This a.m. I was thinking, "If I wait too long between blog posts, peeps are going to think I went into labor." And wouldn't you know it, today I received a "Haven't heard from you in a while...I hope you're ok" email from the lovely La Petite Chic.
Yup, things are going well. Just been simultaneously busy getting ready for Em Dash's arrival, as well as feeling too tired to open my laptop. Third trimester exhaustion has been worse than the first trimester exhaustion because this time around I'm more uncomfortable. I can't lay on my stomach or back, and getting up off the couch or the bed is akin to a turtle on its back -- there's a lot of momentum required to get my basketball belly in motion.
Since I last wrote, I've continued to put the finishing touches on the nursery. All the newborn and 0-3 months clothing, along with the linens, burp cloths, changing pad and Boppy covers are all washed - in scent-free detergent, of course.
This weekend while visiting my mom, and I rested on her couch, she told my 3-year-old nephew, "Go say 'hi' to the baby." He walked over, gently patted my belly, said "Hi, baby," lifted up my shirt slightly, kissed my belly and rested his ear on it. Seriously, if that doesn't melt your heart then you are dead inside. Heh.
Earlier this week we got our car seat installations inspected via Santa Monica police department's monthly inspection. Brent did a pretty good job installing the bases with both our cars, but they just needed a few tweaks. Plus we learned tips for actually strapping Em Dash into the seat. Oh, and we discovered that there's a special little holder on the underside of the car seat for car seat instructions. Fun! (Seriously!)
Monday evening was our last baby-related class: breastfeeding. I could tell that Brent was hesitant to go, with his continuous "Are you sure husbands need to attend this class?" But I wanted him there so he could potentially remind me of tips, etc., when/if I have a hard time getting Em Dash to latch on and feed correctly. Our classmates weren't as obnoxious as our child birth class, but they weren't as polite as our infant care class folks. There was one couple in particular, who of course were sitting in the row in front of us. They would NOT. STOP. TALKING to each other. Two and a half of ours of constant chatter? Might as well have been water torture for me. At one point the wife even said to the instructor, "Wait, can you repeat that? I missed it." Well, no shit, Sherlock. You can't hear other folks when you don't shut your trap. And when the instructor was talking about how employers are required by law to provide you with an adequate place to breastfeed, the wife piped up, jokingly, "What if you work for your husband?" Hardy, har, har. Why don't you take that act on the road, dear? And it's no wonder you have to work for your husband - I'm betting no employer in their right mind would have you.
I digress.
Yesterday we had a growth ultrasound to get an idea of how much Em Dash weighs.
Ultrasound tech: She's approximately 7 lbs., 2 ozs., give or take 8 ozs.
Me: Umm...
Tech: So with two weeks left, and approximately 1/2 a lb. a week, that means she'll probably be around 8 lbs.
Me: Actually, I'm only 36 weeks, so I have four weeks left.
Tech: [eyes bulging] Ooohhh...
Me: Holy crap! That's a big baby!
Tech: [nodding head in agreement]
I'm not 100% convinced that she's going to come out huge, especially considering that my friend who went to the same practice was told that her baby was going to be 8 lbs... and she came out just over 6 lbs. But then again, I won't be surprised if she's as big as they predict. I do hope to get some use out of the newborn-size clothes we have.
The doctor didn't seem concerned by the weight estimation at all. According to her, we're still on track for the Oct. 19 due date, although she was sure to point out all the signs that could mean I'm in labor and how to determine when I should come into the hospital. We also pre-registered for our eventual arrival to labor and delivery, so thankfully there will be no (or less) paperwork to fill out.
I've always felt like Em Dash is going to arrive a week earlier than her due date, simply because she's always measured a week ahead. But now I'm wondering if she might make an even earlier appearance. She's head down, which the doctor was excited to hear. I don't know if she's "dropped" yet, but the ultrasound tech said that she's so far down that she couldn't get a picture of her face. I haven't had any contractions, other than the standard uncomfortable but not painful Braxton Hicks contractions, but now I won't be surprised if the real things start soon. That's a potentially big baby in there, so who knows what could happen when?
So, I'm preparing for work stuff with that in mind. At home we're basically ready for her arrival, but now I need to "nest" at work to get everything ready in case of an early departure on my part.
So much going on!
"Look at the size of that boy's head... I'm not kidding, it's like an orange on a toothpick... Has its own weather system." - Stuart Mackenzie, So I Married an Axe Murderer
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