YIKES, this bun is baked!

At 37 weeks, baby is considered full-term. Or, as one of the Web sites I've seen puts it, "that means you could literally give birth at any moment to a fully developed baby."

Wow, that's in-your-face.

I gotta be honest: I kinda feel like I'm kicking ass at this pregnancy thing. Flat shoes, swollen ankles and sleep discomfort be damned -- I'm feeling great and looking pretty darn good.

The longer this pregnancy lasts, the better, I say. After all, the impending and unavoidable alternative to being pregnant -- a real baby -- is suddenly very intimidating. But I guess I've got to come to grips with the new reality that will beset us in what could be days.

I'm still hoping he stays inside until at least July 22. And late-in-the game guesses as to my due date and baby boy's stats are welcome -- just click the orange ExpectNet link to the right.

My Surprise Work Shower

Some of these just crack me up.

Me, confused as to what I've just walked into.




Me, still in shock at seeing Brian at my office. Can you believe how excited HE is about this shower??







Revenue people. I think it's worth noting that this is the only shower I've ever heard of or seen where men in suits and ties attended. Thank you, gentlemen executives, for attending, not balking at the shower game and not being intimidated by the rattle confetti and pastel paper products.
The gift/cake table
My gracious hosts and me: Veronica (Lottery Press/PR), Steph (my boss), me, Nancy (Secretary's Executive Assistant) and Janel (Revenue Press).

Just puttin' it out there...

I'm still kind of doubting that any baby, even my own, could be as cute as my cats.

Yes, he's on the changing table again, but look at how he's squeezing his face, to block out the daylight.

So call me the crazy cat lady.

Anyone know where to get alphabet baby blocks?

I've got my maternity photo session this weekend, and I may want to take them as props...

A very productive weekend

The boys and I missed Brian this past weekend, but boy did I get a lot done while he was away.

Saturday morning I cleaned the house, nearly top-to-bottom, then tackled the new pile of baby stuff from Friday's shower. Did a load of laundry; finished stuffing and putting away Bum Geniuses; packed the hospital bags 99 percent of the way (we'll just have to grab my hairbrush & eyelash curler on our way out the door); returned some diaper rash cream to Babies'R'Us and made use of three 15 percent off coupons (bottles, crib saver sheet, booster seat); attended Avery Lech's first birthday party; made trips to Walmart, Target & the Carter's outlet; figured out and set up the video baby monitor; and finished the night with a self-pedicure.

By the way, it's a lot harder now to scrub, exfoliate, moisturize and beautify my feet than it was the last time I did my toes.

Today I finished up laundry, made the last of the meals I wanted to prep and freeze before baby boy arrives, scoured the kitchen, sorted through a stack of unattended mail and completed the second round of shower thank you notes.

Not only did I get a ton of stuff done, but I also got to indulge in a weekend of Real Housewives of New Jersey, The Real World and 16 and Pregnant.

Back to work tomorrow, when/where I hope to see pics from Friday's surprise.

Three teary moments in one day

What started out a not-so-great day ended up a pretty darn good day, today.

I first got emotional this morning on the way to work. I creamed a chipmunk with the RAV4. Silly thing ran into the middle of the road, then tried to cross back and went smoosh under my tires. So I cried a little on the way to work.

But while the first tears of the day were sad, the second and third emotional moments were happy.

My wonderful boss and coworkers surprised me today with a baby shower over lunch. They snuck around planning, decorating and even sneaking Brian into the office -- all literally steps from my office door -- and completely took me by surprise. I thought Steph (my boss) had left for lunch plans, so when Nancy (the Secretary's executive assistant) came over to say the big boss wanted to see one of us, I walked into the party completely shocked and a little confused, for a split-second. So I teared up a bit for the second time today, before pulling it together to chat, joke and eat with all these wonderful folks over lunch. I'm so grateful to work with such caring people. And generous people! A number of them got gifts for baby boy and I, and the whole gang went in on a very generous Babies'R'Us gift card.

And although Brian had to leave before the party was over -- after all, I thought he was going to be IN State College by noon to kick of a weekend with the Millersville boys -- it was really neat to be able to quickly show him my office. It was the first time he'd seen where I disappear to for 40+ hours a week.

So it was a good afternoon. :)

Then I had to run home briefly after work before heading up to my parents' for dinner. When I got home, I greeted the cats and got their dinner out, then saw a card propped up on the kitchen island for me. Brian left the most beautiful card for me, so I melted into tears for the third time today.

