Come out, come out, wherever you are...

Well, it's obvious from this picture that we know exactly where Baby O is hanging out these days, so it's more the "come out, come out" part of the title of this post that rings true. Since he has dropped, it is much easier for me to breathe so I'm actually feeling more comfortable lately. Part of it might be mental too, knowing we're almost there. But really, we want him to come out because we are just so, so excited to see his sweet little face and hold him. I know he'll come when he's ready though. I do keep reminding him his due date is only 6 days away...just so he doesn't forget :)

Since we have no baby pictures to post on here quite yet, I thought I'd share some photos of the stuff we have ready for Baby O that I talked about in last week's entry.


Portable swing...the cute little owls on top sold me on this one.



Pack-n-Play in the living room...will double nicely as a nap spot and changing station during the day.



Crib bedding



Changing table in nursery

 

Baby O's sequined close-up

As you can see...we are ready to go. All we need now is a baby! However, we are also making sure to enjoy these last few days of quiet and sleep. It's surreal to think how much life is about to change...

38 Weeks, 2 Days, and So Ready...

We spent most of this weekend getting everything ready for when Baby O decides to make his big arrival. We don't know if my labor will start suddenly, giving us cause to dash from the house in the middle of the night in dramatic fashion, or if it will be a more gradual and relaxed occasion...but we are now prepared for either scenario. The hospital bag is packed, nursery set up, carseat installed, and we even have a note for ourselves on the door to feed Shady Lady before we leave (God forbid we forget that...she would be so disappointed in us. And hungry).

We also did a big shopping trip yesterday to get the essentials for the first month or so after Baby O comes home... a bouncy chair/swing, bathtub, feeding and diaper changing supplies, onesies, socks, swaddlers, and more. I did my first load of baby laundry to get all of the new stuff cleaned and ready. We even set up the bouncy chair/swing in the living room along with the Pack-n-Play my aunt Rhoda sent us. And I gotta say, after almost 9 years of living in an adults-only household just the two of us, it is SURREAL to see our house looking like this. But so, so exciting :)

On Tuesday, my awesome co-workers threw a shower for me and Baby O, complete with breakfast and a bunch of wonderful gifts. Baby O was so excited to get his boppie pillow, diaper tote, some wipes, changing pads, and of course...a Vikings onesie. We read through a list of different signs and symptoms that are supposed to tell you if you're having a boy or girl and of course...they were split right down the middle, so the mystery remains. Someone also adorned the door to the meeting room with a pregnant picture I posted of myself on this very blog a few weeks ago, haha! I'm very lucky to work with such a fun and supportive group of people who have shown so much interest and excitement through my whole pregnancy. Although I am really looking forward to having special time with my little one during maternity leave, I will also miss seeing the gang at work every day. 

Overall, Baby O and I are doing great. He still moves around a lot each day, but I can tell he's running out of room in there because the movements are more constricted than they used to be. He doesn't have quite as much space to wind up his kicks and punches as he used to, but he still lets me know all is well on a regular basis with hiccups, wiggles and rolls. At our last appointment, the doctor said his heartbeat and growth are right on target, and now it's just a waiting game until he's ready to come out and meet his mommy and daddy.  

Ultrasound & Baby Shower

On January 5, we had a 36 week ultrasound to check Baby O's position. During the appointments leading up to that time, we found out that he was breach. I'll spare you the clinical details, but because of the way I'm built, it is more challenging for a baby to turn head down if he is not already naturally facing that way. For this reason, my doctor ordered an ultrasound to see how firmly lodged Baby O's head was up in my ribs, check the amniotic fluid levels to see if it would be possible to do a external cephalic version (ECV) and hopefully, lessen the chances of a c-section. If you don't know what an ECV is, it's basically turning the baby manually from the outside...lots of pushing and pulling on the stomach. The risks are minimal, but it only works about half the time. I looked up some videos of it on YouTube just to see what I might be in for. Owie!!  

The ultrasound began, and we were surprised and happy to see that Baby O had somehow managed to flip head down on his own right in the nick of time (THANK YOU, baby!!!) Once that was confirmed, the tech took some addititional pictures to make sure everything else was okay, which it was. She estimated his weight at 5 pounds, 14 ounces and said she saw lots of hair! She even wiggled him around a little bit so we could see his hair waving side to side. So funny! My favorite part was seeing his nice chubby cheeks. Check them out:

In addition to the relief of knowing Baby O turned head down on his own, I've also noticed that the back pain I had for most of November and December is now completely gone. I'm not sure if this has to do with the change in position, or maybe my body catching up and building the muscle it needed to support my growing front-side. Whatever the reason is, I'm thankful, and a lot more comfortable most of the time.

