Sprout is Here!

Sprout is here, and she's a beautiful little girl! Things are hectic around here, and we're adjusting to life with a newborn, so this will be short and sweet for now. I'll do my best to post her birth story soon. But until then, here's the basic information about our little angel.
Campbell Adair was born on Friday, June 10th at 5:40pm. She weighed 8 pounds, 11 ounces and is 21 inches long. She's got beautiful blue eyes and the softest brown hair. We're absolutely in love with this little sweetheart!

41 Weeks, Still No Baby, and Some Disappointment

So here we are at 41 weeks, and still no baby! I had really, REALLY, REALLY hoped that by now Sprout would have made his or her big debut, but it looks like we've got a stubborn one on our hands. Or it could be that I have an incredibly hospitable uterus. Either way, baby is still tucked away in there with no signs of budging.

My 41 week appointment this morning sucked. Sorry...there's just no way around it. Last week, I saw Dr. Basham, and she was Ms. Optimism. She said that I was about 2 centimeters dilated and that Sprout's head was "packed down in there." She decided that I probably would have Sprout before Wednesday (the 8th), but wanted to see me on that date if I hadn't. She also went ahead and set an induction date for Saturday the 11th, but said she felt certain that I wouldn't make it that far. She even said, "If we have to induce you on the 11th, it won't take much because you're so favorable." I left that appointment on Cloud 9. I really believed that Sprout would come on his or her own in a matter of days.


But no. I went to my appointment today with Dr. Brown, who told me that I'm "maybe 1cm dilated and 50% effaced" and that Sprout is "still pretty high." He told me that he's much less optimistic about my not needing an induction. So much less optimistic that he moved it up from Saturday morning to Friday night at 11pm because I "have a lot of laboring to do." Pardon my blog language, but WTF?! How can two highly educated and experienced individuals give me such different ideas about what's going on here? Methinks someone is blowing smoke up my rear, and I think I know who it is.


I have really been struggling with this news today, and I feel like nobody gets it. So many people have said, "Oh, it'll be fine. Lots of people are induced." Or, "But at least you know when it's going to happen!" Or, "Just think...in just a few days you'll be holding your precious baby!" Or, "The most important thing is that the baby gets here." Yeah, people, I get it. But it still is hard news to swallow, especially since I've spent so much time and energy focusing on getting this baby here as naturally and intervention-free as possible...because I know THAT'S the birth that will be best for my baby. I waver between thinking that I'm thinking only about ME and the birth that I want, but I want a natural, intervention-free birth so badly because I know that's what's best for my baby. And what hurts the most is that I feel like I've been defeated before I even got the chance to TRY.


So anyway, anyone who knows me personally would never accuse me of being an optimist. I am an eternal pessimist, and I have embraced that fact. My rationale is this: if I'm pessimistic, then I am never disappointed. It drives my husband crazy...but his eternal optimism drives me crazy, too. Anyway, here's how things will go in my mind: induction starts at 11pm Friday night-->contractions on pitocin are much stronger/longer than "real ones", so I cave and get an epidural-->epidural slows down labor-->doctors/nurses grow impatient and decide that they have to break my water to speed things up-->with water broken, I'm now "on the clock" and at their mercy-->doctors/nurses get tired of my laboring and say I have to have a c-section-->have the c-section and miss out on skin-to-skin with my baby (and breastfeeding) for at least an hour-->baby has trouble latching because he/she is groggy from the drugs and we've missed the golden hour and we have trouble establishing breastfeeding-->I'm so discouraged with my stupid c-section and problems breastfeeding that I'm depressed and can't even enjoy my baby-->give up on breastfeeding and give formula-->baby doesn't get all of the benefits of breastmilk and grows up to have allergies, a low IQ, and doesn't have a good relationship with me. Most folks out there would say that I've given a very dramatic (maybe over the top) scenario, but I know that it's not totally out of the realm of possibility (except maybe the low IQ/bad relationship thing).


