they said in their yoga class they're taught to strengthen those muscles and keep them tight - exactly the opposite of what you want to do during labor.  I found that very interesting.

I'm a very visual person - so I really liked it when she pulled out the doll and the pelvis to show us how the baby fits through. It really didn't look that bad when she showed us how it's supposed to happen.  Mike learned that babies come out facing down.  This image shows exactly what she showed us in class - that the widest part of the babies head fits through the widest part of the pelvis when the baby is facing down.  Amazingly enough, it looks like my body was actually made to do this!  It doesn't seem so scary anymore.

I also learned that you're not supposed to go to the hospital until your contractions are 5 minutes apart and last at least 60 seconds.  Here I was figuring it was just like on TV - your water breaks and you rush to the hospital!  I asked the teacher - if you come to the hospital too early, will they send you home?  She said that it all depends on how things progress - and it's possible that they could tell you to come back later.

 The instructor spent some time telling us about water breaking and what amniotic fluid should look and smell like.  She said that some women notice a green or brown tinge to the fluid, and that means that the baby had a bowel movement before being born.  Sea Monkey's first bowel movement is called meconium, and its dark green and feels like tar.  I couldn't help but look over at Mike when she said this, and when he smirked, it took all my energy and focus to not laugh out loud in class.  Yes, we are 5 years old and still laugh about poop.  Sea Monkey, please, please, please wait until you're born to have your first poop!   

We spent the rest of class talking about positions to use when pushing the baby out and then ended class with some breathing exercises.  They were very relaxing, but I'm not sure how much they will help during the actual delivery.  Again, Mike made me laugh during this part - the instructor said to pick a focal point .... at this point we are sitting on the floor - Mike with his back to the wall and me sitting between his legs leaning back on him.  So he whispers in my ear, something about a power animal.  I ask him, "what's my power animal?"  He responds, "Fenway".  I nearly died.  You all may not appreciate that as much as I do, but again, I had to do everything in my power to not laugh out loud and disturb class.  Oh boy, labor is going to be interesting! 

Overall, the class was a good experience.  Two more to go!  Mike still does not understand why he needs to come to the breastfeeding class, but he should be there.  Information is never a bad thing.  Although, now that I think about it, if we are already laughing about poop and power animals, maybe an entire class dedicated to boobs is the last place I want him ....

You Know You're Pregnant When ...

Everyone's heard of the book "What to Expect When Expecting" .... and of course, when Mike and I found out we were growing a Sea Monkey inside me, we went out and bought the book.  I also found out there was an app for my phone so I downloaded it.  Every day, I get a new tip about pregnancy, and each week I get an update on what's going on with my body and Sea Monkey's development.  There's also a "forum" section, where expecting parents can post questions or discussions about what's on their mind.

SO .... all that being said, yesterday there was a post entitled "You Know You're Pregnant When" .... I could relate to a lot of the posts that were made, and some of them literally made me laugh out loud (LOL).  I thought I'd share some of them with you.

You Know You're Pregnant When ....

you ate your lunch at 8:45 am, and got another one at lunch time

I've totally done this.  Several times.  I even had a day once where I ate two breakfasts and two lunches.  Sometimes you just can't help yourself!  



you cancel plans with a friend to go home and eat ice cream          

I haven't done this, but it struck me funny that someone posted that they did.  I like ice cream just as much as the next person, and I craved it for a while in the first / second trimesters, but I haven't had any recently. 

your idea of a good time is taking a nap   

Yup, I can totally relate to this one too.  Some nights I have to force myself to stay up until 9:00.  Although there have been a few nights where I went to bed while it was still light out.  Sleep is never overrated.  


you drop something and stare at it, wondering if it's worth picking up
This DEFINITELY applies to me.  I've left a lot of things on the floor or asked Mike to get them for me. Most things are just not worth the struggle of bending over.  I also find I use my toes to pick things up.  It's easier to grab something between my toes and lift it so I can grab it with my hands than it is to bend down and get it.  

