Saturday, January 31, 2009

35w Prenatal Appointment

We just had an appointment with the hospital midwives yesterday - we'll see Charlotte on Tuesday. Baby was 35 weeks on the dot, and they have us going back weekly now. I am so not excited about that. It's about 45 minutes away from our house, and T.J.'s work is going to be picking up so I'll most likely be going on my own after next week. Maybe the baby will come early so we don't have lots of appointments!

I weighed in first. I had a growth spurt last week - as the belly pictures show - and it turns out I'm +37 for the pregnancy. Yikes! I gained SEVEN pounds this month. Oh well.

My blood pressure was up a tiny bit, but it's well within "normal". We also did the Group B Strep test and they did a full blood panel to check on my platelets and red blood to make sure it's not getting worse. I'll find out about those tests on Monday.

Kay listened for the heartbeat, and she thinks it's a girl from the heart rate. It's so weird to see the hospital midwives in action though - she never actually times the rate, just listens, and they never measure my belly either. She felt the baby though and estimated it to be around 6 lbs. She said it was a "good sized" baby - in a small way. Yippee! She thinks baby will be around 7 lbs at birth. I guess her guess is as good as any one's, but I'm liking it because she's predicting a small baby for me.

That was about all with the appointment. We have our home visit with Charlotte, her assistant, and Laura (our doula) on Tuesday! It's nothing spectacular - they just come to our house so they know how to get here on Birth Day. We'll do the normal prenatal stuff here instead of at her house. It's cool that we're so close though!

Thursday, January 29, 2009

New belly picture!

Um... I think I might explode by next week.


Click on the timeline to make it larger:

Wednesday, January 28, 2009

Are you having a baby?

First, did I tell you about my doula??? We hired her a couple of weeks ago. She is fabulous. She's my prenatal yoga instructor, has the most soothing and friendly persona, and I think she'll be a great asset to our birthing "team".

Anyway, when T.J. and I met with her, she was telling us about the burst of energy women get before going into labor, and told T.J. that if I get wild ideas for cleaning that he should suggest that I nap instead because it might mean we're getting close. Haha.

Any time I have started cleaning in the last week, T.J. asks me if I'm going into labor. Unfortunately, this is no nesting instinct, it's survival instinct! I *wish* I would start nesting, our house is a wreck. We should be having our home visit next week, so I told T.J. that we needed to do some serious cleaning and organizing this weekend, along with marathon shopping to finish our purchases for labor and the baby.

I wish there were some 3- or 4-day weekends coming up, I could use an extra day off here or there. Maybe I should play hookie on Friday after my appointment and go home to start working on stuff.

Tuesday, January 27, 2009

Seconds, Minutes, and Hours

My friend Brenda sent me this cool spreadsheet that calculates how much time has passed and how much is left of your pregnancy (based on 40 weeks, of course!). Here's where we stand right.this.second:

Finished:
8.08 months
34.63 weeks
242.40 days
5,817.58 hours
349,054.72 minutes
20,943,282.95 seconds

To go:
1.25 months
5.37 weeks
37.6 days
902.42 hours
54,145.28 minutes
3,248,717.05 seconds

So there ya have it, we know to the SECOND how much time is left in my pregnancy. Haha!

By the way, what a bummer that 8.08 + 1.25 = 9 and 1/3 months for 40 weeks. And you thought pregnancy was only 9 months long! But, I am *in* my 9th month of pregnancy - how cool is that? (Yeah, it'll be cool until I'm in my 10th month, right?)

Monday, January 26, 2009

More aches and pains

After our big walk on Saturday, I had to hang on the couch the rest of the day. Yesterday I seemed to be almost all better, but I got a little sore again as the day went on. Today I'm pretty sore - not as bad as Saturday, but I'm thinking this might be worse than I hoped.

I think I've gone and separated my pubic symphysis. The pubic symphysis is a piece of cartilage that holds your pubic bone together at the front. In the picture below, you don't see it, but it's where the bones join in the center. It's normal for this to spread some because of the pregnancy hormone Relaxin. It helps the baby come out easier. Sometimes it separates too much, though - that's called a diastasis (remember how my abs are split? It's the same thing). Unfortunately this one is painful. Boo.

