hospital tour. the good, the bad, the ugly

aaron and i went on a tour of the hospital where baby b will be born in just a little over a month. i am the type of person that has to research everything before i do it. i also feel much better about going into something once i know what to expect and what things will look like. this is why google is my best friend. i check for images, reviews, maps, etc. basically...the more information the better. matter of fact, i had to order a regular book to read the other day because for the last 8 months, all i have been ready are books about pregnancy, child birth and parenting.

so, the good:

• we know where to park, what to bring, when to pre-register, where to get the car seat inspected to make sure it is installed properly, and not to being the car seat into the room.
• we know that exactly what the bathrooms look like and when i can take a shower. (this is one thing i was very concerned about.) towels and shower shoes added to the list of things to pack.
• we got to see the labor and delivery room, the recovery room, the OR rooms, the nursery, and the post partum rooms.
• a baby was born while we were on our tour and a lullaby played. i had to choke back tears.
• a brand new baby was going home while we were on our tour. i had to choke back tears.
• i feel MUCH better about the entire hospital process and what to expect.
• aaron held my hand the whole time and i felt such a huge sense of relief knowing that i will have a supportive partner to help me through the process. i had to choke back tears yet again!

the bad:

• i am not scared to death about the fact that in just over a month this little buddy in my belly is going to want to come out and i am going to have to help him or her with that.
• i am terrified that aaron will be on the road and not be able to get back in time to get me to the hospital or be there for the delivery.
• i am pretty sure the phrase, "i want my mommy", is going to come out of my mouth.
• back to the first point...i am going to have to help this little one make his or her grand entrance. isn't that going to hurt?

the ugly:

• we had some SERIOUS characters on our tour. ghetto fab barbie and know-it-all-birthing ball-skin to skin contact-yes,please i want to watch the birth in a mirror-first time mom were both on our tour. when the nurse said that the birth could not be documented with pictures or video, i thought the know it all mom was going to cry. she did however get really excited about the fact that there was going to be a mirror available for her to watch the birth and that a tub and shower were in the room for her and her husband to use during her labor process. she did however get really upset about the rule that states that the support person needs to be dressed properly (shirt, shoes, etc.). she really wanted her partner to be shirtless and have skin to skin contact with the baby right away. ghetto fab barbie actually asked the nurse if her skinny jeans would fit right after delivery. she also wanted to know if it was going to be ok for her to reach down and help deliver the baby and if the hospital bed was going to work for her since she is so short. at this point i was not choking back tears but about to bust out laughing with the rest of the people on our tour.  as the tour wrapped up the nurse asked if there were any other questions. ghetto fab barbie raises her hand and asks and i quote, "do all women have to get cut?". the look on the nurse's face was priceless. she, the nurse, said, "do you mean have an episiotomy?". she admitted that was the information she was looking for but did not know how to pronounce it! at this point the know-it-all mom chimes in that she, ghetto fab barbie, needs to find someone to massage her perineum with oil. wow. we got on the elevator as fast as we could and made it to the car before busting out laughing. at least we got a good laugh out of it!

so, the hospital tour was well worth the time and full of entertainment. i am sure the actual real trip to the hospital is going to be an entirely different story but at least we are prepared!

i forgot a first!

I realized this morning that I had left a few very important firsts off the list. Everyone's experience with this might be a little different though. Perhaps one of the most special firsts in my life was on my wedding day.

The first chord of "Here Comes the Bride" heard standing with your daddy in your carefully picked and carefully tailored wedding gown.

Follow by...

The first time you make eye contact with your soon-to-be husband at the end the aisle.

Followed by...

Your first kiss as a wife. (It was the best kiss of my life for sure!)

Followed by...

The excitement of celebrating your first anniversary!

Ahh....these last two posts might be two of my most favorite that I have ever written. I want to print them so I can remember all of these wonderful firsts on a more frequent basis. Makes my heart smile!

the excitement of firsts

This morning during my morning swim, I was doing some thinking. My swim time is normally the time when I work a lot of things out. My plan for the day, ideas for my department, prayer, conversations I need to have or should have had are all worked out during my mile swim through the pool. This morning was a little different though. I was thinking about the fact that I am eight months pregnant for the first time. Also, for the first time, I am starting to get really tired from regular activities. As my pace started to slow down, I tried to thinks of things that are are firsts that are full of excitement and energy to help me get through the workout.

I started to think about:

The electricity of a first kiss...You know the way someones lips feel when then press against yours the first time. ELECTRIC.

The thrill of putting the car into drive for the first time when you first got your driver's license. Should you turn on the radio? No one will know how loud it is right?

The last 25 meters of a championship race when you are finger to finger with the girl in the lane next to you and you touch the wall first.

The accomplished feeling you have after you conquer something difficult.

Travelling alone to a foreign country for the first time. No language skills required.

The euphoria you feel when the person who you have fallen in love with, but haven't told yet, says they love you too. (I had to swallow a lump just thinking about that.)

The awesome feeling you get when you see the positive sign on a pregnancy test. You know, the butterflies, the tears, the fear, the excitement, all at once.

The first time you see your tiny miracle.

The first time you hear your child's heartbeat.

Every time you hear your child's heartbeat.

The first time you realize the tickle in your tummy is really a tiny foot or a tiny hand making their presence known.

The first time you see your tummy move and wiggle.

So many wonderful firsts. So many wonderful feelings. I wanted to write them all down to remind my self how I felt when each one of them happened. Also, to remind myself that every time I experience something not so pleasant for the first time, (which, I really have not had that much of), that there is one major first still on its way.

Holding your newborn, pink, created out of love, brand new and so innocent, baby for the very first time. (BIG GULP)

I bet it tops it all! That is enough excitement to keep me dragging this heavier by the day belly through the water for seven more weeks!

31 weeks

my belly finally popped this week.

i wore my first full maternity outfit (top and bottom).

my belly is getting pretty heavy and sitting up i bed at night is getting difficult.

baby b hasn't kicked me in my right side this week so his or feet are in another location. when we go to the doctor on monday, we will find out where.

i am wearing glasses. my vision has changed a lot since this little one moved in. at first i did not notice but now i can hardly see without my glasses. i usually wear contacts. matter of fact, these are a brand new pair with a brand new prescription because my astigmatism has changed by .25 in each eye!

the final countdown is on! we can't believe there are less then 60 days left until we meet our little miracle.

strong legs

i had my 30 weeks doctors appointment this week. baby b has been super active and i was so curious to find out where he or she is hanging out these days. the doctor shared with me that baby b is totally head down in the "i'm ready" position. his or her little feet are all the way over on the right side of my body. i can feel very strong kicks in my side all day these days. this kid has some strong legs! both aaron and i have really strong legs too so this little person is just like his or her mommy and daddy.

i have gained a total of 7 pounds to date. my mom jokes with me that she gained that much in one week with me! all of that weight is the baby and his or her little habitat. baby b weighs close to 3 pounds already! i did have to give in and wear maternity pants to work today when the skirt i had chosen wouldn't button. but, hey, i am 30 weeks into this journey and still wearing all of my regular clothes. big money saver!

my belly was measuring 31 weeks on monday so a little ahead of where we actually are. the doctor recommended we go ahead and pre-register at the hospital and meet with the pediatrician. ahh!! this is all becoming so real! every time baby b kicks or turns in my tummy i am reminded that in just 10 or so weeks, this little person is going to be here and will mean business!

29 Weeks

My mom and lizzie were all last week visiting! It was awesome because they were here for two of our baby showers. Baby B is so blessed to be surrounded by such tremendous love already!