On the job, I said goodbye to my first class on Friday. My 19 sweet little students will always hold a special place in my heart, and sending them off to third grade was hard. I know we will see each other again, but needless to say, after spending 180 days getting to know them, it was a bit hard letting them go. They are wonderful boys and girls and I am very proud of their hard work this year. Now, I'm spending this week getting my classroom packed away and checking off my "end-of-the-year" checklist.
At home, we've been trying to complete some small projects before Emorie arrives. We've managed to get the outside of the house washed. Now, we're going to re-plant our famous pansies along the sidewalk and around the mailbox. There are also plans for some new porch furniture.
Getting Ready for the Little One
Emorie's clothes, blankets, and bibs are washed and put away. Thank you notes are written and caught up. Her car seat has been installed in the van. It's a strange feeling to look in my rear-view and see her little (empty) car seat- won't be long 'til I look in the mirror and see our sweet baby in that seat- hard to believe.
Her diaper bag and our hospital bag are occupying the back of our van- guess now the only thing to do is wait.
Emorie's Graco Snugrude 35 with a Prince Lionheart 2-stage seat saver-
already installed and inspected by the fire department.
We also will attend our last Birth and Baby class tomorrow night. For five weeks, we've learned the mechanics of pregnancy and childbirth, the labor process (both vaginally and cesarean), medical interventions, and natural pain management- a lot of this information I already knew from my own research, but the more I learned about it, the more prepared and at ease I've felt. Last week, we went on our hospital tour. We visited the nursery, admissions, laboring suites, post-partum recovery rooms, and the newborn nursery. The hospital staff even brought in a newborn while we were outside the nursery. I am sure the poor parent wondered who all these random people were watching his baby be examined, but it was a neat experience anyway. Hard to believe our family will soon stand outside those same windows and watch Emorie's first bath and exams.
I also attended a one-evening class on breastfeeding, which was very informative. It was also taught by the hospital's lactation consultants, so they will be familiar faces when they come to check on me in the hospital.
Health Check
We are going back to the doctor on Thursday for an ultrasound, for which the purpose is to gauge her size and position. We've known for 3 weeks she is already head down and a bit lower, but on Thursday, I am crossing my fingers and hoping for zero-station. Not likely, but I can dream, right?
I was very unhappy after my last dr's appointment and I made a huge mistake in the fact that I did not assert myself. I had been having false labor for about a week. Luckily, I knew how to tell if it was real labor (irregularity, no increased intensity, they stopped when I changed position) so I never jumped the gun and went to the hospital. When I talked to the dr. she basically blew me off and gave me a laundry list of things that could "maybe" be causing the false labor. Maybe I was being a grouchy pregnant lady (and after waiting 2 hours in an office with a broken air conditioner, I had the right to be), but "maybe" isn't enough for a 34-weeks pregnant women who is concerned about preterm labor. I could have stayed home, looked on the internet, and found several probable causes for the false labor. She also refused to examine me to make sure everything was ok- this is where I should have demanded she do so, but frankly, I was hot, ill, and ready to leave, so I let that get in my way. Then, I went home and regretted not making her check me all week. The moral of this story is...if you are worried about something, get it checked out and don't take no for answer. If you find out you're worrying for nothing, great! I want to know everything is ok. Needless to say, this week, someone will be checking me.
A belly picture, perhaps?
Before you ask- yes, I was tired. Yes, I was puffy and swollen.
And yes, I am definitely ready to meet Emorie!!
No comments:
Post a Comment