Prepared Childbirth

Wow - I just realized it has been quite a while since I posted anything...The start of 2009 has been a busy one thus far at work, so when I get home, my motivation to be on the computer is not high. Some updates from before: Angel has stopped leaking/dripping urine on her new medicine, but sometimes she playing the old and lazy dog card at night and not peeing when it is cold and snowy out so, we have had a couple of lovely and wet surprises a couple of mornings. Now Jeremy has to go outside with her at night and make sure she actually pees. The furniture protection plan came through and they repaired our urine soaked couch at no cost and we are fully furnished again in the living room.

Anyway, the benefit of it being so busy is that I have magically gotten to 34 weeks pregnancy this week. I can't believe how fast the last 8 weeks have gone. This past weekend Jeremy and I attended "Prepared Childbirth" class in State College. The class went from 9am -1:30 pm both Saturday and Sunday and has a 2 hour follow up class on Monday the 26th. We have also been to meet the pediatrician night and this week we head to infant CPR and Baby Care class.....

All in all, this weekend's class covered both a lot of information I had already read about and also some information that was new and will I am sure be helpful. Because the course was not based on any one method/theory of childbirth, it was very eclectic and covered everything from natural childbirth, comfort techniques, Lamaze breathing to pain medication options. I liked this part the most, and I came away with some good tips and info that will help me better organize myself and be prepared whenever the day arrives. One new piece of information that I did glean was that in order for me to be able to have my baby at our local community hospital I have to be 35 weeks or more. Before learning this, I really didn't have any specific fear of having the baby early as I more likely predict that my luck will be having to be induced because I am late... But after learning that if he comes before 35 weeks, both of us would have to be transported by helicopter to Geisinger or Hershey Medical - now I feel like I have a countdown on to get past the 35 mark so I don't get flown 90 minutes (by car) away to have the baby without my own doctors. Thankfully I will be 35 weeks in a week and a half so hopefully that milestone will pass easily.

Pregnancy has really been great so far. I feel like my belly growth has been exponential in the last 3 weeks but my comfort level has yet to decrease as rapidly...I know, I know - I still have 6 weeks left :-) But overall, I still feel really good, there are of course a few "pregnancy joys" that I will won't mention here that have been less than pleasant but they are nothing in comparison to the wonderful feeling of feeling the baby move or seeing him on the Ultrasound. Which by the way, I don't think I mentioned..... a couple of weeks ago at an OB appt the Dr was curious as to which way the baby was laying so she gave us a very quick peak with the ultrasound machine that was in the room. He was head down on my left side and laying on his left side. And everything looked good. Of course he has flipped and flopped several times since then and even just today I felt hiccups at the top of my belly (for the first time in a long time) so that was interesting. A nap and several jabs in the ribs later and the hiccups are back in my pelvis and feeling as weird as ever down there...

I think when we get into February I am going to be anxiously and knowing me, impatiently counting the days and waiting to hold our little guy. 34 week picture to be posted soon, just as soon as I find a shirt or a pose that doesn't make me look like a tank...