Here is info on what it is from Wikipedia:

The non-pregnant gap is 4-5mm but in pregnancy there will be an increase of at least 2-3mm due the ligaments which surround and insert into the joint as they remodel under the influence of hormones. Therefore, it is considered that a total width of up to 9mm between the two bones is normal for a pregnant woman.

This natural extra gapping decreases within days following the delivery, although the supporting ligaments will take three to five months to fully return to their normal state. An abnormal gap is considered to be 1cm or more, sometimes with the two bones being slightly out of alignment.

I have my next prenatal appointment on Friday, so I'll mention it then and see if there is anything to be done about it. I think not though. I guess I'll have to be even more lazy than normal.

Saturday, January 24, 2009

DomerBaby Update

I realized that I haven't done this in a while!

DomerBaby weighs approximately 5.5 lbs, and is about 20.25" long. Wow! The baby opens its eyes when awake, and can "see" light when shined on my belly (we tried this last night... seemed to distract baby from kicking!). It's fingernails are grown in now, and baby can even scratch itself in utero!

DomerBaby is really active for most of the day. It's pretty fun. It hardly ever kicks or punches me in any uncomfortable areas - I'll get intermittent heartburn or find myself out of breath, but it's pretty rare.

I do wake up any time I roll over, but I'm still "sleeping through the night" in that I don't have to get up at all to eat/drink/pee. I guess I'll have a rude awakening when DomerBaby arrives! I've grown out of the majority of my maternity clothes. We went and bought a pair of stretchy black pants that I *think* will double as work and lounge pants for the next 6 weeks. Now I just need some flat shoes that are comfortable and look nicer than tennis shoes... it's getting close to time to retire my 3.5" heels I think.

I think that's about all... we have an appointment on Friday - we'll be 35w exactly. Home stretch! Once I get to 35 weeks, I think the home birth is a Go! Can you believe that Baby is almost here! I'm so excited to see if it's a boy or girl, and finally hold him/her in my arms!

Casual stroll = Strenuous Exercise!

T.J. and I went for a walk in Midtown Atlanta today. We were out for perhaps 45 minutes? While we were walking my feet, knees, and hips started aching quite a bit. I think I also got some Braxton-Hicks contractions - my belly was hard as a rock! I hobbled back to the car and it took me a minute to fold myself in for the ride home.

I've spent the rest of the afternoon in my rocking chair. Haha. Pathetic! I need a second wind to finish my errands for the day.

Pregnant ladies - don't be like me! Go exercise!

Thursday, January 22, 2009

Yoga Baby

Yesterday one of my co-workers told me I "dropped". I do not believe this for a second, as I'm not quite 34w. However, something is different, because yoga was not very yogic yesterday. All the normal feel-good poses left me crampy (legs and toes, not belly), out of breath, and frustrated. It just felt like I was fighting my body the whole time. I ended up sitting and breathing a lot instead of doing the exercises. It's good to listen to my body, though.

So here is my latest belly picture (33w5d pregnant - taken yesterday). You can tell I'm getting desperate to make my appearance better because there is a curling iron on the counter. I curled my hair yesterday. That is really quite unheard of. I don't think it distracted anyone though!

Wednesday, January 21, 2009

Another "Midwives are Awesome" post!

Auntie Debbie, my partner in crime, sent me this article from The Pioneer Press. The article is written by Jennifer Block, who wrote "Pushed: The Painful Truth About Childbirth and Modern Maternity Care". It's a book that's on my list but I haven't gotten to yet.

The article is spot-on, and hopefully we'll see change in our health care sooner than later with our new president!

Health care reform? Midwives can deliver

By: Jennifer Block

Some health care trivia: In the United States, what is the No. 1 reason people are admitted to the hospital? Not diabetes, not heart attack, not stroke. The answer is something that isn't even a disease: childbirth.