I'm also struggling with the fact that in a way, I see this as my body failing me again. A woman's body was created to have babies...I just think that's the bottom line. My body failed me in February 2010 when it couldn't keep our first baby alive. Now it's failing me again because it won't HAVE the healthy baby that it's grown for the past 9 months. I'm just so darn frustrated!

Let's go back to this comment I've heard several times, "Well, at least you KNOW when the baby will be here!" Yes...and that's part of the problem. You see, while I want this baby desperately, and I can't wait to have him/her here, I'm really not too keen on the getting him/her here. When I have to do something that I don't want to do (either because I think it'll be too hard, or too boring, or too uncomfortable, etc.) I just don't think about it. I will prepare for it, but during the preparation, I don't actually think about the fact that I'll be doing whatever thing it is I'm preparing for. Then, all of a sudden, it's happening, and I'm doing it, and I haven't gotten worked up over it because I didn't let myself think that it would actually happen. I think I've done a really good job of doing that the last 9 months. I mean, I know that this baby's got to come out somehow, but I haven't really let myself think about the pain involved. I was really hoping that I would wake up in the middle of the night with contractions about 5 minutes apart. That would give me no time to think about "going into labor" and I would be forced to just go with the flow. With this scheduled induction I have nothing but time to think about it and dwell on the pain, what could go wrong, the fact that I'm not sure that I can do it, that I will consider myself a failure if I have a c-section, etc.

As if all of those thoughts and fears weren't floating around in my brain, I'm trying to reconcile all of this with my faith. I know that it's all in God's hands, and that He can do absolutely anything. He can make this baby come any time and in any way He wants. He could put me into labor right this minute (please!), or maybe this whole induction thing is part of His plan. I wonder if maybe He's still working on teaching me to trust in His time and not mine? Probably so. So...I've wondered today, do I pray to go into labor on my own? Do I pray for the induction to go ahead as scheduled? Do I pray just to avoid a c-section? I've thought all of those things, but the prayer I think I'm supposed to pray (which, I'll be honest, I don't want to do) is that His will is done and that He helps me to be okay with it, whatever it is. It's so hard for me to remember that He knows what's best...I just think I know what's best. I feel like he's saying to me, "Trust me. Just trust me." So, if you'll excuse me, I think I'll go humble myself and pray the prayer I don't want to pray.

40 Weeks (and no baby yet)

Well...it's June 2nd. That means I'm 40 weeks pregnant, and my due date is today. And no baby just yet, but I know that shouldn't come as a surprise. Only 5% of babies arrive on their due date, so I can't be too disappointed. I never really thought Sprout would show up today, but it would have been nice. I'm hoping that this will be the last belly picture for the blog! Here's what my 40 week belly looks like:
During our Empowered Birth classes, Angela encouraged us to plan something special for our due date, because she knew it would be likely that it would come and go with no baby. David and I got a gift card to Red Lobster for Easter, and I told him that if Sprout wasn't here by/on June 2nd, we'd go out to eat. And so we did. Tonight after work, we headed into Louisville for what will probably be our last "date night" as a couple. I'm sure we'll go out alone in the future, but we'll be someone's mom and dad by then (gulp!). It was really nice. We gorged ourselves on seafood, cheddar bay biscuits (YUM!), and a chocolate chip lava cookie. Afterward, we ran by Kohl's to pick up a few gifts for June birthdays and Father's Day, then headed home. When we pulled into the driveway, it looked like we'd left a bunch of lights on. We both were sure that we'd turned off all the lights, so we were a little stumped. Then, we saw taillights in the driveway. I just knew we were getting robbed again, but David recognized it as my Mom's SUV. He said, "You think she's moving in to wait on Sprout?" I couldn't figure out what she would be doing at our house at 9:30 on a Thursday night. When we pulled in, Chet, my stepdad met us at the garage door and told us to close our eyes. He led us into the living room and told us to open our eyes, and this is what we saw:

He'd built a cradle for Sprout! It's absolutely beautiful. He's been working on it in his woodworking shop for about 3 months, and just got it finished last night. I can't wait to see our sweet baby snoozing in it!

