34 Weeks

I'm 34 weeks pregnant today and there is a whole little person inside of me. I mean, if he came out today he'd probably be totally fine and have few to no complications. Hard to imagine. I sit in the nursery sometimes and look at all of his baby stuff and I still just can't quite believe I'm going to be responsible for a whole other person for the rest of my life. Sometimes I feel like I'm not even that great at taking care of my cats. And, I know, call the schmaltz-police, but I'm just overwhelmed with love for him. Ok, I KNOW in my head this is oxytocin, but it doesn't make it any less overwhelming for me. It's hard to wait to meet him and that's not just because I'm so uncomfortable.

Updates

Sorry it's been so long since I updated. It seems time just keeps getting away from me. I will attempt to give a run-down on everything going on right now.

Jenny gave my third, and what I thought was my final, baby shower last Saturday. It was so nice. Viv helped a lot too, and so did Mom. I got wonderful things, including, but certainly not limited to, 6 (I think) bumGenius cloth diapers, a blue bumbo, a turtle you put in the bathtub to make sure the water is the right temp, some great blankets, some cloth wipes, an organic changing pad cover, a tummy time mat, several handmade blankets and sweaters from Viv and Esther (Josiah's bubbe) and Eve (Josiah's aunt) and lots of outfits that are just too cute for words. Along with the cloth diapers from Jenny and Mom, Jenny also got him tons of clothes AND made him the gorgeous letters seen in the pic above (yes, those are my fat, swollen feet). Everyone's artistic talents and abilities just floor me. I'm not remotely creative or talented so hopefully Josiah will take after his daddy and the rest of our families. :)

I also had my work shower, which was fabulous. And Boomer got to attend! We received several amazing handmade things there and lots of gift cards and a car seat base (for Jenny's vehicle) and lots of other great stuff.

Speaking of work showers, I mentioned above I thought Jenny's shower was the final one, but no, the generous folks at Boomer's work want to have a shower for us, which will be Wednesday, December 1st. I feel truly blessed to have all these loving, considerate, good-hearted people in our lives. I've always believed it takes a village to raise a child, and I love my village! Josiah, and Boomer and I, of course, are very, very lucky.

On the medical front, I'm in considerable discomfort at the end of most days now but I'm quite sure it's normal (having been assured by the docs). I just think of it as the small price to pay in for such a great payout. And that payout is scheduled to be delivered on December 30th at 10:30am. Yes folks, that's when the c-section is happening. Be there or be square.

As far as what we really still need, basically just a swing and some crib sheets. I really think that's it. I would love more cloth diapers, but we do have plenty. Shockingly, I think we are mostly prepared, at least with the right accoutrements, for his birth. Mentally and emotionally... I'm not entirely sure about.

Oooops, we missed Centering!

We missed Centering last Tuesday! We thought it was this coming Tuesday. But now we have all the dates in our calendars. :) However, I have been to see Dr. Frenduto a couple of times. My feet were very swollen and I have been having a lot of pelvic pressure. Turns out, Josiah is head down (as he should be) and his head is sitting right on my cervix, which Frenduto tells me is normal. He acted like it was something that would come and go over the next couple months, but so far I've only had a couple hours of reprieve in the last 5-6 days. Most of the time it's merely uncomfy. Sometimes it makes me cry a little. I really hope it's not going to be like this for the next 2 months, but I suppose even if it is, the outcome will be worth it. Laying down helps so I've been doing that a lot. Standing for long periods makes it almost unbearable.

I also managed to get a pretty bad case of bronchitis a couple weeks ago, but I'm all done with that now!

On a happy, non-sick note, I had my first baby shower! It was the family/old friend shower in Elizabeth City given by my 2 moms, though some new friends were there too, like many of Mom's (MLW) Literary Divas. It was a wonderful shower. Many of the women told me it was the best baby shower ever. We received some awesome gifts and the fellowship was even more amazing. There was so much laughing that I may not have been the only one who needed a diaper!

