Tuesday, December 25, 2007

Christmas 2007 and baby updates

As Christmas Day 2007 becomes another day in the record books, I wanted to take a minute to pause, thank everyone for my great gifts, share with everyone the cool stuff I got, and to reflect on the past year.

So first, thank you to everyone who gave me something. :-) Plainly said, but it gets the point across. I got some really great gifts this year, and I would like to thank everyone for them.

Which brings me to the sharing part: Thank you to Mom and Dad C. for the clementines, the coffee, the Starbucks gift card, and Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix DVD.
Thank you to Jen for the Olive Garden gift card! I know you gave us some other things, but I can't remember them now... sorry!
Thank you to Mike and Kim for the Ugly Betty Season 1 DVD set and the Kohl's gift card! I used the gift card to get some new sneakers!
Thank you to Aunt Donna for the coupon book and the statue of the snowman and the puppy!
Thank you to Mom and Dad S. for the clothes, the socks, the slippers, the necklace, and the earrings. Especially - thank you for the AAA membership! That's awesome! I'm so excited about that!
Thank you to Katie and Bobby for the bath gift set and anything else that I can't think of right now!
Thank you Grammy for the gift card that we don't know where it's to yet :-)
Thank you Bonnie and Mark for the Smitty's gift card - we haven't been to the movies in ages!
Thank you Aunt Pat for the gift card we can use anywhere!
Thank you Henry for the Best Buy gift card!
Thank you Jason for the baby monitor and the noise projector thing! That's really cool!
And especially thank you to my awesome husband, for all of the really cool gift cards - La Festa, Flatbreads, Olive Garden and Starbucks! I can't wait to be able to continue our date nights after the baby comes!
I'm going to feel horrible if I've forgotten anyone. I feel pretty terrible that I can't even remember everything that I got, but I'm going to blame that on "pregnancy brain."

This past year has been a very interesting one. I know some of you have been following my year since I found out I am pregnant in May. I've had, as in any year, some ups and downs, but fortunately, this year has been mostly full of ups. I had some great experiences substitute teaching, teaching summer school and learning the ins and outs of working at a non-profit. Finding out that my body was housing a new little human was an amazing discovery, since we didn't really think that it would happen without a lot more effort. In fact, I think even my doctor was surprised! I had an appointment set up for the very next week to start trying the next course of action after what we had done... turns out we didn't need it! And not to mention just getting another year with my wonderful husband has been very special. We have a fantastic relationship, and I am really looking forward to being able to learn to be a parents with him. His word to describe the impending birth of our baby is that he is "emotionless" about it. I don't think it's a bad thing - at least not right now. It means that he's not nervous, he's not worked up about it, or anything, and I think that's a good thing. He is excited about being a dad, don't get me wrong, I think he's just nervous about the energy it's going to require to be a parent. I think he'll be fine :-)

Now, speaking of the baby - Let look at this weeks baby info!


My Baby
Your baby's hanging out, enjoying his last few weeks of snuggly comfort in your womb. His brain -- in charge of complicated jobs like regulating breathing, digestion, and circulation -- is functioning better every day. But as your baby relaxes in there, you're probably doing anything but! Many moms-to-be may find themselves in full-on nesting mode right now. Cleaning and straightening is a great way to stay busy during the end-of-pregnancy waiting game, but make sure you don't overdo it -- hello, you're nine months pregnant! (More on that in My Life.)





My Body
C-sections account for nearly 30 percent of all births these days, but most of these are not preplanned. Your doctor may schedule one in advance if you're expecting multiples, if your baby is positioned poorly (breech) for vaginal delivery, if you have placenta previa (where your placenta is lying low in your uterus and may block the baby's way out), or if you have a medical condition, such as high blood pressure, that increases the risk of complications during labor. But many women who don't think they'll need a c-section end up requiring one because their labor stalls (this accounts for a third of all c-sections, according to the Mayo Clinic) or the baby shows signs of distress.
When you think about what labor and delivery might be like, odds are you're not exactly fantasizing about having a c-section. (It is major surgery, after all.) So you may feel upset or disappointed if your doctor recommends one -- or seriously freaked if you're suddenly whisked into the operating room after hours of labor. While it's completely normal and valid to have these feelings, remember that what matters most isn't how you deliver your baby, but that he arrives healthy. But it might help to discuss all those burning what-ifs with your doctor now, so you're at least a little prepared and know at what point or under what circumstances she'd consider performing one. The more informed you are, the easier your mind will rest.
My Life
Are you a cleaning machine these days? Nesting instinct is a real, scientifically proven drive that many other animals (like dogs) engage in too. Go with those feelings, but be smart about 'em. Avoid carrying really heavy things and, naturally, steer clear of harsh cleansers and paint. And don't stay up until all hours (pregnant women have been known to get up to tackle the garage at 3 a.m.) or exhaust yourself making sure the house is neat, cozy, spotless, and top-to-bottom disinfected. Your baby won't be able to see more than about 6 inches in front of him for several weeks after he's born -- he's not going to know or care if there are a couple of dirty dishes in the sink or whether you've taken a toothbrush to the grout in the bathroom. Save up some of that energy -- you're gonna need it for labor!

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