Even though the chipmunk started the day off on the wrong foot and a couple of work experiences challenged my patience today, it ended up being a really, really good day. One of those days that just kind of glows in your memory as, well, just plain neat.

Yay for mail!!!

The mailman, the Fed Ex delivery guy and the UPS driver are three of my favorite people of late. I get so excited for the presents they deliver to our house!!

Well, I guess since I ordered and paid for them, they're not really "presents," but it's exciting to get all this stuff, anyway.

Yesterday's mail brought with it 20 Bum Genius Diapers and two Hooter Hiders nursing covers.

The Hooter Hiders, which I got through a buy-one-get-one-free deal. I ordered the pattern on the left; the one on the right was a surprise pattern they picked for my order. Baby care essentials? No, but they were inexpensive and cute. And they come with a little terrycloth corner (bottom right) that doubles as a pocket for nursing pads and a burp cloth/spit-up cleaner-upper.

And the diapers. Undeniably cute.

First load of Bum Genius wash:





OK, I couldn't resist.



Now I'm just waiting on two wet bags (diaper accessories) and two Miracle Blankets (swaddling blankets) to arrive, and that should be it for mail orders!

Speaking of Grandmas...

...You grandparents- and great-grandparent-in-the-making better decide pretty darn quickly what you want to be called by this kid.

Here and here are some inspirations, and here's an article to help you figure it out.

A couple more shower pics

With Grandma-to-be Barb and Aunt-to-be Nicole.
And with the matriarch great-grandma-to-be, who Brian reminded at Nicole's wedding, "without you, none of us would be here."

36-week Cowcatcher

I didn't know what a cow catcher was, either, until Brian informed me. And since that time a couple of months ago, that's how he affectionately refers to my baby belly.

Today's appointment with Dr. Hazzard:
Blood Pressure: 120/76
Fetal Heart Rate: strong, fast & healthy
Fundal Height: 36 cm
Pee: free and clear
Weight: up one pound from two weeks ago, about 18 pounds overall

I also got my Group B Strep swab, and they'll give me the results at my next appointment, July 7. We decided to cancel my July 3 appointment, since everything has been going well and it's so late next week. Great for me, because Brian and I are going to spend the entire morning and much of the afternoon at the Hershey spa on July 3. One last somewhat extravagant date for the two of us, before we become a threesome.

I asked Dr. Hazzard when I can expect internal exams to start, and she said she doesn't do them, unless there's cause for concern or the patient requests it. She said her experience is that the information gained from an internal is kind of useless in most cases, unless the woman is in labor, and all it does is serve to disappoint expectant moms. Either progress isn't what the mom thought it would be, or the measurements give false hope. In either case, how far dilated or effaced I am really has little to do with when labor may begin (some women are two or three centimeters dilated at this point, but remain there for weeks), so what's the point in going through the discomfort of an internal exam. Sounds reasonable to me.

She also gave me some more food for thought regarding post-partum birth control. Her first recommendation is a progesterone-only "mini-pill," and she says most women start it somewhere between two and six weeks after delivery. She's confident the mini-pill has little to no affect on milk production, but the drawback is that it has to be taken at the same exact time, every day, to be effective. That could become a challenge, if my nights and days are mixed up with a confused infant.

The other easy option for me may be an IUD. This one seems like a no-brainer, but she said insurance companies are all over the map when it comes to coverage. Dr. Hazzard said, on average, patients get their money's worth out of IUDs when they're relied on for somewhere between two and three years. But if my insurance will cover the thing outright, it may be the best, hassle-free option. So I've got some homework to do.

And a few final things Dr. Hazzard said, that struck me as interesting:

First, she said I've likely been having contractions every now and then, and either I can't feel them or don't know to recognize them.

Secondly, she confirmed baby boy is still head-down and said he likely won't break any weight records. But she said smaller babies are a good thing, and we can just fatten him up after he's born.

And when she asked if we'd picked a name yet, I told Dr. Hazzard no, but that we have it narrowed down to a few. She advised me not to hope to be inspired to name him by baby boy's appearance in the hospital, as "they all look smooshed and wrinkley, and then three days later when they're home, they look completely different anyway." Besides, she admitted, the doctors and nurses will laugh at us if we try to pick a name based on how he looks in the hospital. Good to know.

A little order in what promises to be chaos

As most of you know, I appreciate organization and order. A place for everything and everything in its place.