Not only is childbirth the most common reason for a hospital stay — more than 4 million American women give birth each year — it costs the country far more than any other health condition. Six of the 15 most frequent hospital procedures billed to private insurers and Medicaid are maternity-related. The nation's maternity bill totaled $86 billion in 2006, nearly half of which was picked up by taxpayers.

But cost hasn't translated into quality. We spend more than double per capita on childbirth than other industrialized countries, yet our rates of pre-term birth, newborn death and maternal death rank us dismally in comparison. Last month, the March of Dimes gave the country a "D" on its prematurity report card; California got a "C," but 18 other states and the District of Columbia, where 15.9 percent of babies are born too early, failed entirely.

The U.S. ranks 41st among industrialized nations in maternal mortality. And there are unconscionable racial disparities: Black mothers are three times more likely to die in childbirth than white mothers.

In short, we are overspending and under-serving women and families. If the United States is serious about health reform, we need to begin, well, at the beginning.

The problem is not access to care, it's the care itself. As a new joint report by the Milbank Memorial Fund, the Reforming States Group and Childbirth Connection makes clear, American maternity wards are not following evidence-based best practices. They are inducing and speeding up far too many labors and reaching too quickly for the scalpel: Nearly one-third of births are now by Caesarean section, more than twice what the World Health Organization has documented is a safe rate. In fact, the report found that the most common billable maternity procedures — continuous electronic fetal monitoring, for instance — have no clear benefit when used routinely.

The most cost-effective, health-promoting maternity care for normal, healthy women is midwife led and out of hospital. Hospitals charge from $7,000 to $16,000, depending on the type and complexity of the birth. The average birth-center fee is only $1,600 because high-tech medical intervention is rarely applied and stays are shorter. This model of care is not just cheaper; decades of medical research show that it's better. Mother and baby are more likely to have a normal, vaginal birth; less likely to experience trauma, such as a bad vaginal tear or a surgical delivery; and more likely to breast feed. In other words, less is actually more.

The Obama administration could save the country billions by overhauling the American way of birth.

Consider Washington, where a state review of licensed midwives (just 100 in practice) found that they saved the state an estimated $2.7 million over two years. One reason for the savings is that midwives prevent costly Caesarean surgeries: 11.9 percent of midwifery patients in Washington ended up with C-sections, compared with 24 percent of low-risk women in traditional obstetric care.

Currently, just 1 percent of women nationwide get midwife-led care outside a hospital setting. Imagine the savings if that number jumped to 10 percent or even 30 percent. Imagine if hospitals started promoting best practices: giving women one-on-one, continuous support, promoting movement and water immersion for pain relief, and reducing the use of labor stimulants and labor induction. The C-section rate would plummet, as would related infections, hemorrhages, neonatal intensive care admissions and deaths. And the country could save some serious cash. The joint Milbank report conservatively estimates savings of $2.5 billion a year if the Caesarean rate were brought down to 15 percent.

To be frank, the U.S. maternity care system needs to be turned upside down. Midwives should be caring for the majority of pregnant women, and physicians should continue to handle high-risk cases, complications and emergencies. This is the division of labor, so to speak, that you find in the countries that spend less but get more.

In those countries, a persistent public health concern is a midwife shortage. In the U.S., we don't have similar regard for midwives or their model of care. Hospitals frequently shut down nurse-midwifery practices because they don't bring in enough revenue. And although certified nurse midwives are eligible providers under federal Medicaid law and mandated for reimbursement, certified professional midwives — who are trained in out-of-hospital birth care — are not. In several state legislatures, they are fighting simply to be licensed, legal health care providers. (Californians are lucky — certified professional midwives are licensed, and Medi-Cal covers out-of-hospital birth.)

Barack Obama could be, among so many other firsts, the first birth-friendly president. How about a Midwife Corps to recruit and train the thousands of new midwives we'll need? How about federal funding to create hundreds of new birth centers? How about an ad campaign to educate women about optimal birth?

America needs better birth care, and midwives can deliver it.

Tuesday, January 20, 2009

Knitting Update

I finally finished those pants I blogged about... 5 months ago! I'm a slacker. But look how cute they turned out! I think they'll fit baby around 6 months. I can't believe that I haven't finished a baby project since September, by the way! I need to get cracking!