you pee and then two minutes later, sneeze and wet yourself

This hasn't happened to me ... yet.  Maybe because I pee so often there's nothing really there for me to "wet myself".  But I have gone to the bathroom, peed and by the time I get back to whatever I was doing before I went to the bathroom, I have to go back and go again. 

you cry like a baby for 20 minutes and by the time you're done, you can't remember what you were crying about in the first place
Yes, thanks to hormones, I've done this.  Thankfully it hasn't happened often but I've spent my fair share of time crying ..... for no reason at all. 


you take a shower and get dressed, and feel like you ran a marathon   EVERY SINGLE DAY.  Some days I want to go back to bed after getting dressed ... and some days I have laid down for a few minutes before moving on with my day.  It's really amazing how easily I get tired.  



you find melted chocolate on your boobs from the snickers you ate 4 hours ago
This one cracks me up ..... because it may not specifically be melted chocolate, but I definitely find remnants of things I've eaten on my boobs and stomach.  A lot of times I'll find crumbs between my  boobs.  It's really sexy.  


I can't believe I admitted to some of these!  But they are all very true.  While being pregnant means I get to have my little Sea Monkey in the end, there are certainly plenty of days when I wish I wasn't pregnant anymore.  40 weeks is too long ..... But on the bright side, at least I'm not a giraffe, whose gestation period is about 15 1/2 months!

In other news:
*  I sigh a lot.  I've gained so much weight (the actual amount is top secret) that moving is more and more difficult.  I guess I sigh and groan a lot .... which Mike loves to point out to me every time I do it.  While I love him very much, it's starting to get really irritating.  (HINT to MIKE:  please stop.)

*  Sea Monkey is getting bigger and bigger each day.  At this point, his movements are starting to get a lot stronger.  He seems to roll around more than he kicks.  I'm still trying to figure out which body parts I feel when I push on my belly.

*  Next week (Monday) we have our first Childbirth Education class.  I'm both looking forward to it and dreading it at the same time.  #1 I don't want to be the oldest person there, and #2 it runs until 9:00 pm.  Don't they know I'm already in bed by that time?  I wish it ended earlier ....


*  I bought a fake "baby" last weekend.  It cries and everything!  I figured it would be a good way to introduce the dogs to "baby".  But they don't react to it crying at all and seem to not care one bit when I carry it around or pretend to feed or change it.  Maybe I'm crazy but I thought they'd be at least somewhat interested / curious about it.  Nope.  Seems to have been a waste of money so I think I'll return it and buy something we really need.

(yes, I actually put it in the car seat so I could figure how to snap everything together and secure Sea Monkey in there.  Don't laugh, I have no idea what I'm doing.  Practice can't hurt, right?)

Well, that's about it for now.  31 weeks, 6 days down ...... 8 weeks, 1 day (or less, hopefully) to go!

Goodbye Ankles, Hello Long Weekends

I know, I've been a terrible blogger.  But things have been pretty quiet lately.

My last few doctor's appointments are less than thrilling.  Typically I sit and wait longer than I actually see a doctor.  When I do see someone, it's the typical 5 minute appointment; check the blood pressure, take my weight, listen to Sea Monkey's heartbeat, any questions? NO?  Ok see you in x weeks.  I'm down to appointments every 2 weeks now .... Maybe one of these days I'll actually see my doctor again.  I think I told you all that my doctor is pregnant right?  Well she's been in / out of the office with morning sickness for the past 2 months.  I feel bad for her ... and I've been seeing lots of different doctors.  Which is fine, really, because any 1 of 9 doctors will deliver Sea Monkey so I may as well meet them all.

We have been banned by my mother from buying any more baby stuff, so no new developments there. It's pretty hard to not make our weekly trips to Babies r Us.  This weekend we cheated and went to Buy Buy Baby.... and we only bought one small thing that cost less than $3 so I don't really think that counts.  Buy Buy Baby had a bigger selection of items and more stock, but it's really the same as Babies r Us which is far more convenient for us to shop at.

The most recent development is that I no longer have ankles.  I'm not sure if I'm just at that point in pregnancy (31 weeks) or if it's the 90+ degree weather we've been having here, but my feet and ankles have really started to swell and hurt.