Here's a different angle so you can get a closer look. It comes completely apart so that it can be stored flat once Sprout outgrows it. It's seriously a beautiful cradle. I can't imagine how much time he's got in it. It's certainly destined to be an heirloom.
On Monday night, I got a text message from our friend, Kristin Sexton, saying that our maternity photos were ready! We went down to Campbellsville a few weeks ago to meet up with her and Benson to visit and to take pictures, which was a lot of fun. I am amazed at the pictures she took. She's an absolutely gifted photographer, and it's going to be so hard to decide which ones to have printed. Here are a few of my favorites:

We go to the doctor tomorrow morning for my 40 week appointment. Last week, Dr. Brown told us that we'll need to pick an induction date at tomorrow's appointment. When I asked him when they'd want to do an induction, he said that they're obligated to do one sometime within the 41st week. As much as I don't want to be induced, I completely understand why it would need to be done, and I would definitely deal with it if it's in Sprout's best interest. I know that the research shows that the placenta doesn't function as well once it's close to 42 weeks. I know that the majority of stillbirths happen between 37 and 42 weeks. We haven't come this far to lose our little one now, and I'll do anything necessary to bring a living, breathing baby home with me...even if that means I don't get the birth experience of my dreams. But that doesn't keep me from hoping and praying that Sprout comes on his/her own time...and soon!

Not too much else has gone on around here this week. We're just waiting for Sprout to decide to arrive. We just can't wait to meet this baby, and it's hard for me to believe that, one way or another, he or she will be here in just a little over a week. I have thoroughly enjoyed the whole pregnancy experience (even with all the anxiety involved), but I'm ready for our baby to be here! Hopefully my next blog post will be a birth story!

39 Weeks

Well, 39 weeks is here, which means that Sprout's due date is only a week away! It seems pretty unreal. I think I've been pretty patient with this whole pregnancy thing up until this point, but this past week, I've had a lot of trouble being patient. I think it's because I know that the 39 week mark means that Sprout would most likely be just as healthy if he/she were born now as he/she would be this time next week. I'm still enjoying being pregnant (for the most part), but I'm ready to move on and meet this sweet baby! Here's the 39 week picture (and my new haircut)!
This has been another busy week. On Monday night, I went out to dinner for one last "girls night" with Leslie, one of my best friends. We had a delicious dinner at the local Chinese buffet, and I don't know about Leslie, but I sure got my money's worth. :) A really bad storm blew in while we were there, so a tiny portion of our dinner was consumed in the dark. It was quite the little adventure. Leslie gave me a little pep talk and some last minute advice about delivery, etc. I have so appreciated her (and my other mom friends) over these last 9 months. They've been so helpful with their advice and recommendations.
Tuesday night was my last night of teaching until after I return from maternity leave! Woo Hoo! I love my job, and I really enjoy the teaching aspect of it, but it's definitely the most stressful aspect of the job. I've got to say that I'm looking forward to a little over 12 weeks of not grading assignments, tracking down students, and all that stuff. I realized today that I have a serious case of maternity leave-itis. I'm just done with work...it's like senioritis to the millionth degree! It's also hard because there are so many loose ends that I just can't wrap up before I leave (due to the nature of the job), and that's just so hard for me to be okay with. I like nice, neat beginnings and endings. I just feel like there will be too much stuff left for my boss to take care of while I'm gone, but I'm doing my best to keep that to a minimum.
On Wednesday after work, I went to get a much-needed haircut. I have the worst habit of waiting until my hair is just straggly and gross before making an appointment, and that's exactly where my hair was this week. The girl I usually go to doesn't work on Wednesdays, and Wednesday was the only day I was available, so I went out on a limb to try someone new, and I'm glad I did. I love her! When she came out to the lobby area to get me, the two receptionists squealed, "Look at you two!" We're both pregnant! Chelsey is due June 24th (David's birthday!), so she's just a few weeks behind us. We had lots to talk about during the appointment, which is something I usually struggle with. I have to say that I'm loving the new cut. It didn't turn out exactly as I had in mind, but it turned out great nonetheless. I even went way out of my comfort zone and let her cut some bangs. That was the best hair decision I've ever made...why have I held out this long?! It makes such a difference in the overall cut. I think it'll be nice and low maintenance for after the baby comes, which is exactly what I was looking for.
There's not too much else going on right now, which is a good thing because I am just so darn tired all the time now. This is what David usually finds if he gets home from work before I do:
Most days, I just can't wait to get home to take a short nap. Just 30 minute's worth of shut eye in the afternoon after work makes me functional enough to get supper fixed and cleaned up and a couple of other chores...then I'm ready to head to the couch again. Sprout is still super-active, so I've decided that he or she is sucking away all of my energy!
A couple of weeks ago, I talked about my cankles...the result of that lovely pregnancy swelling. My feet/legs were really swollen for about 4 days, then it all went away. Well...guess what's back?