Here is the pattern: http://alison.knitsmiths.us/pattern_baby_bell_bottoms.html

The bottom of the pants in Garter Stitch

I used a cashmere blend wool - DomerBaby is Posh!

Look, I learned to do an "I-Cord" - but it's for show. there is elastic inside

Technically they were supposed to be newborn sized, but the inseam was so long I made the hips longer and turned them into a 6mo size. From what I hear this should work out pretty well.

By the way, I'm a total failure at the stitching things. I cannot for the life of me figure out how to make the mattress stitch hide! Maybe next time.

I also made a scarf for myself... I meant to have it finished by the time we went to Pittsburgh in December, but scarves take *way* longer than I remember. I ended up finishing it in time to wear it for one day in Minnesota. "Luckily" it's been cold here, so I've been wearing it the last couple of weeks in Atlanta, too!

It matches a pea coat that I *just* barely can still squeeze into.

Isn't that pretty yarn?

Stretch Marks. Boo Hiss.

Yes, I knew they were coming. But a teeny tiny part of me thought maybe I'd be exempt. No such luck. They are just on the underside of my belly now, but I have a feeling that they'll be all over in another few weeks.

Goodbye, pasty-white-yet-smooth belly.

Monday, January 19, 2009

From the birth kit

Here is the mini hat from the birth kit! I can't believe how tiny newborns must be. I'm sure I'll be thankful they are though.

(Yes, I am a weirdo and drew a face on my hand.)

More good stuff to come!

Poll time!

To go along with the "Predictions" post, I added a poll to the blog - it's open until 2/13/09. Come and vote!

Predictions Time!

I thought this was fun, we can come back to this after the birth to get the "actuals"... feel free to reply with your own predictions in the comments section!

EDD: March 6, 2009
I predict the baby will be born: March 17, 2009
Actual birth date:

I predict my labor will last: 22 hours
It actually lasted:

U/S showed a (if you had one): Surprise!
I predict the baby will be a: Boy
The baby is a:

I predict the babies weight and length will be: 7lb 6oz, 21 inches
Actual weight and length:

Any extra predictions you'd like to make: DomerBaby will probably be bald... and I think we'll have a hard (but not excruciatingly so) and successful home birth!

Friday, January 16, 2009

A knitting project I'll probably skip.

I was alerted to this Birth Education Doll today. It's an interesting concept, though the execution seems a bit... freaky. I thought you might get a laugh out of it!


Thursday, January 15, 2009

Update on CPSIA from my Senator

I don't think he really *gets* it, but I keep trying. The new guidelines he speaks about are not part of the law, so it just puts the onus on the store owner to comply with the letter of the law or risk fines by following their press release. Le Sigh.

Dear ______:

Thank you for contacting me regarding the Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act of 2008 and its effect on secondhand retailers and other sectors of our economy. I appreciate hearing from you.


The Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act of 2008 (P. L. 110-314) passed the Senate, with my support, and became law on August 14, 2008. This act was created to further strengthen product safety laws and protect children, but in doing so, it could potentially have a negative effect on our economy, specifically on our retail industry.

The Consumer Product Safety Commission has recently released updated guidelines regarding this act and how it may affect secondhand retailers. The guidelines specifically state that; "Sellers of used children's products, such as thrift stores and consignment stores, are not required to certify that those products meet the new lead limits, phthalates standard or new toy standards."

I have included a copy of the release for your convenience or you can find the release online at http://www.cpsc.gov/cpscpub/prerel/prhtml09/09086.html.

Secondhand retailers play a very important role in our economy, particularly during tough economic times. Child safety is paramount, and we all must endeavor to provide safe and reliable clothing and other products to children.

I will follow the implementation of this law to assure that compliance does not place any undue burden on retailers and families. If you have any further questions or need additional assistance please feel free to contact me.