Last night I experienced the immense satisfaction that comes only from organization done well.

After putting together a list of all the drops, salves, lotions and tools that would be handy to have nearby the changing table, I went to Walmart to stock up on supplies. There, I realized I'd need some sort of basket or organizer to keep these things orderly and convenient to grab. At first, I reluctantly grabbed an $18 three-pack of wicker baskets, disappointed at their sizes, color and shapes, but disinterested in shopping around to find the perfect baskets. But then somehow I ended up in the craft aisle, where I fell upon the most perfect changing station/baby first-aid organizer EVER!

It's intended as a craft organizer, but this thing couldn't be more perfect for an all-in-one baby kit. It has big pockets for lotion, rubbing alcohol, petroleum jelly, diaper rash cream and hand sanitizer; mid-size outer pockets ideal for nail-trimming tools, hairbrush, a nasal aspirator, thermometer and a tube of lanolin, little side pockets for Tylenol, Motrin, nose and gas drops; a thin middle pocket that's perfect for the eat/sleep/poop journal and a couple of books; removable see-through pouches just right for keeping cotton swabs and Q-tips clean; and a long, side zip-pouch in which binkies, teethers and assorted other items fit.

AND, this thing has handles, so it's an easy pick-up-and-go station for when baby boy spends overnights out of the house. Not a huge fan of the black and polka-dots, but other than that, how perfect is this $16 organizer?!?!

And yes, we'll wash the changing pad covers again before baby boy arrives and try to keep Spike off of what he thinks is his new bed.

The Home Stretch

Just over four weeks to go. Maybe.

Still feeling great, except for a few things:

First, baby boy is constantly digging or kicking up behind my ribs during the day. Uncomfortable. And he really doesn't like it when I try to push him back down, for some relief.

Secondly, I'm not sure if it's a little bit of a cold, or some weird third-trimester nasal thing, but every morning for the past week or so I have awakened with a congestion headache. After less than an hour of being vertical it goes away, but it makes for a grumpy wake-up.

And finally, who knew turning over in bed would become such a production. To turn from one side to the other is not only slightly painful (can't really stand more than a few seconds on my back, and it feels like a ton of bricks thumping over to the other side), but now is almost always cause for me to get up and pee, first.

Also took what I think is my last road-trip before baby boy's arrival, yesterday. Although it was a bit breezy and cool in the morning, tailgating and the game were fun. The ride home was not-so-much fun, but only because an overly concerned drunk Brian is infinitely more annoying than the typical, overly concerned, sober Brian I've come to appreciate.

And for anyone who's interested, here are my rankings, with regard to queer-beer preference:
1. Labatt Blue n/a: tastes a lot like the normal stuff, and a the second and third one still tasted as good as the first.
2. Beck's n/a: tastes almost exactly like Becks, but I'm only a big fan of this one on a really hot day.
3. Excaliber (by Guinness): Good. Not a stout, but a decent-tasting n/a

I've also tried O'Douls since getting pregnant, and I wouldn't recommend that swill to anyone. It tastes like crap and has some pretty nasty "after-effects."

Car Seat Installation: FAIL

Did you know four out of five child safety seats is not properly installed for maximum security and safe travel?

Brian and I did nothing to improve that statistic, as we both failed our Safe Kids infant seat inspection last night. :(

We each followed the instructions provided by our car manuals and the Graco infant seat manual, but it turns out those instructions are no where near clear or detailed enough.

Since the RAV4 is a new car, it has the LATCH system that makes installing child safety seats very easy. But what none of the instructions tell you is how and where the LATCH clips are affixed to the hidden metal support bars that make everything safe. So since I installed the car seat on the middle seat -- having read this is the safest place for baby, equidistant from both side-impact sources -- I ended up latching onto two two different LATCH systems, rather than one. So the friendly installation inspector moved my car seat base to the back passenger seat.

Brian's 2001 Diamante missed the LATCH requirements by a year, so he had the tough job of figuring out how to install the infant seat using some contorted arrangement of seat belts. He had done a pretty good job, but the State Trooper who helped him pointed out that he missed a piece to secure the seat belts and his cushy seats made for a loose installation. The solution? Swimmy noodles, of course! Seriously, the trooper started cutting foam swimming noodles to fit under the car seat base, so that the base was tightly secured to support the car seat at the proper 45 degree angle.

