Babies are consumers too

I was all excited because I got a big package in the mail on Friday, but it turned out to be a lot of formula and a bunch of coupons. I have been getting lots of other baby mail also, and they seem to know my due date. And where I live.

At least I think I'm funny.

The nursery is still not done, but it is empty and vacuumed. Newborns like a nice clean floor to sleep on, right?













We had a nice trip to visit Melanie and David this weekend, accompanied by Mochi. Which meant much of the trip was spent with two huge dog snouts trying to squeeze into the front seats. Today puppy Emma is over to visit, perhaps you'll get some pictures of that soon.

Baby appointment: T minus 23 days

Everything is still fine. My group B strep test was negative, which is nice because that means I won't have to be on IV antibiotics during delivery. They couldn't find my lab results for a while, and finally the doctor asked if I had looked them up myself on the computer system. I actually don't have access to the system because I haven't started 3rd year yet, but I probably wouldn't have looked anyway, what with it being illegal.

Childbirth Class Part II

The second one was better than the first one. Mainly because the instructor gave us a choice at the end between a guided relaxation and just going home. We learned about what happens during labor by practicing with a knitted wool uterus and a doll that had a snap-on umbilical cord. We also learned about pain relief options via a video of a pregnancy class where I imagine all the babies are now about twenty.

Me and one other woman in the class are a few weeks ahead of everyone else in our pregnancies, (wow, the baby is precocious already; or the woman who scheduled me for the class sucked) so we are the only ones who have been allowed to take the hospital tour. They are really adamant that you can't take the tour until four weeks before your due date, so I guess if you go into preterm labor they don't want you to know where to go. But it meant that everyone asked us lots of questions and I was popular. Actually, it's sort of funny because the instructor is obviously uncomfortable that I don't have a support person with me and I think she sometimes makes a special effort to be nice to me. Maybe next class I will mumble something about no good lying gambling baby daddies.

The bassinet came yesterday, but due to a mishap with a changing table cover I have been forbidden from assembling it. The reviews on the internet were really good with the one complaint that the assembly instructions are terrible. Aaron is working away on putting it together right now.










Aaron made me go to X-Men 3 yesterday. Why, Aaron, Why? Don't you love me? Do you really think exposing the baby to that drivel before she is born is a good idea?

Baby Birthing

We went on a tour of the maternity ward at the hospital yesterday. The, um, same hospital that we live across the street from and where I go to school. I have been there before for school when we went to the nursery to prod the newborns. There weren't any babies in the nursery yesterday because apparently people want their babies with them nowadays.

It was nice to hear where to go and what to expect though. All the rooms are private and have jacuzzis and metal bars and exercise balls for labor. They also have cassette players that don't take CDs. It didn't even occur to me to ask about this, but someone else asked if they could bring CD players. The tour guide said officially no, but she's seen it happen. I think we're going to be doubly subversive and bring the iPod stereo. I asked about internet access and the tour guide just blinked at me for a while. But it is okay to use cell phones in your own room, so if those of you with Blackberries (ahem, Annie) donate them to the cause Aaron can post updates from the hospital.

There was a large part of the slideshow devoted to informing us about the valet parking service, a steal at $7.50. We can't afford not to leave our car there! In fact, it's there right now.

36 Weeks

4 more to go.

Although people seem to take great glee in telling me either
1) Wow, so it really could be any time now, or
2) Don't get too excited, first babies are always late

Her head has been down for a few weeks already, so my ribs have taken quite a pummeling. Actually, I still don't have too many real complaints other than getting out of breath easily due my lungs being squished.

Tomorrow...the elusive hospital tour

We had a baby appointment yesterday and have now officially graduated to weekly appointments. We were in the waiting room long enough to read several mind-numbing parenting magazines and develop an opinion about screentime: how much is too much? Since I am almost at 36 weeks they gave us a handout about when to call the hospital, with a theme of We Don't Care if You're Having Contractions 20 Minutes Apart.

I went to the first of four childbirth education classes this week. Each class is 2.5 hours, which is looking to be too long since we spent the entire first hour discussing 3 nice things and 3 not so nice things about pregnancy. Aaron has linear algebra during the class time, which I am thinking may be less boring.

Pumpkin's room = not ready