Yep, they're back, and they're worse than before. I've gone to my two biggest (widest) pair of shoes, and this is what one pair did to me today. It's pretty uncomfortable, and I feel pretty sure that Dr. Brown will pay close attention to my blood pressure tomorrow morning. I don't really think my blood pressure is up at all, so I'm not really worried about that...especially since if it is a problem, there wouldn't be any problem in Sprout being born at this point.

Speaking of Sprout's impending arrival...I really thought that last night we might be getting there. I'd been having some stronger contractions all day long, and when I got home, I started timing them. They were about 7 minutes apart for over an hour, and I was beginning to get hopeful, but at the same time, I just didn't feel like they were the real deal. And they weren't. I laid down on the couch for awhile, and they pretty much stopped. Yep, just some practice labor. Oh, well! I'll give Sprout a few more days before I start giving him/her the eviction notice. I don't want him or her in there picking out curtains...we're ready to meet him or her! The countdown is on. If I go by my due date, I'll be at 40 weeks on Sunday...and if I go by the OB's due date, I'll be at 40 weeks next Thursday. Either way, it's incredibly close!

38 Weeks

It's time for the weekly update...for 38 weeks! Wow. The end is so daggone near...it's too much for me to wrap my brain around. Sprout could come pretty much anytime he or she wants at this point. I'd like for him/her to wait at least until Sunday (or Thursday, depending on whose due date you use), when I'm at the 39 week mark, though. I had to take my own picture this week. I had to teach last night and didn't get home until after 8 o'clock, and when I got home David was mowing. As comfortable as maternity pants are, they still aren't as comfortable as my pj's, and I just wanted to get into them as soon as possible! So here are two self-portraits using the new camera (which we're still figuring out).

You can see the little stool in the background that I sit on when I put on my eyeliner in the full-length mirror. I used to sit on the floor to do that, but many weeks ago I got tired of hoisting myself off of the floor by pulling on the side of the tub. The stool has really helped.

This one is a little better, I think, but still not great. I'll have to get David to take a picture today so that I'll have a good one of each week of the pregnancy. On Wednesday, one of the nurses at my hematologist's office informed me that I had "dropped." I don't know...what do you think? I definitely feel more pressure in my pelvis, but I can't really tell a visible difference.

The sugar ban is getting old. I'm not complaining...I'd do anything to be sure that Sprout gets here healthy and strong, but I do miss sweets. I'd be lying if I said I didn't daydream about candy, cookies, cake, and ice cream. And when someone is eating something sweet, sometimes I ask them if I can smell it (weird, I know). And when someone tells me about a meal they've eaten, I always ask them if they had dessert. And then I ask them to describe it to me. I have a problem, don't I? Most of you probably know that I love to bake, but I haven't been doing much lately because I can't eat the sweet treats I bake and because we've been spending our free time fixing up Sprout's room or cleaning the house so that the health inspector will allow us to bring our baby home. :) Anyway, I was tooling around the Internet the other day and spied the first dessert I'll be making once Sprout gets here and I'm back to baking. Get ready, because it really is a little obscene:

It's called a "Pudgy Cake". The bottom layer is a brownie. The middle layer is egg-free cookie dough, and the top layer is a funfetti cake, all covered in buttercream frosting! Can you believe it? I found it at Cookies and Cups, and seriously ya'll, she's a genius. It's become one of my very favorite food blogs, and I can't wait to bake up lots of her sweet treats. I'd offer to share some of my Pudgy Cake with you, but I really think that I can eat the whole thing, especially since I'll be home with Sprout all day, every day, for 12 weeks. I might just put it on a cake carrier and sit it on the couch next to me, since I figure I'll spend lots of time there nursing for awhile. I'll say it again...I have a problem, don't I?