Since the LATCH system in my car is easy to maneuver, we feel comfortable removing and re-installing the car seat whenever necessary. For example, this weekend when we'll take our car to the Phillies game with Jess and Dave.

Brian's car, however? No freakin' way. That car seat base ain't moving until baby boy outgrows the infant seat and we have to return to the police station so they can tell us how to properly install a convertible seat.

This is the first baby product that has really surprised me: I can't believe how complicated and difficult-to-install these things are in cars that aren't that old!

Oh, and one other lesson learned. Ironically, I just added a car mirror to our Babies'R'Us registry on Wednesday. It has since been removed. The Trooper cautioned us against using any mirrors, shade screens, etc. because anything not secured to the car by the manufacturer has not been crash tested and could become a projectile or implement of injury in a crash.

35/35

If you look at my ticker (above) today (Wed., June 17), you'll see today is my 35/35 -- that is, 35 weeks down, and 35 days to go!

Another silly pregnancy milestone, but something a little exciting, considering baby isn't changing all that much any more, except to get bigger. He's probably about 18 inches long now and between five and six pounds. Babycenter.com compares him to a honeydew melon, now.

The Pregnant Bridesmaid

I'll be the first to admit I was more than a bit nervous about how this past weekend would go, considering I've never been an eight-month pregnant bridesmaid before.

But I'm happy to report things went better than I thought they would, and I kind of impressed myself with my constant energy, unwavering patience and nearly permanent smile.

First of all, Friday was a marathon day at work, full of the kinds of crazy-stupid things that would naturally only come along when I'm the only one in the office. Really -- a police incident, an unexpected press release and a frustrating bureau screw-up, all in one day? So by 5 p.m. I was irritated, tired and worn-looking.

Didn't get to gussy-up for Nicole and Will's rehearsal and dinner like I had hoped to. Although there are electrical outlets in the ladies bathroom on our floor, I came to find out they have ALL BEEN DISABLED. And let's just say that trying to curl my hair in my office, using only a compact mirror, did not prove a success. Oh well, at least my skirt was cute.

Brian and I ended up five minutes late and the last to arrive at the rehearsal. But the rehearsal went smoothly, and the dinner following was nice. I knew Saturday would be a very long day, so we headed home before it got too late and were in bed by 11 p.m. or so.

Although I was nervous that fatigue may set in sometime on Saturday, I'm thrilled to have made it from 7 a.m. Saturday to 2 a.m. Sunday without ever hitting a wall. I was so glad to be able to enjoy all the hectic excitement and even more proud of myself for making it more than six hours in my four-inch stilettos before succumbing to toe pain and switching to flip flops. :)

I guess the adrenaline kept me going, and I didn't even yawn once until we headed to the Sheraton bar after midnight.

I did, however experience one touchy moment at the reception, the kind of "what did we get ourselves into" moment that made me sad, scared and desperate for my pre-pregnancy life, all at the same time. I was watching the rest of the bridesmaids and the older cousins dance and sing like crazy on the dance floor, when all of a sudden I couldn't keep the tears from bursting from behind my eyes and wondered to Brian if I'd ever be able to be drunk, silly and care-free at a wedding again, or if those days had passed me by for good. You know, since from here on out I'm a mother, with mature responsibilities and a new life of which to be ever-mindful.

Things will never be the same as they were pre-baby, and the "growing up" aspect of this life-change makes me wonder about other unknown sacrifices I've never had to consider heretofore. I know these sacrifices will pale in comparison to the new joys that will overwhelm us in the next few weeks, but I can't help but fear the loss of my fun, young self and long for one more opportunity to party too hard as a gal without serious responsibility.

But I guess that's all part of the process of growing a family -- redefining our expectations, values and ideas of normalcy. I'm guessing that by August 1, the day one of Brian's college friends marries and celebrates with a wedding reception, I won't care at all that I probably won't be able to make the trip, or that if I can make the trip, I'll only attend the ceremony and leave Brian to attend the reception by himself.

At least I hope so. But boy it's hard right now to appreciate lessons I have yet to learn from experiences I anticipate having.

One baby splurge: the WombEE

So far I've completely resisted the occasional urge to splurge on something baby related, so I figured one little (completely unjustifiable, yet not prohibitively expensive) extravagance was appropriate.

Here, the WombEE. A hand-made (knitted, crocheted, something like that) pocket.


What on earth is this thing for, you wonder? Jodie and Jeff Wolf (www.white-wolf-group.com) generously offered to come to our house to do a free newborn photo session in baby boy's first week or two, as thanks for the past referrals we've made for their videography/photography business.