Last Saturday, my mom hosted a baby shower luncheon for me, Nate and Baby O with help from Nate's mom. It was so much fun celebrating with our close family friends, as well and Nate's sister and our niece. We had a delicious lunch, played games, gave everyone a tour of Baby O's nursery, and he got lots of kind and thoughtful gifts. Nate even got a "Dad-to-Be" gift from his mom.  Everyone was asked to wear pink or blue to signal their guess for girl or boy. My mom, her friend Cindy, Nate's mom Cindy, and Auntie Ashley all wore blue for a boy. Mom's friends Dianne and Donna as well as our niece Madison wore pink for a girl (Madison's shirt was blue, but she assured us that her pink braid and ring means she REALLY wants a girl cousin, haha!) Nate and I ironically wore a nice gender-neutral yellow, even though neither of us knew about the dress code. This proves we REALLY don't know what we're having, even subconsciously. I promise it's not because we try to dress alike for important events. Here are some pictures:

Another fun part of the shower was the "What To Do" jar. Since all of the guests are experienced moms (except Madison, but she is a big sister), they wrote their best pieces of advice down and left some wisdom in a jar for us to look at when we are feeling frazzled. We were advised to take time for eachother, trust our instincts, love and stand by our child always, and enjoy every moment. We were also told to practice our nursery rhymes, that a good babysitter helps, when all else fails...scream, and that boys are crazy. Couldn't agree more with that last one. It must have come from a fellow big sister of boys! Thank you all for a wonderful day. Nate, Baby O and I loved every minute of it.  

Yesterday, we had our 37 week appointment. Although I'm not due until February 3, 37 weeks is considered full-term so that means I could deliver a healthy baby at any time. The doctor confirmed that Baby O is dropping down into position (which I have definitely felt the last few days) and is still head down. She didn't think he would make his appearance before my appointment next week, but qualified that with "never say never." Babies come when they are ready. I know Nate and I are ready!! 

Graceful Moments

Anyone who knows me well is aware that I'm not the most coordinated person. Hence, I tend to walk very carefully, especially outside in the winter. Being pregnant magnifies this, um, challenge...tenfold. A new center of balance has really put me to the test lately. Especially yesterday...

My workday went well, until I tried to walk out to my car at the end of the day. I parked in a different place than I normally do because Nate and I carpooled and the north lot is closer to the freeway I take to his work to pick him up (to be fair, when we carpool, he picks me up and drops me off 90% of the time because he is terrified of me falling in an icy parking lot, especially 8 months pregnant). Turns out his fears were justified.  

Back to the story...so, I had to cross the lightrail train tracks to get to my car. I looked to the right to make sure the train was stopped. You know, so I wouldn't get hit by it. In the two seconds it took for me to look at the train, I took my eyes off my feet. I think I tripped over a chunk of ice, or maybe the edge of the track itself...I'm not sure because I wasn't looking down. But that's all it took for me to come falling down like the London Bridge.

I fell forward onto my hands and knees, rolled over onto my side, then to my back. The best part was that somehow, my shoes also flew right off of my feet. The woman walking in front of me turned around with a very scared look on her face. What would you think if you saw a VERY pregnant woman laying on her back on a train track, shoeless? I assured her I was perfectly okay, got up, put my shoes on and kept walking. VERY slowly. (Don't be alarmed...Baby O and I truly are okay, the train was stopped, and headed away from me once it would have started moving again). No need for drama where there is none. But there's always a need to tell a funny story about someone falling, even if it's me.

It's amazing what your reflexes and your body will do to protect your baby, even before it's born. Even as I was falling, I somehow knew there was absolutely no way I would land on my stomach and hurt Baby O. I told Nate and a few of my co-workers that I would have sooner instinctively hit my face on the ground than my belly if I had to.

I've fallen one other time since I've been pregnant with Baby O, but it was much less dramatic, and thankfully witnessed by no one. The first time was also at work, as I was bending over to pick up a Starburst I had dropped on the floor. The carpeted floor, nowhere near a train track. I started bending over and never stopped...until I was on my hands and knees. Maybe it was the universe telling me to stop eating Starburst. Sorry, Universe.

