We are getting so excited. And I am a little bit surprised how ready we feel - neither of us are too nervous. Now, we aren't physically ready, because the nursery is no where near ready and we don't have everything that we need, but at least both of us feel prepared to be parents! I think part of the reason we feel "prepared" is because we have both accepted that we know we will not know everything and we'll learn as we go! Now, will I still be saying this 6 weeks from now when the birth is right around the corner!? We'll see :)
We started our Prepared Childbirth Classes at the hospital 2 weeks ago. It has been really nice to start actually thinking about the labor & delivery part of pregnancy - something we haven't really heard much about! We still have 2 more classes left and I am really excited for the last week when we actually get to tour the labor & delivery floor at Carle. It's been fun to learn about what to expect and also different coping/relaxation techniques, etc. I must say, I am really hoping that I can go into labor naturally instead of being induced...but it is what it is and the most important thing is that everything goes smoothly and she is healthy!! Besides the Prepared Childbirth class, we still have a few other classes - breastfeeding, infant CPR, Ben has a dad's only class, and a newborn care class.
I've been feeling really good lately too! My biggest "complaint" at this point would have to be the hip pain that I've been having from sleeping on my side. And, I have been a little surprised how much harder it is to do things - like walking - I didn't expect to have issues with this type of simple activity until I was closer to the end of my pregnancy (especially because that difficulty started several weeks ago!). I've learned I really cannot walk fast or I will get horrible ligament pain on my right side! And not to mention, the bladder issue of course :) That is FUN!
This week is the start of having appointments 2 times a week at the hospital until the baby is here - boy oh boy should that be fun! I really don't mind the extra check-ups (ultrasound every week, non-stress test every appointment - who can complain!!), but each appointment is really long (2-3 hours) - and they are all during the day, meaning I have to miss that time at work. I am also hoping to make up that lost time every week too so I don't have to use any sick/vacation time. So, I'm sure I have some really long work days ahead of me before I have the baby! I'm trying to spin the time I'll spend waiting at the doctor's office positively though - it's time for me to read my baby books that I never seem to have time for in the evenings.
We had an ultrasound on November 1st and it was really fun because my dad got to come with us - I figured we have so many ultrasounds, why not share a few :) They estimate that she is just about 3 pounds, 13 ounces right now - which is in the 51% percentile. We were SO happy to hear that she is right on track for size since I have been trying so hard to control my blood sugars with diet and insulin to prevent her from growing too large (i.e. decrease the chance of having to have a c-section and other issues related to gestational diabetes and a big baby). This ultrasound was also fun because this was the first time we thought she actually looked like a baby - not quite as skeletal as in past ultrasounds. We could see some chubby cheeks developing already! And at one point, we got to see her open her mouth and yawn! That was SO cool! Here are some pictures:
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| Profile shot |
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| Front view! This is when she opened her mouth! I can't believe you can see all of her facial features so clearly - eyes, nose, cheeks, mouth! |
We actually have another ultrasound on Tuesday - can't wait to see her again :) :) I'll be updating soon (I promise) about the baby shower, pregnancy photos, and progress on the nursery! :)
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