I just want to add that the problem is that he left this part out, putting it back on them to not sell things, even though above it said they don't have to test them. How can they be sure if it's not tested?:

"recalled children's products, children's products that will contain lead such as children's jewelry, painted wooden or metal toys, flimsily made toys that are easily breakable into small parts and dolls and stuffed toys that have buttons, eyes, noses or other small parts that are not securely fastened and could present a choking hazard for young children. "

Gravity is a Bummer

I know everyone who reads this and is older is going to roll their eyes at me, but seriously! Last night in the shower, I realized that my nipples point down now. That is a serious bummer. The downside of fantastically sized breasts, I suppose... and it was inevitable.

First my butt goes flat and droopy, and now the girls are hanging low. At least now I won't be fooled into thinking that breastfeeding is the culprit!

(Sorry to the men/dads who may be reading this.)

Wednesday, January 14, 2009

DomerBaby will have diapers!

Wow, I think I bought out the internet today!

We now will have a sufficient diaper stash to last us through at least 15 lbs, and I only need to add about 10 diapers to complete the 16-20lb stage. That should get us through year one (or beyond, if DomerBaby takes after T.J.!).

We have an assortment of prefolds, fitteds, pockets, and all-in-ones, so I'm sure we'll like *something* that we are using! Since the prefolds and fitteds make up the bulk of our stash, and they require covers, I finished stocking up on those, too.

I got two cute new Thirsties covers in red and melon, and a few plain white prowraps that are excellent for newborns because of the cord cut-out.

Besides diapers and covers, every CD'ing family needs a wet bag or two (for taking home wet nappies), a diaper pail and liner, wipes, and snappies. Snappies are those little three-pronged things pictured below. The ends have ace-bandage type claws that hold the diaper together, so you don't have to use PINS. Yey for my fingers!

I still have to make a bunch more wipes, make some larger sized diapers, and get a diaper pail and liner, but we're very close to done on the diaper business. So far I've spent a total of $309 on diapers and accessories.

That would get us about... 4-6 months of disposable diapering, I'd assume (not including the cost of disposable wipes). And I'm hoping that a lot of this will last through Baby #2 and beyond. Not a bad investment!

My major prize today though was an Ergo baby carrier - normally $105, I got it for $70! Yey for clearance! I got it in black and cranberry (this picture is all cranberry), and ordered an infant insert in a tan color so that it'll work from the time DomerBaby arrives. It is kind of back-pack like, you can wear it front or back actually. Look how happy we'll be!

Tuesday, January 13, 2009

32 week prenatal appointment

Today was our 32 week appointment. T.J. is in town, so he came to the appointments today. First we went to the hospital midwife. We saw the new midwife there, Diane. She was really nice. T.J. liked her the best of the three that do the hospital births. I liked her, too. She was very open to my questions - she actually seemed quite pleased that I was asking them! Nothing like having your questions and concerns validated.

My blood pressure looks great - 110/60 there and 100/68 at Charlotte's house. Usually they are much closer together, but I was feeling a little anxious at the doctor's office because they were running late and we tend to be late to Charlotte's a lot! I gained 3.5 pounds this month, and Diane said the baby was "small, but in a good way". I'll take that! I'm up a total of 32.5 pounds now, ironic that I'm 32.5 weeks pregnant. Looks like I'm on pace for 40lbs - a little over the recommendation of 35, but not by much. I can deal with that. We got to hear the heartbeat, but it's really superfluous at this point because the baby is a mover and shaker... There is never any doubt that everything is OK in there! The baby is still head-down, and I think in a relatively decent position for birthing.

Diane asked us if we had a pediatrician yet (um, no). Then she asked if we have a car seat (negative). So tonight I went ahead and ordered the car seat tonight, great timing because it was on clearance! I picked up a seat protector for the car as well, and a few side-snap t-shirts for DomerBaby.

Now we're going to appointments every two weeks - we go back to the hospital midwives on January 30 - I'll be 35 weeks. We have the GBS test then, which involves a giant q-tip and no pants. Ha! And we've tentatively scheduled our home visit with Charlotte for February 2. If the groundhog sees it's shadow does that mean the baby is coming early? Haha. And then after that I'll be going weekly to both practices! I can't believe how close things are getting.