In other pregnancy news...this Friday marks 36 weeks! We have a routine appointment tomorrow to check on Baby O, and I'll go every week from then on, until he's born. We are just overflowing with excitement!!! Here's the latest belly picture, taken this last weekend:

Baby O's Nursery: Part 1

I say "Part 1" because we still have decorating to do in Baby O's room, but we're excited to have it all painted and the furniture set up! We found the furniture at Babies R Us on Black Friday and got about 50% off. It was the set we'd had our eye on for a while and was one of the only two on sale that day, so we really lucked out.

Crib

In case you are wondering what's lining the surface of the mattress, rest assured we did not select a space alien theme for the nursery. It's actually tinfoil, and we placed it in Baby O's bed hoping to deter Shady Lady from jumping in there and claiming it as her own. Cats do not like the sound or feeling of foil crunching under their paws...hopefully. We plan to leave it on the mattress for a couple of weeks before we put the non-space alien sheets on. You'll see Shady lurking about in the next photo...


Changing table and Baby O's cat sister

  

Dresser

 

Bassinet, given to us by Nikki and Tim...just happens to match the set perfectly.

The picture above is the inside of Baby O's closet. Can you tell we truly don't know if we're having a boy or a girl?! The majority of these adorable gender-neutral duds are courtesy of Auntie Kari, who recently treated me to a "Future Mommy's Day Out." We did lunch and manicures, and Kari gave Baby O clothes, a bottle dryer, and a beautiful silver coin bank. Baby O and I are so lucky to have such a kind and generous friend. 

The next two items have a lot of sentimental meaning attached to them. The first is a glider that belonged to Nate's Grandma Offerdahl (Gramma Elmo). She passed away a few years ago, and we know that seeing one of her great-grandbabies being rocked to sleep in her chair will make her smile. There isn't quite enough room for it in the nursery, so we have it set up in the guest room right next door:   

 

Next is a picture we plan to hang in the nursery. Any guesses on who this knock-kneed toddler could possibly be?

My Mimi and Papa had this picture taken of me when I was about 2 years old, and it hung in Papa's bedroom for many years. After he passed away in 2002, Mimi hung it over her bed until she died last year. I hope she'll love to see it in her great-grandchild's room.

We're happy with how the nursery is coming along, even though there is still some work to be done. The little touches of family history mean a lot to both of us. We can't wait to tell Baby O the stories behind them, and all about the people these items belonged to who love him so very much.

Birth and Parenting Class Part II: Infant Care and Post-Partum

A couple weeks ago, Nate and I finished up our Birth and Parenting Classes. As I mentioned in an earlier post, the first three sessions focused on the labor/delivery process and included a hospital tour. These last two sessions talked about what happens after the baby is born and comes home. Some highlights:

1. We were each asked express our biggest worry about bringing a baby home for the first time. One dad asked, "If you don’t support the baby's head properly, are the neck bones fragile enough where it could actually break off and fall on the floor?" I didn’t laugh at this question, because if he was brave enough to actually say it out loud in front of 20 people, he must have been really worried about it. The nurse assured him that the head will NOT fall off, but supporting baby's head is still very important.

2. The pediatrician who came in to answer questions is the kind of doctor you would like if you have the right sense of humor and are not one for beating around the bush. She told us that if you have your baby boy circumcised, you shouldn’t be alarmed if he "looks like raw ground beef down there for a week or so." GAH!!!

3. The nurse wrote this quote on the whiteboard: "There is no way to become the perfect parent. But there are a million ways to become a GREAT parent." I like this. She talked a lot about trusting your own instincts and keeping in mind that there is no one right way to do things when you take care of a baby. Babies all have different personalities and preferences, and moms and dads have different parenting styles. You just have to mesh the two together in a way that works best for your family.

4. We were given a home safety checklist. We already knew about most of the recommendations, but one was really surprising. One of the top choking hazards for babies under 9 months is Cheerios. Cheerios?? But the way she explained it makes sense…rather than chewing food, younger babies tend to play with it and try to swallow it whole (in part, due to a lack of teeth). For softer foods or foods that dissolve more quickly, this isn’t a problem, but Cheerios can actually expand in their mouths before they try to swallow. Combine this with the round shape, and you have to be careful. So if you want to feed your baby Cheerios, you need to break each piece of cereal in half. That sounds like a lot of work. I think I'll stick with the millions of other cereals for babies that aren’t choking hazards. Still good to know, though.