Enough about the sweet treats. David and I have been working hard on getting things ready for Sprout's arrival. I think we have his or her room ready...or at least as ready as it'll be before he or she gets here. I don't want it to be completely gender-neutral, so there are a few things I'll still do after we know if Sprout is a boy or a girl. Would you like to see what we've done so far?

We put up several little shelves, but don't have a lot to put on them right now. We got a set of alphabet blocks, so I thought I'd put Sprout's name in his/her room. Maybe once he or she gets here, I'll put the real name.

See the quilt over the back of the glider? That's the quilt my sister made for Sprout. I love it! I've put a side table by the glider, but it really makes things cramped. I'm not sure that I'll keep it. I just felt like I might need a table there, but seeing as how I've never nursed a baby (or spent that much quality time with one, for that matter), I'm not sure if it's really necessary. I guess I'll try it and see.

I'm really pleased with how the quote over the bed turned out. It could probably use one more coat of paint, but I'm honestly tired of painting, and I don't think Sprout will notice.

That little storage bench was a great find. Mom found it online at Target. Sprout's Uncle Patrick had given us a gift card, so we used it to purchase the bench. Sprout says thank you, Uncle Patrick! It's already full. The child has a full library already, and I'm not sure where we'll put more books that he or she gets. The two drawers are full of toys! This kiddo is spoiled rotten already.

We built our house knowing that we planned to grow our family soon. As we were working with the architect on the plans, one of the things I insisted on was having an extra bedroom on the first floor for a nursery. On the plans, I think the architect listed it as a dining room, but to me, it was always the nursery. I love French doors, and thought these would be so cute for a nursery, and then later on to close off the room if we decided to use it as an office or something like that. What I didn't know was how stinkin' expensive curtains are for these stupid things. We spent an arm and a leg on these curtains, and they're nothing special. If I knew then what I knew now, I probably wouldn't have chosen French doors...but let's just focus on how pretty they are, okay?

We think we're as ready for Sprout as we're ever going to be. The room is done. I moved the Pack 'N Play into our bedroom the other night (mostly to get it out of the living room so I could steam clean the floors). I've washed Sprout's bedding and clothes (except for his or her going home outfit...because I have one girl outfit and two boy outfits). My hematologist said that my platelet count is 124,000! I have a low platelet count all the time, but he wanted to be sure that it was above 100,000 so that I can get an epidural if needed. I'm hoping to not get an epidural, but I want to have the option in case they tell me I have to have a c-section...with an epidural I can be awake for the birth, not out cold. We've got pretty much everything packed:

This is some of the stuff that we're taking to the hospital. The car seat, the breastfeeding pillow, the birth ball, the diaper bag, our bag, and the comfort measures bag. See the list pinned to the side of the bag? That's still stuff we need to gather to take with us.

I was just telling David the other night that I really can't believe that I have a full-sized baby in my belly. A lot of times, I can feel which parts of Sprout I'm feeling. His (or her) little bottom is right below my chest, and when he or she moves from side to side, I can feel it from the outside. And when he or she stretches his/her legs out (most often toward the right), I can feel what I think is a leg or a heel or a foot. It's just absolutely amazing. I've said to a number of people that I just don't see how anyone who has ever been pregnant or who has felt a baby move (from the outside) could deny the existence of God. When you really understand all of the millions of things that have to happen with perfect timing in order for a baby to be conceived and carried to term, you understand how much of a miracle babies really are. As Erma Bombeck once wrote, "I'd...realized that the wonder growing inside of me was my only chance in life to assist God in a miracle."