Monday, January 12, 2009

The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly

The good:
- I still sleep through the night; no getting up to go to the bathroom for me!
- Baby is doing excellent things for my skin
- My belly is still outpacing the rest of my expanding body parts, so most people think I'm "all belly". Muahaha, I have them fooled!
- DomerBaby is so easy going! I don't get kicked in the ribs, hardly ever get heartburn*, and baby moves lots so I never worry.

The bad:
- Leg cramps. I am now terrified of labor pains, because the other night I awoke to a cramp in my calf AND along the front muscle (you know, where you get shin splints). To stretch one, the other had to be contracted, and the pain was excruciating. Poor T.J. woke up to my sobs because I didn't know how to fix it. Eventually it came out, but my leg has been sore since it happened last Thursday night. Every time something painful happens to me I try to compare how that will feel compared to labor. That's why I get scared... I've never had any truly painful experiences. Le sigh.
- *Heartburn; when it strikes, I feel like I'm a fire-breathing dragon
- Hormones. I feel a bit more even keel lately, but I'm concerned that I'm just used to my behavior at this point!

The ugly:
- I have a double chin. It bums me out. I can't lie... I was really hoping not to get pg fat-face, but I knew it'd happen. Darn chocolate.
- I'm down to one pair of jeans, one pair of sweats, and one pair of work pants. Yikes! I don't know if I can go 2 months with one pair of work pants, it may be back to the store this weekend. Luckily I have a plethora of pajama pants that fit!

Just in the nick of time.

Auntie Debbie reports that tomorrow's high in MN is -4. Looks like she wasn't so off the mark saying that 13 was "nice". Tee hee. It's much more mild back in the Ole South.

I had a great time up in MN visiting family. Papa made me some awesome homemade stew on Friday night, and DomerBaby really made out on all the gifts on Saturday - and everything fit in my big empty suitcase and the extra space in my carry ons! Very impressive, indeed. We had 19 women at the shower, and one quiet little boy (my nephew, Dustin). He mostly hid under the table playing his Nintendo DS. I can't say that I blame him. Debbie was hostess with the mostest, and the shower went off without a hitch.

I will post some "highlight" gifts when I get around to unpacking.

Thursday, January 8, 2009

Look what you did!

Yey us! Even though it doesn't fix everything, there is definite progress!

http://www.latimes.com/business/la-fi-lead7-2009jan07,0,6917858.story

Regulators rethink rules on testing children's clothing and toys for lead

The Consumer Product Safety Commission gives a preliminary OK to exempt some items from testing after complaints of hardship to thrift stores and sellers of handmade toys.
By Alana Semuels
January 7, 2009
The Consumer Product Safety Commission has given preliminary approval to changes in new lead-testing rules after complaints that the measures could have forced thrift stores and sellers of handmade toys to dispose of merchandise or even go out of business.

If formally adopted, the changes approved on a first vote Tuesday would grant exemptions to last year's Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act, which seeks to ensure that products for children do not contain dangerous amounts of lead.
As currently written, the act would require all products aimed at children 12 and under to be tested for lead and phthalates starting Feb. 10. Phthalates are chemicals used to make plastics more pliable.

Large manufacturers and retailers say the cost of testing will not be a burden. But small businesses such as handmade-toy shops and thrift stores say the requirement would force them to spend tens of thousands of dollars to test products such as clothing, in which the threat of lead is almost nonexistent. Many thrift stores said they would be forced to stop selling children's clothing or close altogether.

The commission's two members (a third seat is vacant) voted tentatively to exempt:

* Items with lead parts that a child cannot access;

* Clothing, toys and other goods made of natural materials such as cotton and wood; and

* Electronics that are impossible to make without lead.

The commission also tentatively approved a rule that clarifies how it determines exclusions from the law.

The vote opens up a 30-day public comment period that will begin when notice of the rules are printed in the Federal Register. Interested parties can find out how to submit comments by signing up to receive e-mail from the CPSC at www.cpsc.gov .

No final rules will be approved until after Feb. 10, when the testing rules go into effect.