My mom bought me great sandals just 2 weeks ago, and they already don't fit - even though I bought a size bigger than I normally wear.  I'm afraid none of my shoes will fit anymore even after Sea Monkey is born!

The only other new development is that I've officially cut down my hours at work.  Instead of 5 days / 40 hours, I'm working 4 days / 32 hours with Mondays off.  It will be nice to have a 3 day weekend every weekend!  I'm hoping to get in some extra rest while I can, but also accomplish a few more things I'm usually too tired to do over a regular 2 day weekend.  My boss wasn't particularly thrilled to sign my temporary leave of absence forms, but I'm thrilled to be down to working a 4 day week.

June should be a pretty busy month for us - we start taking Childbirth Education classes next week, and also have classes in breast feeding and newborn care.  Mike doesn't seem to think he needs to attend the breast feeding class, and insists it should be renamed to "Newborn feeding class".  I'm not sure why he needs to attend, but the woman I registered with said he should be there.

On top of learning all sorts of neat things about how to be good parents, we're also getting some estimates on replacing our HVAC unit.  The current unit is from 1982 and is really inefficient.  I hate running it because I may as well just flush money down the toilet.  So in this recent heat we've been sitting in front of fans and spraying each other with a water bottle.

Alright, so I'm 31 weeks pregnant.  OFFICIAL full term is 40 weeks.  Technically I have about 9 weeks left, but I'm praying Sea Monkey decides to join us in 7 or 8 weeks.  My parents have officially  booked a furnished apartment in the area, and it's really nice to know I'll have them around for the first month.  I'm going to be so spoiled!

Here's to hoping the next several weeks fly by ... I'm so tired of being pregnant!! (But I still love Sea Monkey!)

3D / 4D Ultrasound

Today, I had a 3D / 4D Ultrasound!  It was seriously the coolest thing EVER!  Mike, my parents and Mike's mom Joyce all came and everyone had such a great time.  The tech confirmed that Sea Monkey is in fact (still) a boy.  It was the best 15 minutes of my life watching our little guy move around.  We got a TON of photos and the entire ultrasound on video.

I'll have to let the photos speak for themselves - I'm probably pretty biased but I think Sea Monkey is the most perfect little thing I've ever seen in my whole life.  

Warning: Photo Overload!

The tech let us listen to Sea Monkey's heartbeat - it was within perfect range!

Here's a profile shot:  

Isn't he the cutest thing you've ever seen?!  His right hand is tucked under his chin and the left hand is up by his cheek.  

Our super sweet boy ..... 

Here he's got his foot up by his cheek!

And I saved the best for last ... this is my favorite photo of our little guy.  He looks so sweet.  I can't wait to meet him!

I'm honestly amazed at the power of technology today.  I feel so lucky that I had the opportunity to see Sea Monkey before he's born.  Now I have a sweet face to associate with all the punches and jabs I feel!  

If you're interested, the entire ultrasound session is on a video here:

Listen to Your Mother

No, this isn't a post where I'll be imparting wisdom for Sea Monkey one day.  It's an honest to God admission that I need to listen to my mother more often.  Sure, I'll ask her for advice, but more often than not I still do whatever I want and I don't actually take her advice.  I need to learn from past mistakes .... and LISTEN TO MY MOTHER.

A few days ago, we were talking about swelling during pregnancy.  My very wise mother suggested I take off my wedding rings now before I had a problem getting them off.  "Oh no, I'm fine" I insisted.  Yeah right.  I should have listened to her.  The past few days I noticed my wedding rings getting a little tighter.  I tried a few times to pull them off and couldn't.  Each day I thought that the swelling might go away on it's own and I'd be able to slide the rings off no problem.  Last night I hit the turning point where I realized there was no hope of them coming off on their own, or the swelling going down.  I was up half the night because of the pain in my finger - one of my rings was actually cutting off the circulation in my finger. 