So this unassuming $40 prop will be used for something like this...

A CD demo

Here, the parts needed to diaper baby: a prefold diaper, a snappi and a waterproof diaper cover.


Then the diaper is folded to cover baby and secured with the snappi.

Then, on goes the diaper cover, and voila - a diapered baby!


Brian will be practicing on the bear a few times, to get the hang of it.

Until I can post a better photo...

Brian and I on Saturday, courtesy of Shawn. Congrats to Nicole & Will!

My dress made me look huge. Damn pregnancy darts didn't work out for me, afterall. But that's OK, because Nicole looked gorgeous.

pre-washing

Two wash cycles down, two to go.

Here's what 30 diapers look like, sun-drying.

Thank Goodness for Target

Last night I stopped at Babies'R'Us to use up two coupons that were soon-to-expire. While there, I checked out the bottles and breastfeeding section again, now that I'm a little more confident in what we'll probably need.

Imagine my surprise when I found that EVERY SINGLE Medela nursing bra and tank top was between $40 and $50!! That would make for quite an expensive milking wardrobe. Needless to say, my cheap ass didn't buy any.

Instead, I stopped at Target later last night, having read they carry Gilligan & O'Malley nursing under-things. Thank Goodness for Target!! Their nursing bras and tanks are comfy, kind of pretty and offer better shape and support than I thought they would. And they're only $16.99 each! So I picked up two bras and two tanks, and after using up a $12 gift card I had, spent just over $50 on the whole collection. That's more my speed.

Breastfeeding class

Eh, kind of a waste of time. The handouts were informative, but the class itself didn't offer much more. But Brian got a kick out of the stuffed boob they passed around.

Glad to have read the following, however:
• Introduction of pacifiers should wait until breastfeeding is well-established, after about a month
• Same for bottles: wait until he’s got a good latch and sucking routine, before adding another element to the mix
• But since baby will associate breastfeeding with me, Dad should be the one to first introduce bottles, in hopes that baby will be more receptive
• A pumping routine should start at least a couple of weeks before I return to work (although I think I’ll probably start after a few weeks, to start “stocking up”)
• Hershey offers an eight-part series of classes on breastfeeding for new moms.

No particular recommendations were offered on the bottle front, so I think I'm going to stick with Dr. Browns and Avent bottles, both recommended for easier transition to bottle-feeding and for preventing reflux. But I'll only open the bottles as we use them, so I can return them for other options if baby boy ends up objecting to the bottles I picked.

The instructor did, however, kind of endorse the pump I'm considering, the Ameda Purely Yours. She used a Medela, but she said Hershey only offers Medela and Ameda pumps for sale because of the quality and research both companies offer.

And speaking of pumping -- why, you may ask, am I thinking of pumping earlier than I'd need to, to prepare for my return to work? Simply put, because my 30th birthday will likely be about a month after this baby is born, and I'd like to have a few feedings "stocked up" in the freezer by then so that I can celebrate three decades with as many drinks as I want. It's been a loooong time, folks, since I enjoyed a good wine buzz, and I'm really looking forward to it. Assuming we can find responsible, sober babysitters for that day/evening, of course.

Funny, because when the question of alcohol consumption and breastfeeding came up last night, our instructor approached the topic from a completely different perspective.

Her take: "Ladies, if you really want a beer or a glass of wine on that anniversary or special occasion every now and then, go ahead and allow yourself that one drink. No need to pump and dump. Just breastfeed beforehand so you can enjoy the drink and it's out of your system by the time you need to breasfeed again in three hours or so."

My approach: I've allowed myself a small glass of wine or part of a beer every now and then for the past few months. I'm comfortable with my decision, and I don't feel like defending myself or opening a debate on the topic right now. What I'm talking about is real boozin', the kind I've done without and watched so many friends and family members enjoy over the past seven-and-a-half months. The kind of celebratory boozin that won't be out of my system by the next feeding. So yes, folks, I will be pumping and dumping right around August 16. I just hope my lower tolerance for the sauce doesn't leave me hurting too much the next day.