That means retailers and manufacturers who sell untested children's merchandise would technically be in violation of the new law starting Feb. 10. Whether federal regulators will enforce the rules -- which might entail inspections at thousands of secondhand stores and toy shops across the country -- is another question.

"The CPSC is an agency with limited resources and tremendous responsibility to protect the safety of families," said Scott Wolfson, a CPSC spokesman. "Our focus will be on those areas we can have the biggest impact and address the most dangerous products."

13 is not "Nice"

I don't care if you do live in Minnesota, 13 degrees is cold. And I don't live in Minnesota, I live in Georgia, home of giant baby-eating cockroaches. OK, maybe they don't eat babies (I am not sure yet - I'll keep you informed), but dang, it's going to be 55 here this weekend. T.J. is making plans for golf, and I'm flying to the frozen tundra!

Despite 13 degree weather (did I mention that's the HIGH on Saturday?) I am super duper excited to see my family and spend the weekend up there. I haven't been up since June! In fact, we found out that we were pregnant a week after we got back from Minnesota.

I'll be updating when I get back - on Sunday or Monday. Until then, don't miss me or DomerBaby too much.

Wednesday, January 7, 2009

Getting prepared for the Homebirth

Last night we got out our binder of information from Charlotte; as our "homework" this month we're supposed to be accumulating items needed to birth at home.

As you'd expect, we don't have a lot of birthing supplies just lying around. You really need surprisingly little, though. I ordered Charlotte's birth kit online, which was only $45 with shipping, and includes all the little medical things we'll need - cord clamps, gloves, chux pads, a birth certificate, etc... It even came with a teeny tiny newborn knit cap like you see at the hospital! So adorable, and SO SMALL.

There are also some funny things on the list - a small fish net for the water birth, to collect "debris" from the birth tub (I'll let you figure that out), and the largest sanitary napkins I've ever seen. At first I thought they'd given us baby diapers. BIG baby diapers. I also had to explain to T.J. what a peri bottle was for (I had to ask friends, too - it's so you don't have to wipe after birth, ouch!).

We also have a list of supplies to gather for ourselves - things like sheets, towels, alcohol, hydrogen peroxide, juice and gatorade, etc... Plus we'll need to "feed the freezer" before we get too close. We'll need food for the birth team, as well as things on hand for after the birth so we don't have to fool with cooking for a few days.

Charlotte will, of course, bring the big gun medical supplies - oxygen, pitocin, other drugs and tinctures, a scale to weigh the baby, a doppler and fetoscope, etc. And she has the birthing pool, which we'll get closer to our due date.

I feel so much more prepared, even though nothing has changed since yesterday. Now we have a list and a plan - and just two months to go!

Tuesday, January 6, 2009

New Nappies!

This just in: I got FOUR new adorable nappies for DomerBaby! These are "all-in-one's" (or AIOs), which means they work just like disposable diapers. They inner "soaker" layer is built in, there is a top "stay-dry" layer that wicks moisture from baby's skin, and the waterproof cover is also sewn in. It has aplix (velcro) closure, so it works the exact same way as a disposable.

The cons of the AIO is setup are that you can't adjust the absorbency of the diaper like you can with a pocket diaper, and they take longer to dry since they have the soaker built in.

However, these DryBees AIO's are hybrids - they have a pocket so you can adjust the absorbency! So really it's just the drying time that makes these less desirable!

I got a set of smalls and a set of mediums, in the light blue and cow print. I figure if DomerBaby is a girl, the blue will work just fine.

PS. I know I'm lame, but I love the word nappy. I think it's so cute. I'm trying to channel my inner British side (well, Irish I guess) so that I start calling diapers nappies all the time. Hehe.

"They Call Me the Waddler...

Yeaaah, I'm the waddler, I waddle around and 'round and 'round and 'round and 'round..."

It's true, I've started waddling. I assume it's a combination of my hips loosening up and the 30 lbs on my front. So sad, though. I told T.J. last night and he insisted that I don't waddle, I just "bob back and forth." - He's getting good, eh?