This morning, I tried to get the rings off.  I ran my hand under cold water for a few minutes, lathered my finger with a ton of soap and pulled.  HARD.  I got nowhere.  I decided I'd try to TWIST the ring off.  I made a little progress but no way in hell was that ring going over the knuckle.  So of course when soapy water didn't cut it, I resorted to google for advice.  Because of course, google always has the right answer - or it tells you you're going to die.  Fortunately, for me, Google said I could try Windex.  I was desperate.  I quickly looked under the sink in the bathroom for Windex.  I found "glass cleaner" (because I'm too cheap to buy the real stuff).  Hopefully Windex doesn't have some super special ingredient in it and glass cleaner would be a good alternative.  So I'm sitting on the side of the tub, spraying my finger with windex-substitute, praying it's going to work.  FAIL.  Stupid Google. 

At this point, I'm going to be late for work.  Good thing I work at a hospital - the only other thing I could think of was going to the emergency department and asking them to cut the ring off my finger.  In a last, desperate attempt, I fill a ziplock bag with ice and ice my hand / finger the whole way to work hoping it will reduce the swelling and I won't need to take a trip to the ER.  Another FAIL. 
As I walk into the office, I run into a co-worker - Sue.  I ask her if I go to the Emergency Room, will they be able to cut my wedding ring off.  She immediately tells me don't go there - she's on her way to a meeting with some people from the Operating Room and they should be able to help me.  Hang tight and she will be back in about an hour.  Ok, cool - someone's going to help me.

When Sue got back from her meeting, she had with her Dr. Josephs who promised he'd be able to get my rings off ... but it was going to hurt.  A lot.  Wonderful.  Thinking I have a high tolerance for pain, and I'm in a professional setting in front of all my co-workers at this point, I think I"ll be just fine.  Dr. Josephs proceeds to take out a silk string - it kind of looks like dental floss.  He then starts to wrap it around my finger - TIGHTLY.  I was in no mood to take pictures at this point, but basically what he was trying to do was force the fluid in my finger down towards the tip of my finger.  As he wraps the string around and around, he's able to compress my finger and slowly start sliding the ring off.  The pain wasn't too bad until he got to the knuckle.  Imagine wrapping a string around your knuckle as tight as possible, and then slide a ring over it.  I wanted to punch Dr. Josephs in the face - and in my pain and suffering, I actually blurted this out.  Of course, I've established a small audience at this point - about 5 of my co-workers are hovering around watching the action.  A few times Dr. Josephs offers to give me a break ... and I said yes, but I noticed he kept going.  You damn liar.  Finally, after what felt like an eternity, I could tell we had passed the knuckle - which was the worst part.  I wasn't really watching what was going on.  I was trying to breathe and not punch this poor man - who is doing me a favor - in the face.  Meanwhile, my co-workers are trying to get me to laugh - making jokes about the pain of childbirth compared to the pain of a string being wrapped around my finger.  I know they were only trying to help, and I may have laughed a few times but I honestly can't remember.   

Here are the "tools" Dr. Josephs used to help me ....

And the "after" photo of my finger ....

It was almost an immediate release when I could feel him sliding it off the rest of my finger.  And as soon as he was done, I wanted to hug him.  The tears that were welling in my eyes started to dry out and I felt so much better.   

It's now several hours later and my finger is still swollen and hurts quite a bit.  I'll be retiring my rings to the jewelry box until Sea Monkey arrives, and I might even need to get the rings resized at some point.  Now, if I had only listened to my mother ....  

(yes Mom, you can gloat now) 

Happy Mother's Day!

Happy Mother's Day!  I feel so lucky to have such a wonderful mother who has been an amazing role model for me.  This is simply not enough, but .... THANK YOU MOM, for everything.  I only hope I can be half as good of a mom to Sea Monkey as you have been to me.  

  

Today, I celebrated my first Mother's (to be) Day.  Mike is so thoughtful.  He made me breakfast - bacon, scrambled eggs and croissants.  He even got me a gift - A charm for my pandora bracelet!  So many of my friends texted or called me to wish me a Happy Mother's Day.  It's been such a nice and relaxing day ... I hate to think about it all ending.  

To all the mothers out there - I hope you have had a wonderful day surrounded by friends and family.