34 Weeks

This morning I met with Amy for another regular appointment.
Blood Pressure: 104/62
Fetal Heart Rate: strong, fast & healthy
Fundal Height: 34 cm
Pee: free and clear
Weight: up 3.5 pounds from two weeks ago, about 17.5 pounds overall
In measuring my fundal height, Amy discovered and announced with enthusiastic certainty that baby boy is head-down, and most likely quite vertical. She showed me what to feel for, and what do you know, there's a softball deep down at my pubic bone. She said he may still move, but it's doubtful. They start looking for him to be head-down at 35 or 36 weeks, so he's a bit ahead of the curve.

Amy clarified from the growth ultrasound that a week and a half ago he measured about 4 pounds, 7 ounces, which placed him in the 65th percentile and me at about 33 weeks, 5 days, a little ahead of the 32 weeks, 1 day at which a July 22 due date put me.

She also said the amniotic fluid level from the ultrasound looked great, and that would be the only question she may have had, considering the way I'm carrying. Seems instead of carrying all out in front (the round basketball figure typically associated with pregnancy), my abs may be holding him in more, making my belly a bit smaller than others'. Makes sense, considering a lot of the kicks I get during the day feel like they're behind my ribs, rather than out front.

Quietly pats self on the back for entering pregnancy with a somewhat tight tummy.

Cord Blood Banking

In short, cord blood banking is preservation of the stem cells from a baby's umbilical cord, for possible future use in treatment of life-threatening diseases for the baby and other immediate family members. Basically, you invest to preserve what could be a miracle cure down the road.

Unfortunately, not for us at this time. I got a brochure from the doc's office that made me believe it was something we'd consider, but I just found out the brochure was outdated.

Just a few short years ago this company offered cord blood collection for $365 plus a banking fee of $90 per year, for storage. Now all the companies charge $1,500 to $2,200 for the initial collection and $125 a year for storage.

And since I'm feeling just a little bit of guilt over our decision not to make the investment at this time, allow me to defend my position.

1.) Neither Brian nor I has any family history of childhood or adolescent diseases of the blood or immune system (cancers, genetic problems, etc.). So while anything is possible, the odds are on our side and do not present any strong or compelling argument for preservation.

2.) While the cord blood bank researchers claim these cells have been used to treat more than 40 life-threatening diseases, cord blood banking is still relatively new, and questions remain about the cells' viability years down the road. Herhshey is happy to assist in collection of cord blood (a third-party company provides the kit & stores the cells), but I feel like they'd be more involved or active in banking and research, if cord blood stem cells really did hold the key to cures of the future.

3.) In many cases, the cord blood of an infant can often be used to benefit other family members, including siblings. If this is the case, maybe cord blood banking will be more mainstream if/when we have a second baby. Not banking now doesn't necessarily close the door on the benefit forever.

4.) Finally, cord blood stem cells aren't the only answer for treatment of such diseases. Other (established) treatment methods may be available, and stem cell transplants can come from other places, including a parent's blood and/or tissue.

Uggh. The marketing brochures and Web sites sure don't make the decision to pass any easier. They all make me feel like an irresponsible parent, too cheap to protect my child's health down the road.

But ultimately, the decision is ours, and we've made it.

The first baby shower pics

More to come next week, but here are some initial photos...

Mom, the gracious host, and me

Holy pile of baby crap

Lauren and me

Posterboards of baby pictures of Brian and me, and a signature board for well-wishes to baby-to-be

And just because I think the squash duck is awesome, a pic of the cheese tray

The cake


And the m&m's my mom had specially made

Our make-up childbirth class

Last night we attended our make-up Class #2 in the three-part childbirth series. This class was much more informative than the first, or maybe it was just that I was less familiar with the topics reviewed, including c-sections and pain management.

The intro to anesthesia was nice and really makes me look forward to the two-hour anesthesia class we'll take at the beginning of July.

A few highlights:

The description and depictions of epidurals the instructors shared scared me. The fact that it's a metal tube (albeit a small one) stuck in the spine for hours that renders the patient completely bed-bound skeeves me out more than a little. For those who don't know, docs now prefer women to move around and stay upright as long as possible through the labor process, so gravity and movement can help labor progress. Considering I'd like to try managing pain by moving around and trying the tricks I've read and seen, an epidural would pretty much close the door on that option. But it is good to know that Hershey administers epidurals through low-dose, patient-controlled analgesia, meaning the IV feeds a minimum dose to the patient, and the patient controls increases to the epidural with a button.

The instructors' info about Stadol pretty much confirmed what I already thought: not the drug for me. While its intent is to "take the edge off," it seems what it really does is whack the patient out so that while she can still feel the pain of contractions, she's so out-of-touch she just doesn't care. Nah, I'd rather have my head in the game.