5. The nurse also talked about un-wanted parenting advice and had the following suggestion: Nod. Smile. Be gracious. Then tune it out and do exactly what YOU, as the baby's parents, know is best. Despite what others might think, they can’t do a better job raising your child than you can.

We signed up for one more class the first week of January, Infant and Child CPR. Here's hoping we NEVER need it, but we want to be prepared for anything. My doctor said one surefire way to guarantee you won’t need the class is to just go ahead and take it. Makes sense to me!

Shifting Priorities and Maintaining Balance

As Baby O's due date draws closer and the idea of being parents becomes more and more real to Nate and me, a lot of thoughts are swirling in our heads. Even though the baby isn't "here" yet, we find that the way we think about our lives and how we make decisions is already changing drastically...because we have a third person to consider when doing so.

Some decisions are smaller ones...for instance, neither of us had ever gotten a flu shot before this year. For me, the reason was pretty lame to be honest: I was deathly afraid of needles and therefore reasoned that I'd rather get the flu than be poked in the arm. Nate had never really had a full-blown case of the flu and didn't see the need to get a shot. But then something happened late last spring. Fate laughed in our faces and we both got a horrible, horrible case of the flu. It turned us into a couple of whimpering balls of mush that were completely unproductive for several days. Fast forward to the beginning of this year's flu season...we are expecting a baby and the last thing I want is to get the flu while I'm carrying a vulnerable little one inside of me. And that fear of needles is long gone due to pregnancy turning me into a human pin cushion. Plus, we had to consider that Baby O's winter due date is right in the middle of flu season...from what I've heard, newborns and the flu don't mix. So after considering everything and doing some research, that decision was a no-brainer. 

Another decision that faces new parents is whether to stop working to take care of the baby, or opt for other childcare options and continue with their careers. Nate and I discussed this a lot, years before we were even expecting...and we've always agreed it would be best for me to go back to work after our baby is born. Both of us had stay-at-home moms growing up, and we loved it. Some of our friends and former co-workers also stay at home with their children, and are very happy with that choice.

So, while we are definitely aware of the benefits of going that route, we decided on something different for ourselves. Why? There are lots of reasons. First, lets be real: finances. Life is expensive, kids are expensive, unknowns can be expensive...everyone knows this. Secondly, I do enjoy working outside the home. I like the structure of getting up and going somewhere every day, I enjoy the adult interaction I have with my co-workers, and my career is something I take pride in. For me, it's a big part of keeping my mind sharp and my skills current.  

And finally, this choice was made easier knowing that Baby O will have excellent care after my maternity leave ends. One of my dearest friends, Kristin, sends her children to her own mom's in-home daycare right here in Lakeville. Very soon after we found out we were pregnant, I called Kristin's mom (Marilyn) to check her availability for May of 2012 and was thrilled to learn she would have an opening that month. Marilyn is very experienced, has a beautiful home and is someone who we trust completely. An added bonus is that Baby O will get to spend his days playing with Mark and Kristin's two awesome little girls, Alexis and Brooklyn. Some of the other parents at Marilyn's daycare were high school classmates of Nate's as well, so having all of those connections is very reassuring. 

We made this decision with Baby O's best interests in mind, too. We both believe that exposing your children to other kids and giving them the chance to socialize, play, learn and cooperate is very helpful in the development process. I worked in a pre-school for many years and remember how satisfying it was to watch those friendships and life lessons play out day after day. Now, this is not to say that we won't both have times when we feel sad or guilty dropping Baby O off in the morning and wish we could spend the day holed up at home, snuggling, playing, and ignoring the outside world. However, Nate is lucky enough to work from home a day or two a week, and my job has very generous paid time off so anytime Baby O needs an at-home day, we'll have the flexibility to accommodate that...and will be very happy to do so :) All things considered, we are satisfied with this decision and know it is the best one for our family. 

Maintaining balance is something else Nate and I think about a lot. We know that our life will change drastically the day Baby O is born (in some ways, it already has). Our child will be our first priority, but we don't want other parts of our lives like our marriage and our friendships to completely fade into the background either. It will take more advance planning and the nature of the outings will change, but we want to keep seeing our friends and having date nights when we can. Our friends are a second family to us, and we can't imagine our lives without them. We know Baby O will love them as much as we do. And of course there's our marriage and my wonderful husband...without which we wouldn't have our sweet Baby O. Nate and I promise to keep laughing and talking every day, watching bad horror movies together and going out for Mexican food when time allows...just doing the little things to stay connected as a couple. Happy marriage = happy baby, right?