less than eight weeks to go

With one excited daddy-to-be.

the hospital tour

On Sunday, Josh and I went to the hospital for our tour of the maternity ward. There were lots of other couples there for the same reason and they ended up splitting us into two groups to accommodate all of us. Our tour guide ended up being the woman who teaches our childbirth classes so it was great to have a familiar face to listen to and ask questions.

We headed up to the maternity ward on the third floor and our first stop was the "Skylight" area where those who aren't part of your support team in labor await the arrival of the little one. It was a nice, brightly lit area full of cushy looking seats, lots of windows, nearby restrooms, and vending machines. I'm sure my Mom will be comfy there when I get to the pushing stage of labor and kick her out of the birthing room.

The next stop was the labor and delivery area. Just as we approached I had an overwhelming feeling of "Crap. This is really real isn't it?" Josh laughed, because, um...isn't having a baby growing inside of you real enough? But this was a different kind of real—an I'm almost at the point of having to get this baby out of me real. Yikes! The room was fantastic. Very private and HUGE! Hardwood floors, 2 rockers and a recliner, private bathroom with a stand in shower equipped with a stool and a shower wand, dresser, armoire, CD player, temperature controls, a warming area for right after the baby is born, lots of equipment hidden away behind french doors, and of course the labor bed. We have access to a birthing ball and a squatting bar for the bed (both of which we intend on trying). The lighting is nice and subdued—with lots of bright recessed lamps in the ceiling for when we are in full swing of things and plenty of area to move around the room.

Then we went to the recovery area. Small, but private and enough. There's a bed, a TV, a couple of chairs, dresser, and private bathroom with a shower. What more do you really need? We were told that if there are lots of women in recovery at the same time, we may start out in a double room but will be moved asap to a private room. Good. I don't want to share a room with anyone else.

Nearby was the nurses station and right next to it was an area they call the "Nourishment Center". Basically it's a little kitchenette equipped with a juice machine, coffee pot, microwave, and fridge. It's for the patients to keep a sandwich or two in, get ice chips, juice, coffee, etc., and heat up any food we may have brought from home or gotten from the cafeteria.

All-in-all the hospital made a great impression on me, and although a bit frightening, I feel that much more prepared for the big day.

nursery—phase three

1 box.

Lots of pieces.

3 hours of assembly.

One fabulous changing table/dresser.

31 weeks

Today was a great doctor's appointment. All my worries and concerns were lifted by the time I left the office.

I got the results back from the three hour glucola test and I passed with flying colors—like way below the line. One of the caps was 180 and I scored a 150. All of them were like that. Awesome. I also found out just how close I was to passing the one hour test. Apparently I was right on the line. If you were 130 or over it was considered a failed test. I was 130 on the dot. So I just failed. No worries though because as boring and uncomfortable as it was, I passed that second one and don't have to worry about gestational diabetes anymore.

I'm also right on track with regards to measurements. Last appointment I was measuring 2 weeks ahead. This time my measurement was 30.5 cm and I'm 30.6 weeks along. Perfect. I've gained 5 pounds since the last appointment (a hair over a pound a week) and I'm right on track with that too. Good blood pressure as usual and the Wee One's heartbeat was strong and loud.

I had several questions for the doctor and she answered them all with what I was hoping to hear. Well, all except one. I asked if I would get another ultrasound and she said probably not. Damn. I guess that's the price you pay for having a healthy pregnancy. I know there are only nine weeks to go but I wanted to see our little one once more in utero—and see that penis one more time for reassurance. It's been 13 weeks since our last ultrasound and if you recall, it wasn't the greatest experience for me.

I've now graduated to appointments every two weeks. Three of those and then I'm every week until he arrives. Here's to the next nine weeks!

30 weeks

Three-quarters of the way done. Well into the third trimester. Seventy days to go. Less than 10 weeks left. While I freak out about how close we are...here's some pictures.

That is one round belly I'm sporting these days.

The baby. He cometh soon.

Already so in love and we haven't even met.

29 weeks

Many years ago—before Josh and I got married—I went to a bridal show luncheon and got a little clock as a door prize. Not just any old clock, but a clock that also counted down to your special day. It had little printed interchangeable facades that showed what the special occasion was that you were counting down to—wedding, anniversary, birthday, and so on. Some of the facades are now long gone, but we've kept the clock. Well over four months ago Josh pulled the clock out and set the countdown to March 23, 2007. When he did there was something like 200+ days to go. We didn't have the "baby due date" facade anymore so Josh handcrafted this great little cover for it and it's been sitting on the mantle of our entertainment center since then.

As of today there are only 77 days to go!

And of course, a token shot of my ever-expanding baby belly.

nursery—phase two

The walls and trim have been painted, the plethora of old paint on the hardwood floors (which we discovered when we pulled up the carpet after we moved in) has been meticulously scraped and scrubbed away, and we assembled all the furniture we have except for the baby papasan. Although we are far from finished—especially since we have no bedding, dresser/changing table, or accesories yet—the room is starting to finally look like a nursery. Frankly, we love it. Josh and I can't help but walk into the room when we pass by the door and stare longingly at an area that will soon be filled with baby love.

The ultra-comfortable glider and ottoman that my Grandma got us for Chirstmas. I predict many a late night feeding happening here as well as lots of bedtime stories.

The tiny bookshelf Josh and I bought that will soon be filled with books and toys.

A Lane chest that was given to me years ago. This will probably end up in the basement and this spot will be replaced with a changing table/dresser combo.

Until then, it's working out great as a storage area for all the goodies we've been given so far.

A shot of the room entrance from the point of view of the glider. So far we've moved around the room in a clockwise manner—just to give you some perspective.

I really wish that the crib matched the rest of the furniture, but it was given to us and is a really nice piece. It also saves us lots of money since we won't have to buy one now. I think I'll get over it. That blanket doesn't belong there (I just forgot to move it when I took the picture) and we bought a crib mattress today. I shot these pictures yesterday so you don't get to see it in the crib. It's just a mattress though so you aren't missing anything.

As usual, click on the pics for a bigger/better viewing experience.