On Due Dates and Being Oblivious

In my last weekly check-in post (the 37 week one), my mom commented that she'd had a panic attack when she looked at my maternity ticker and noticed that it said that there are only 13 days left until Sprout's due date. So...I thought I'd shed a little light on the due date discrepancy that's there. It's hard to figure out exactly where to begin and how much information to share.
When David and I were finally given the green light to "try again" for our second baby, I did something I said I'd never do. I started charting my temperatures every morning in an effort to maximize my chances of getting pregnant. I'd heard of women doing the whole charting thing, and I thought it was absolutely crazy. But then again, at that point, I think I was absolutely crazy. So every morning, I got up at the same time (which for me was 3:30am, because you have to have a certain number of hours of uninterrupted sleep in order to get an accurate temp) and took my temperature. I also charted various other fertility signs that we won't go into on the internet. :) I used Fertility Friend and a paper chart to keep all of this organized. I was so disappointed each month when I turned up not pregnant. But at least I learned a few things that really helped in our quest for a baby. I learned that everything you read online/in textbooks/anywhere says that a woman is the most fertile on the 14th day of her cycle. Not so! It's amazing we got pregnant the first time, because my "peak fertile day" is always day 10 or 11 of my cycle...so a little earlier than your "average" woman (which is who they must base that 14 day myth on). When I figured that out, it didn't take us too long to hit the jackpot! Now, what does all of this have to do with due dates? Hang on.
When I went to my doctor for my first prenatal appointment, of course, the first thing they asked me was the first date of my last period. That's how they base the due dates...which means that they're also assuming that ovulation takes place on day 14. And that's how we got the June 2nd, 2011 due date. Because if I had a "normal" cycle of 28 days, and ovulated on day 14 of my cycle, then my due date would be June 2nd. But I know that I ovulated on September 5th (because of my temperature charting)...which is the 10th day of my cycle, which means that Dr. Basham's due date is 4 days behind schedule. So...my maternity ticker is based on the due date that I believe to be right...May 29, 2011. (And, for what it's worth, every single ultrasound we've had puts the baby's gestational age in line with a May 29th due date.)
When people ask me what my due date is, I always say June 2nd, and that's for a couple of reasons. First, it's because David really wants Sprout to have a June birthday (because he, his mom, and his brother all have June birthdays). Second, it's because that's the reference point my doctor uses, and I haven't been able to convince her that I know when I ovulated. But for my personal purposes, I base everything off of May 29th. My "change date" (the date I move from week to week in my pregnancy) is Sunday, because September 5th was a Sunday and May 29th is a Sunday.
Believe me, I know that it's a rarity for a baby to be born on his or her due date. I only know of two kiddos who were born "on time." I just think it'll be fun to see how close Sprout gets to each date. There's only four days' difference, which isn't much...but I'd love to meet my baby four days sooner than June 2nd.
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Now it's time for a funny story about my being completely oblivious. Last Friday night, I called my aunt to see if my sister and I could borrow some floral arrangements for a church function we were decorating for. It rang a few times, so I just thought I'd leave a message. But Paula answered on the last ring, and she sounded a little panicked. When I asked to borrow the flower arrangements, she audibly sighed and said, "Oh, I thought you were going to tell me that you were going to the hospital!" That thought hadn't even crossed my mind...after all I was still about 2 1/2 weeks from Sprout's due date! Then, a few days later, I called my Mom to ask a question. She answered the phone and said, "Is this my 'It's time to go to the hospital' call?" Nope...I hadn't even thought of that. Then, yesterday morning, I called David on his cellhpone while he was at work (which is something I do at least once a day). Most of the time, he doesn't answer because he's either in a meeting or doesn't feel it vibrate. But he sure picked up the phone yesterday morning. I said, "What are you doing?" which is my standard line. He said, "I'm in a meeting right now." So of course, I said, "Why are you answering the phone if you're in a meeting?!" And he replied, "Because I thought I'd better start answering it anytime you call." Wow! What had I done to warrant that kind of priority?! "Why?" I asked. He was quiet for a second and said slowly, "In case you're in LABOR!" Oh! I hadn't even thought of that! It just cracks me up that my family members are all hypervigilant about this baby coming, and it's not really even on my radar. I mean, I can't wait for it to happen, but when you've been pregnant for 9 months, it gets kind of hard to believe that it's ever going to happen! I'm not sure that I'll be making too many phone calls over the next few weeks, because I'm only going to disappoint people until they get the real call!

