Hospital Tour

Well, Jon and I were, I think, officially freaked out and confronted with the reality of this whole baby thing we got ourselves into. It started when we went on a tour of the hospital birth center last week. It was a very nice center – brand new and really top notch. But it was very strange to think the next time we come here we will be HAVING A BABY. I’ll be in LABOR. And then they are going to let us TAKE HIM HOME?!? Hmm, maybe we should have thought this whole thing out more. Maybe Elijah could just stay in for an additional month past his due date? I need some more time to get adjusted to the idea of an actual baby! :)

Like I said, the center was very nice and new (with a three story waterfall in the lobby!). The labor and delivery rooms were really large and have hardwood floors, Jacuzzi tubs (2 of them at least) or showers, and are very swanky looking. The beds seemed really narrow though -- I don’t know what that was about. That’s the only part that concerns me, since my rear would not be categorized as “narrow” by any sense of the word. :) The mother-baby rooms that you transfer to a few hours after delivery are not brand new unfortunately. They are still nice and clean, but not as large or nice as the labor rooms. Since I don’t really want to stay in the hospital very long after delivery anyway I’m guessing it really doesn’t matter and I’m not going to care. At least there are chairs in the mother-baby rooms that fold out into beds so Jon can stay the night comfortably.

There were only a few women in labor the night we were there, so we didn’t see anyone walking the halls in labor or anything. There were a lot of pregnant ladies on tour that looked like they were about to pop though. I instantly hated how all of them looked pregnant and cute while I feel like a whale. I’m carrying Elijah so low too that I don’t have the high pregnant tummy look that most of them had going on. Oh well! I’m sure Elijah will be smarter than all their babies. Especially if I can talk him in to staying in a little longer and letting mom and dad get more ready for him to arrive. :)

Day at the spa . . . what a glamorous life!

I would highly recommend a day at the spa being pampered for any pregnant lady! Jon’s mom and I spent an afternoon a week or so ago (I’m posting late, I know) getting massages, a facial, and a pedicure. The experience in one word was “heavenly”. All my aches and pains in my back and hips were massaged away! And the best part was that they had a special table there were I could lay on my stomach again -- it had a section for my tummy to fall into so Elijah didn’t get squished. Since I’m usually a tummy sleeper it was so great to be able to lie on my stomach again. I miss the little things like that the most. :)

Another treat was the pedicure – something I can’t do since I can’t reach my feet anymore (and when I try I imagine it looks quite amusing to everyone else). It feels good to have pretty toes again – painted “cherry” like Jon requested! Maybe I’ll have to get another pedicure before the baby is born. :)

After the spa Mom and I went out for dinner and got dessert and the whole works (cappuccino crème brulee, nummy). We really did have a wonderful day together! Like I said, I’d recommend a relaxing day like that for any mommie-to-be!

Braxton-Hicks Contractions?

I think I might have just had my first Braxton-Hicks “pre-labor” contraction. They keep asking me at my doctor’s appointments if I’ve had any and I just keep shrugging and saying, “I don’t think so.” Just now though I was sitting here typing at work and suddenly felt the muscles in the low front of my abdomen tighten up. It didn’t really hurt but it took my breath away because I was surprised it was happening. After about 20 seconds or so everything relaxed and felt normal again. I haven’t had anything like that happen again though, so I’m not quite sure. I’m hoping that “real” labor won’t be so ambiguous. :) Then again, it would be great to have “real” labor be so non-painful that you didn’t even know you were in it!

Ever since the contraction or tightening or whatever it was, Elijah has been going crazy squirming and punching me. Maybe he's wondering what happened to his home! He had a "womb-quake"! :)

Another day, another doctor

We had another doctor’s appointment this morning and continued with the process of rotating through the docs in the practice. This time it was the boy doctor (the only one in the practice – he’s the new guy and only been there a month or so). And it was yet another doctor that we liked better than our original doctor! I guess that’s good, right? I mean so far we’ve liked every other doctor better and our chances of having one of them at the birth are higher than our chances of getting our own doctor.

Anyway, the doctor seemed pretty cool. He said he was glad to be in this new practice since he had been trying for the last couple years to get into a practice which was affiliated with the particular hospital where we’ll be having Elijah. He said the hospital we’ll be in has the nicest labor and delivery rooms he’s ever seen and the best nursing staff that he has worked with at any of the area hospitals. That made us feel good.

I’m still on track with everything and doing well too. Weight good, blood pressure good, urine good, Elijah’s heartbeat good, fundus (height of the uterus) good, and no complaints from me! I haven’t had any Braxton-Hicks contractions yet and no cramping or bleeding, so everything is going really well (a “stellar” pregnancy, as the doctor said this morning). :)

This was the first visit where the doctor estimated the baby’s size. He said that Elijah will be a “nice-sized” baby, not too small and not too big. Right about average (7 and a half pounds or so). Also, Eli is in the head down position and that is good as there is now only a small chance that he would turn breech. Our boy is getting ready to be born and cooperating nicely. :)

There’s a “Sea Sprite” in Elijah’s bedroom!?!

Jon and I picked out the paint color for Elijah’s room this weekend – it’s a pale blue color called “Sea Sprite.” Isn’t that just adorable? :)

We’re going to paint possibly next Saturday morning or Sunday afternoon if we’re not to lazy this week and actually get some things moved and some holes spackled. Any volunteer helpers are welcome to join us. :) If we’re too lazy then we won’t be painting until Mother’s day weekend (Only one month before our due date! Ahhh!! I figured I’d have everything done by then!). Hmm, I’m suddenly more motivated to get things done. No time to waste, this baby's not going to stay in forever!