Woman's Hospital Tour

We took the tour of Woman's last night.  We stuck Eden in the sling because the stroller would have just been a hassle.  We don't use our slings much, but I'm sure glad we had one.  She seemed quite comfy.  She did fuss some and want me to hold her instead of Daddy, but that's par for the course.

Woman's is small compared to the hospital we had Eden in.  I think the rooms are comparable in size.  Nevermind.  I just asked Chuck and he says they were smaller at Woman's.  No biggie though.  

The thing we were most put off by was the fact that there was no option to have a monitor on AND walk the halls.  The nurse doing the tour said the only way to walk the halls was to have intermittent monitoring and I already know my OB won't allow that.  She did say that even though she would require constant monitoring that there was a way to "travel" with it.  At least that's what I heard in our discussion about what I want to be able to do in labor.  I'm going to reconfirm that tomorrow and ask if what she was talking about is only available at the River Oaks' Baby Suites (our tour there is at the end of this month).

When I was laboring with Eden, one of the ways I stayed sane in the early parts (early being 12-20 hours in) was to walk down the hall from my room to the newborn nursery and look at what I would surely have in not too many more hours.  We walked up and down that hallway several times.  I got very familiar with the rail on the wall and the chair beside the window to the nursery.  Leaning over the chair with a contraction, not sitting in it.

There were a few other little things, like the lack of good/varied food options for both Chuck and I while I stay there, the number of available large rooms, the foot of the bed in the delivery room doesn't drop down to allow sitting or squatting on the edge.  We'll see in a few weeks how different, if at all, Baby Suites is.  I'm a little nervous knowing that one of my two options has been taken from me (by the fact I can't walk while being monitored) and the one I have left, I don't really know anything about.

I looked at a message board online and all the posts from the ladies' who had birthed there were very positive, mostly about the staff.  There's a virtual tour available, but it's broken.  I guess I just have to wait. 

Speaking of the staff, I think I intended to do this last time, but I'd really like to bring something for my nurses this time.  Brownies, cookies, something nice to butter them up.. I mean, show them I appreciated them.  I have to be honest and admit there would be a two-fold purpose to the goodies.   I might be asking them to let me do some things that they aren't the most comfortable with, but with a brownie in your hand, how can you say no?  right?  or is that just the sweets-craving 28 week pregnant woman's perspective?

Be-bo

Eden loves the Sandra Boynton book The Belly Button Book.  In it, a little hippo calls a belly button a be-bo.  That is Eden's official name for belly buttons and she gets so excited to see mine (or anyone else's).  

I don't know how she can tell anymore that I have one.

See what I mean?

Our (Other) Photographer

Of course, the main photographer of our family is the family photographer, my mom.  Circumstances being what they are for the birth of Arielle, we needed another option if I was going to have any professional documentation of this very important event.  I asked about 6 different Jackson area photographers if they would be interested and only ended up with three options.  The first photographer to respond positively gave me no details and wanted to talk over the phone at my earliest convenience.  Fortunately, before it was convenient, I saw a horrible review from someone who had hired them for a wedding.  I never called.  My second option was a girl whose work I really liked, but, after attempting to convince her to lower her price by explaining that my allowing her to take pictures of my birth (her first ever birth photo shoot) I would be expanding her portfolio and helping her business, she decided the timing just wasn't right.  My last option is the one I have chosen, and so far, I'm very happy.  Her name is Amy Halstead and you can see her work on her Facebook page Different Perspectives here.  We meet on Thursday to finalize details and look over the contract.  I'm relieved to have that taken care of.  That's one thing off the Things-to-do-before-the-baby-comes list.  Now all I need to do is: buy a toddler bed, get Eden sleeping in it, get the names of people I want to invite to my shower to the hostess, attend my baby shower, make sure I have all the baby essentials I need, make a couple more things for Arielle, go to two hospital tours and decide which to birth at, and, well, probably a lot more... 

One thing down, umpteen to go.

Random Rants

You know what?  I don't remember when I got all antsy to have Eden, but, as of 27 weeks, I can officially say that I am totally fine with the fact that I have between 13 and 15 weeks to go.  (Did I do my math right?  um... yes... 40-42 weeks total. ok.)  No rush.  I have to say that, just because the month in my 42nd week happens to be December, the month of Eden's birth, I really would not prefer to wait until then.  Arielle, don't you want your own birth month?

I will probably read these words and laugh at myself when I hit, say, 35 weeks.  Betcha.

I do not think I can paint my toenails any more.  At least not unless I work on my ability to go without oxygen for an extended period of time.  I cannot get close enough to my toes to paint them without losing my ability to take a breath.  Someone's in the way.  So, this means I will be using a portion of our brand new monthly budget to get a polish change for my toes a couple times between now and November, or I will just hope that the cool weather comes quickly so that I can wear close-toed shoes.

Why is labor so variable?  Why did God decide that there should be such a huge range of lengths, types, descriptions, etc?  I want to plan.  I want to know.  But I want to be all natural and just let it happen.  But I want to know when and how it will naturally happen.  