Josiah is moving like mad quite often. Many times I feel him on my far right and far left at the same time, making me think he's practicing some sort of drumming, or possibly soccer kicks. When Frenduto was trying to doppler him to get his heart rate he kept laughing and saying, "he's kicking me!" I told him he does that to me a lot too. :)

All in all, I think things are going ok.

Centering - Session 3

Today's Centering class was good. My glucose and protein were perfect once again. My BP was a little high and my weight was down about a pound since the class last month. But Michelle (the PA who leads the class) said she wasn't concerned because Josiah appears to be growing as he should. My fundal height measured at 26 weeks instead of 25, which is not unusual. She said if it was more than 2 weeks off they would do another ultrasound to re-check. Josiah's heart rate was around 160.

And speaking of another ultrasound, I get one on October 5th. YAY for being "high risk" and getting lots of extra ultrasounds. I also have to start having one-on-one baby doctor appointments once a month, as well as Centering, so basically I get a check-up every 2 weeks. For those of you who know how anxious I am, you know this is a very good thing. Constant reassurance! I'll also talk to the doctor then about scheduling the c-section.

I am greatly reassured after talking to Michelle, who is Jewish, about the brit milah (bris). She asked Boomer who he found to do it, and when he told her Adelman she said "He's the best. That's who did my son's bris. I had a urologist present at the ceremony and he said he'd never seen any circumcision done so well." This was quite comforting to me, as you can imagine.

*bump*

And there he is!

I was at Lane Bryant today getting a new, well, let's call it a support device, and I told the woman I needed some better support because I was pregnant. She looked at me and said, "you don't look pregnant!"

I have to admit, I hate not looking pregnant. I just feel dumpy and I figure people just think I AM dumpy. I WANT to look pregnant, dang-it. I need something to show for the misery that was my first trimester. Though I must admit that it's gotten a lot better lately. I never got a JOLT of 2nd trimester energy that so many women promised me, but I am not nearly as tired as I was.

I wasn't really expecting the sudden ability to vomit at will, but hey, everyone has to have a superpower.

Websites I Like

Highly recommended source for reviews on toys, books, video and software:
http://www.toyportfolio.com/

Breastfeeding and Parenting. Evidence-based information on breastfeeding and parenting issues: http://www.kellymom.com/
 
A site for drugs in pregnancy:
http://www.safefetus.com/

DS is a community of cloth diapering moms sharing tips, experiences, and support in all aspects of parenting:
http://www.diaperswappers.com/

Cloth diaper supply shop, diapering care, basics and detergents list:
http://www.pinstripesandpolkadots.com/

A "deal of the day" website for moms offering discounts on baby and maternity products:
http://www.babysteals.com/

Blog, consumer reviews, and "bonus material," including information about cribs, strollers, humidifiers, monitors, and all sorts of other baby gear. It goes with the book, which I highly recommend. They take NO advertising whatsoever. The writers believe that the no ad policy ensures objectivity:
http://www.windsorpeak.com/babybargains/default.html

Thank you Princess for giving me a lot of this information! If any of you know of any other good ones, let me know and I'll add them here.

Registry Information

It's very exciting to buy baby stuff! We've already started buying things, and friends and family have already bought things. So in case you are wondering about a registry, I thought I'd give you some information.

We're going with mostly bumGenius 4.0 (not 3.0) cloth diapers: http://www.kellyscloset.com/giftregistry_home.asp?action=view&id=28895 (password is Josiah) Kelly's Closet often has coupons so ask me and I can check for you!

The picture shows our bedding, which we have changed from what we originally decided. We're now going with Mr and Mrs Pond. :) It's already arrived and I love it!

For everything else, we're registered at Walmart: http://www.walmart.com/giftregistry/gr_detail.do?registryId=80503569147

We will appreciate and love anything you want to give Josiah, but if you are looking for a guide, here it is!