My next prenatal appointment is a week from today - so It'll be my 32w appointment. I'm not sure if I'll switch to every two weeks from there, or what. We'll see. Around 35 or 36 weeks Charlotte will come and do our home visit, to make sure we've collected everything we need and make sure my housekeeping is up to snuff. Just kidding... er, I think.

Monday, January 5, 2009

60 days to go!

Time sure is flying! I am so excited that the end is near. I really do enjoy being pregnant, but I'm excited to meet DomerBaby! Besides, it *is* getting harder to tie my shoes, I now am full-time wearing a fake wedding ring because of my swollen digits (it is purty though!), my legs are like tree trunks, and I'm barely squeezing into one pair of maternity jeans. Yikes!

T.J. is concerned that I won't be able to move if I keep growing. His concern is valid, but pointless. He'll just have to start rolling me around!

If you didn't take the time yesterday to send a letter to your congressperson and senator, please please please do so today.

This link will auto generate a letter (that you can edit) and automatically figure out who your reps/senators are. http://capwiz.com/americanapparel/issues/alert/?alertid=12274476

Sunday, January 4, 2009

End to Children's Thrift and Handmade Stores

I'm trying to raise awareness about the new Consumer Products Safety Improvement Act (CPSIA), which goes into effect on February 10, 2009. It's supposed to protect consumers from harmful chemicals being found in children's goods (pthalates and lead, for example), but the way the law is written it includes anyone who sells used or handmade items, as well. The testing would cost several hundred to a few thousand dollars PER ITEM, making it impossible for thrift stores and places like Etsy sellers to comply to the law.

If you are interested in this topic, you can read more about it here or here.

How You can Help (from this blog):

Please write to your United States Congress Person and Senator to request changes in the CPSIA to save handmade and used toys. Use the sample letter or write your own. You can find your Congress Person here and Senator here .

It only takes a minute, and the effects really are far reaching. You won't be able to legally sell, consign, or donate your own children's clothes under this law, much less buy from these outlets.

Saturday, January 3, 2009

DomerBaby has a dresser!

That's right, we're making progress, slowly but surely. We went and purchased a dresser yesterday and I put it together last night. Now we're just waiting for it to air out a bit before filling it up with baby's stuff! We already have a matching side table, so I figure when DomerBaby gets his/her own room we'll put both in there. Lovely IKEA has some other stuff available in this line, so we'll be good to go as our needs grow.


I've also made significant progress with my textbook selling - I'm trying to decide what to treat ourselves to with my profits. I'm not sure yet though... maybe we'll combine it with our cash gift from MeeMaw and buy a sweet Rolls Royce type stroller.

Friday, January 2, 2009

I think I'm nesting!

So far though I just have ideas, but not a ton of motivation to carry them out! Here are my ideas:

- sell/donate our faux christmas tree and excess decorations we don't use - we're getting real ones from now on (it's way more eco-friendly to buy a real tree, by the way). Yey!
- sell/donate papasan chair that no one ever sits in to make more room for the rocker glider
- turn 2nd tub (which we don't use) into a storage area so we can utilize the office closet
- try again to sell my PhD books, and donate or recycle other books we don't use or want
- convince T.J. to pull the trigger on buying the baby's dresser soon
- organize and cull closets - we have 2 linen closets that are half-full and could be better utilized, 2 closets that sorely need to be reorganized, and the laundry closet is a disaster!
- get back to knitting and sewing for baby - I've been slacking off and I have a lot to do!

I'm also seriously considering selling or donating my wedding dress. I'm not sure yet though. The box is so big, and really, what am I going to do with it??? I don't know if it's realistic to think about trying to turn it into a baptismal gown because of the pick-ups in the skirt. Any insight on that?



Awww, just went through wedding pictures.

::tear::

Maybe I won't pull the trigger on getting rid of the dress. We'll just let DomerBaby and it's sibling(s) play dress up in it as planned if we can't use it for baptismal/communion clothes. Haha, wishy washy pregnant ladies.

OK, off to bed!

Thursday, January 1, 2009

Good thoughts for my Gram, please.

She is in the hospital with some stomach problems. We're hoping it's nothing serious, but prayers and good thoughts are much appreciated.

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