Parents Against Snaps

You've gotta watch this video if you want a little chuckle.  

Not a bad concept.... especially for an infant.

Bradley Bit

This weeks Bradley tidbit isn't just one quote, it's one of the concepts I'm supposed to practice this week.  It's called "The Miracle of Mindfulness."  The exercises are to promote awareness and to get you in touch with all five senses as well as practice focusing, blocking out unwanted clutter from your brain.

I'm supposed to be "mindful" while making a cup of tea, while washing dishes, while cleaning the house and while taking a slow-motion bath.

I can do the tea... maybe.  I'm supposed to be mindful and aware of my hand gripping the pot or cup, the weight, feel and color of it, the smell of the tea, the heat from the liquid etc.  

On to washing the dishes.  Can I just say, that WOULD be a miracle!? First of all, anyone who has a toddler knows that this is no easy task. Maybe I assume too much.  All I can really say is that with MY toddler, washing the dishes is no easy task.  She doesn't really take well to standing around in the kitchen doing nothing.  She's either trying to take things out of the dishwasher, climbing onto the open dishwasher door, asking to eat or drink, or wandering into another room where her toys are and I can't see her anymore.  I don't do dishes during naps because they clatter too much and naps are too important to disturb.  So.... dishes get done, if at all, in 2-3 minute spurts.  I do NOT have time to be mindful of anything but Eden, which might explain the crusty food that we find even after something's run through the dishwasher.  My instructions say,

"Wash the dishes relaxingly,"  (nice thought) "as though each bowl is an object of contemplation."  (I can just see me, lost in the depths of my cereal bowl as Eden runs willy-nilly with a knife from the dishwasher.) "Follow your breath to prevent your mind from straying. Do not try to hurry to get the job over with."  (HA!) "Consider washing dishes the most important thing in your life right now.  If you cannot wash the dishes in mindfulness, then neither can you meditate while sitting in silence."  

Hey, no fair!  I could TOO sit and meditate in silence without my toddler in the room.  I could meditate in silence while sitting on an overstuffed pillow in my comfiest knitwear in a room with four walls of floor-to-ceiling windows surrounded by a tranquil pool filled with lotus blossoms and water lilies overlooking the lush greenery of a secluded hillside where birds merrily sang and there was a subtle constant breeze that smelled of jasmine and... 

well... 

you catch my drift.  I could TOO meditate.

I won't even bother to go into detail about cleaning the house or taking a bath.  I do like the last thing on the page; practicing mindfulness with your kids.

"If I can take a breath and focus on them, on their entire being, on the smell of their head, on what they are saying and doing and just absorb them with every pore in my body, I find that time somehow slows down so that I can see what is essential.  And my kids pick up on it too, they calm down and really seem to appreciate my focus on them."

That's very nice.  I do want to try that one.  :) 

p.s. after reading this through again, I decided that someone stroking my hair and soft classical music needed to be included in my meditation room.  thank you.

Doctor's Visit: 26 weeks

I prayed on my way to the OB this morning.  I prayed for wisdom.  I prayed that she would hear my heart and that the Holy Spirit would interpret my words.  I didn't really know what I was going to say about the sonogram.  I had a LOT of things ready to say.  A LOT of things I could say.  I didn't know what I was actually going to say.

First of all, I have to recognize Eden for being a stellar daughter and perfect tag-along this morning.  She behaved just beautifully.  Thank you God for the blessing of a totally stress-free waiting-room time!!

I also have to mention that our time from sign-in to check-out was only about 45 minutes, which is also incredibly amazing and contributed to the stress-free-ness of the morning.  

My OB checked the heartbeat (between 120-140 bpm) and measured me (measuring right on schedule), talked about my glucose test for next time, mentioned switching to every 2 weeks for appointments and complimented Eden's happy nature.  Nothing was ever mentioned about the sonogram. I guess she just forgot.  So, I mentioned it.

All I said was "I cancelled it because I've been doing some reading preparing for my natural birth and some of the research I read made me uncomfortable with the risks.  My motto for the birth process is 'If it isn't medically needed, why do it?' and I wanted to apply that here too.  I just can't find a reason.  Can you educate me further?"  I also told her I had spoken with the nurse (whose name will not be mentioned) and she promptly said "Oh, she wouldn't even know what to tell you!"  HA!  No joke!  I'm glad she said that.

She went on to take the time to tell me that she totally respected my concerns even though, personally, she sees nothing wrong with ultrasound.  We compromised by setting up my next and last scan for my 30 week appointment instead of waiting until 32-34 weeks.  That way, she can confirm sooner rather than later whether or not the uterus has expanded past the placenta.  If it has, then, that's it.  If it hasn't, she will say no sex and not let me teach classes anymore until the birth.  She'll also want another scan.  

I can compromise.  I really appreciated her understanding and sweetness about the whole thing.  I feel like this conversation confirmed that she'll respect my wishes during the actual birth and that she'll work with me to satisfy my desire for as little intervention as possible.