And I learned about another option I wasn't aware of: a spinal. It's rarely used for vaginal labor at Hershey (commonly used as the anesthesia for c-sections), but could be an option if I make it to transition without drugs and then start to lose it. That's what happened to our instructor. The spinal is similar to the epidural, except it's a one-time shot in the spine that doesn't last nearly as long.

Like I said, it will be nice to learn more from the experts at our anesthesia class in July.

But next up: Breastfeeding class next Tuesday.

Twice in one day??

He has the hiccups AGAIN! I wonder if this is really the first time, or if I've just never noticed before.

This is nuts

Another first -- baby boy has hiccups (I'm guessing), and this is one of the strangest feelings I've ever experienced.

WooHOOO! (one example of how my interests and excitements have DRASTICALLY changed in the past seven months)

(in a sing-song voice): Guess what's on the waa-aay...

30 DSQ prefolds, three Bummi Whisper Wraps, three Prorap Classics, six Snappis, two wet bags, two Wahmies pail liners and 20 Bum Geniuses!!!!!!

What does that mean for the laypeople? DIAPERS AND ALL THE ACCESSORIES!

That's right, folks, $499.63 has gotten us just about everything we could possibly need for the cloth diapering effort, and BOY am I excited to start getting this stuff in the mail!! Only thing left to purchase is flushable liners, but we won't need those for a few months anyway, after baby boy starts consuming things other than breast milk.

Well, I'm also going to buy two boxes of environmentally friendly disposable diapers. A few CD moms who have been through this before caution that I will appreciate the easy back-up at first, so I don't pressure myself too much on the diapering front while I'm learning all kinds of other lessons in the first few days.

Soon begins the washing effort. The pre-folds -- old-fashioned diapers, which will be used until baby boy is more than 10 or 12 pounds -- each need to be pre-washed a few times to soften them and maximize absorbancy. And the BGs and their inserts each need to be washed once before they go on a baby butt. And then they can all be folded and organized in the changing table!

Perspective is a funny thing.

If you had asked me a year ago what I was most looking forward to in June, the answer would have been either getting schnookered at Sarah and Patrick's wedding or getting schnookered on Colleen & Greg's boat, then getting uber-schnookered at the Harrisburg beer fest.

This June? Yeah, I'm most looking forward to WASHING, PLAYING WITH AND ORGANIZING DIAPERS!! And supporting Nicole and Will as they marry, of course.

A couple more baby things we didn't realize we got for the cats

The changing table pad and covers (sorry the flash made his eyes look so scary):

And the Pack'N'Play:

The baby shower, from Hercules' point of view

Apparently, the little shit thinks mom disappeared for a few hours on Saturday and came back with a boat-load full of new things for him to play with and sleep in.

My baby shower on Saturday was absolutely wonderful. My mom took the lead, and Lauren and Jess each helped a great deal in planning and setting up. And Nicole was very helpful in keeping things moving with the gifts. :) Thanks again to all of you.

And a million thanks to everyone who attended, tried to attend and/or shared your great generosity with me, the baby and Brian. We're very touched and so grateful this baby will be surrounded by such loving family and friends.

I'll be sure to share some shower pics as I get them. But for now, a few after-shower pics.

No pics of this "product test," but as soon as Jeff and Lauren finished putting together the stroller Saturday night, Hercules jumped in the bottom of it, and Erin pushed him around the family room for a while. He was perfectly content to ride around.

Then from 7 a.m. until about 4 p.m on Sunday I unpacked, assembled, organized, set up, washed and cleaned up after all the wonderful gifts we hauled up into the nursery Saturday evening. On a mission, I plowed through just about everything, and now each item is in its rightful place.

Hercules was intent on making my job that much harder, as he CONSTANTLY got in the way and made messes for me to clean up. He threw my little cup of baby shower m&m's on the floor THREE TIMES.

And he did this:


Since the new baby tub came with a soft little hammock for an infant, Hercules assumed we got him a new bed, then conveniently placed it in a dark space for him to catch some zzzz's.

Then he decided the new mattress cover was more to his liking:

And he finished the afternoon watching me from the glider, where he found his favorite new toy, the teddy bear Michelle got for baby boy. Hercules really likes snuggling with the teddy bear.

But this morning -- after a long, exciting weekend -- I sure feel like I got hit by a truck. I think it will be early-to-bed most of this week.