August 2004 Update - An Event-ful Month
Well, it has been quite a while since the last update, and things have been far from boring. Mostly in a good way, but not always (no one panic, everything is fine). First off, Steve and I are now a year older. Happy birthday to us! We were born about two weeks apart (yes, I married a "younger" man), so we are now both officially in our upper-20s (28 to be precise). Bleck! Now I know why women's bodies were designed to give birth when we are in our teens, not approaching our 30s. I'm way too old for this! LOL
Let's see, what else have we done in the last month? Oh, Connie and Jaime's wedding went very well, even if it did nearly kill me. It was *quite* the adventure from start to finish, very little went "right" or as planned, I pushed myself too hard, and it took me almost a week to recover, but I will spare you the rest of the dramatic details. I'm still very glad we went. Congratulations you two! Our second baby shower also went very well (no pictures yet; I didn't take any, so I have to rely on the generosity of friends). We had 19 attend, which is about half again as many as I was expecting. It was a storybook shower, so we now have all kinds of excellent reading material for our new little one, plus some other great gifts. I will be getting thank you notes out to all of you very soon, I promise.
All of my baby appointments have been the same lately. "Everything is fine, see you in two weeks." That's just what we want to hear. My blood pressure (which was my major concern going into the pregnancy) was superb: 109/60, my best reading ever! Yay me! Weight continues to be on track but not too excessive (I'm still slightly ahead of the curve (oops), but not as much as I was). I am getting to the point that I have difficulty getting comfortable no matter what I do. Just too big and too awkward. My sciatic nerves are also bothering me on both sides, but particularly on my right. I have received a few tips to try from several people, so we'll see if it can be managed over the course of the next few weeks. Only 7(ish) weeks left! But other than the sciatica and the general uncomfortableness (and literally going to the bathroom every 45 minutes to an hour), I really feel great.
We did have one minor scare yesterday (repeat after me: everything is fine!). Baby has been very very active for the last week or so, virtually in constant motion. He was quiet, though still moving, on Monday. Tuesday, I realized late afternoon (naturally, around 4 pm when the doctor's office closed) that I had felt virtually no movement all day long. Called the office, and they sent me to "OB Assessment" to have fetal heartbeat and activity monitored. Took them a while to find the heartbeat (not uncommon for our uncooperative child), and he still wasn't moving much. After about an hour, they decided to use the accoustic stimulator, which is essentially a buzzer placed on my belly that provided noise and vibrations. Boy, he did NOT like that! I thought he was going to jump right out of me. But that was the reaction they wanted, and after that (I think he decided he didn't want to go through that again), he's been moving regularly. Whew!
After that, it was off to our first week of "baby class," officially Childbirth Preparation Class. It doesn't focus on any particular method of childbirth preparation (like Lamaze or Bradley). Instead it takes some from each of the methods, plus some other tried and true tips and tricks, to help you through. They discuss the labor and birth processes, covering most of the medical procedures that are likely to take place. If you want to go unmedicated (ha-ha), they say you will be prepared to do so once class is done. However, they will also cover various forms of anesthesia (pros and cons) and typical C-section procedures as well, just in case. They want to give you an idea of what to expect and how to prepare, as opposed to pushing any particular method or mindset, which I like. I'm all about alternatives and choice and being as prepared as possible (though I also understand that we'll never be "ready"). Three classes left.
We're getting more and more prepared every day. We bought a crib this past weekend, though it's still sitting in the box (not enough room in the nursery yet to assemble it). We're having trouble finding our chosen travel system in stock, so we may have to change which one we get. Not a big deal, just a hassle. I also purchased (for a fantastic deal) a whole bundle of baby clothes from an online friend who was cleaning out her closets. We were a little behind in that department, but she had all kinds of things in various sizes (she had two fall babies, now ages 5 and 7), so I think we're mostly set. The boxes (yes, two boxes worth) should arrive this week, and we will reassess what we need from there. Shouldn't be much! Other than crib linens (we don't have anything other than what came with the bedding set, which I know won't cut it) and a few other odds and ends, I think we're in excellent shape.
Well, I think that's it. The next baby update should arrive in your inbox sometime after Labor Day (the holiday, not (hopefully) the birth of our child). Have a great month everyone! Oh, and don't forget to check out Baby Gaston's new website home: http://www.eringaston.com/baby Yes, I have my own domain now. It was a surprise birthday present. Thank you little brother!
Love, Erin and Steve and Baby G