37 Weeks!

What does week 37 mean? It means that little Sprout is officially considered "full term." I think that's because, for the most part, his/her organs should be able to function on their own if he/she were to be born right now. But all of the research indicates that babies really need to stay in utero until 39 weeks, unless their health is compromised for some reason. So...as much as we're ready to meet this baby, he or she needs to bake a little longer. Here's the belly picture for the week, taken at 37 weeks, 3 days. (I need a haircut...that's what it means when my bangs are pulled back.)

I've really felt a lot bigger this week, but I can't really tell that I'm that much bigger from pictures. I also can't tell if Sprout has "dropped" any. It sure feels like it, though! I feel a LOT more pressure in my pelvis, and I'm constantly on the run to the restroom. I had another appointment with Dr. Basham this morning, and she said that it's still going to be a bit before Sprout comes, but I've made some progress since last week. We'll see what next week brings.

You know what happens when you sit around with friends on Derby Day and kind of let yourself brag about the fact that you're nearly 37 weeks pregnant and haven't had any swelling? You wake up the next morning looking like this:

Cankles! I swear, they came out of nowhere. I'm not complaining, though. I just find it very interesting that they snuck up me. It's ninja swelling, that's for sure. I'm very glad that I have a very flexible work environment and a super-supportive boss, because I have exactly 2 pairs of shoes I can wear that aren't flip flops...and neither of them are all that nice or attractive. I just can't see any sense in buying more shoes when the swelling will be gone in a matter of weeks, so the flip flops and other shoes will just have to do. If this had happened about 10 weeks ago, I might have used it as an excuse to buy more shoes, but not at this stage of the game. :) When I showed them to Dr. Basham this morning, she paid a little extra attention to my blood pressure, but it was good. So luckily, no signs of pre-eclampsia. She said that it's perfectly normal to have one foot/leg/ankle swell more than the other, and she also reassured me that the occasional heaviness I feel in my right leg is perfectly normal.

Last night I went to the labor class at Baptist East, and I'm glad I went. I almost flaked out because we've already done 7 weeks of prepared childbirth classes and because I was going alone (David had a work meeting). I got some very interesting information, though. The more of these classes I go to, the more I really get the vibe that they don't really appreciate women attempting a natural childbirth. I just can't figure out what difference it makes to them, though. I mean, they're not the ones laboring, right?! I was also told that once my water breaks, I'm confined to bed. I was not a happy camper when I heard that, because I'm figuring that mobility is going to be very important in coping with labor. I guess I need to start praying that my water breaks pretty late in the game, or Sprout is born in the caul.

David put up the shelves in Sprout's room tonight, so we're that much closer to having everything ready (in an aesthetic sense, anyway!). I spent some time late yesterday afternoon at Babies 'R Us picking up a few last minute things we need. I'm feeling very ready for this baby. I figured at this point that I would be thinking, "Holy crap...I'm not ready for this," but that's not really the case. We've been waiting for this little one for a very long time, so I think that's probably why we're not panicked. I won't lie...lots of times I think to myself, "I have no idea how to take care of a baby." But we have lots of support, and I have a feeling that we'll just kind of fall into it. Sprout, David, and I will all figure it out together. :)

I meant to take a picture of the growing pile of "stuff" to go to the hospital with us. Maybe I'll remember for next week. You can't see the top of the deep freeze right now. We've got the carseat out there, plus three bags and a breastfeeding pillow. I still need to wash the birth ball and put it out there. When the folks at BHE see us coming, they're going to think that we're moving in to stay! I've probably overdone it, but I'd rather do that than leave something at home.