Mass Chaos Ensues!

We've had a medically-intense week - three doctor's appointments in 7 days, another scheduled next Wednesday, and to top it all off, the veterinarian's office has become our second home due to Purna eating a large wad of ribbon and undergoing emergency surgery on Monday. Whew! The smell of antiseptic is coating our winter jackets!

On Monday, the baby weighed in at a whopping 6 pounds, and I'm on modified bed rest for the next two weeks (we'll be at 36 weeks then) to keep baby from pushing through to the other side. It's too early, baby. You need to stay in there a little longer and bake. But baby is ready to see the world and play with all the great toys we've been given... baby wants to come now, even though our due date is still 6 weeks away. The doctor said our goal is to have the baby hang out for two more weeks, and then we'll see what happens. All of this information led to Dave having a major freak-out and deciding last night that no matter what, he had to put the crib together. JUST IN CASE.

Well. Like I said, I'm on modified bed rest which means I wasn't going to help, and we didn't call a friend over because it was Friday night, and so Dave disappeared into the back room for 4 hours to battle the crib directions all by himself. Let's just say that some major steps in putting together this most important piece of furniture were missing, Dave got cranky beyond belief, and I slept through it on the couch. But now... TA-DA! The crib is ready, except we have no sheets or anything, but still...

Then this morning on the way to pick up a prescription, Dave installed the infant car seat, too. JUST IN CASE. So now we're closer to being ready for the big arrival, even though we really need the baby to stay put for at least two more weeks. Hang on, little one. 'Cuz once you come out, there's no going back in.

How Do You Put a Baby in a Car Seat? Verrrrrry Carefully

Dave and I are practicing to be parents, but it's a little difficult without an actual human being to test our skills on. This weekend we decided to open the box holding the car seat and stroller and see what we could figure out. After some finagling, we finally got the teddy bear strapped into the car seat - aren't we glad we DIDN'T try this out on a human, or else we might have dislocated an arm. The stroller, however, is still lying prostrate in the back room, ready for one of us to screw on the wheels. We think it looks great in that heap. Very user-friendly.

The Belly Cast

Ooh hoo hoo. Dave certainly looks proud of himself in the top picture. And look at me, covered in plaster! Dave and I took the time to create the belly cast this weekend, and here's the picture to prove it. We also destroyed the bathroom and a pair of sweat pants in the process, but it was worth it!

The next step is to let it dry, sand it, and paint it. I'm thinking this will be a good activity for me when my "nesting" urge kicks in prior to labor - rather than cleaning the house spotless, I think I'll finish the belly cast.

See our earlier post, Pregnant Belly as Art?, for further explanation as to how this art project entered our lives.

Banking Our Cord Blood

Now it's time for your public service message. Dave and I (with the generous support of family) have decided to bank our baby's umbilical cord blood. What this means is that at the birth, once Dave cuts the umbilical cord, the doctors will save some of the cord blood in a super-fancy plastic ziploc bag, and then Fed-Ex picks it up and delivers it to a lab in Boston. And then, hopefully, the blood will sit in the Boston lab for the next 25 years without ever being touched. In the off-chance that the baby in born with a genetic disorder or develops a disease during that 25 year time period, the cord blood will provide the necessary stem cells for treatment.

This technology is expanding rapidly - ten years ago stem cells only treated a small handful of diseases, but now they can use the technology in over 40 different cancers, hemoglobin diseases, bone marrow deficiencies, and immunodeficiencies. Current research focuses on heart disease.

The great thing about cord blood banking is that if the donor/baby eventually needs the stem cells, his/her body won't reject them. Also, the stem cells can be used for siblings, parents, or anyone who is related by blood, with a lower incidence of rejection.

There are a number of private companies out there, and we've chosen ViaCord at the advice of our doctor. He recommended them due to their longevity, financial security, and his prior experience with their employees and staff. Some states now have public cord banking, too, but New York hasn't gotten their act together enough for Dave and I to hand them a nice big check.

We are thinking of cord blood banking like life insurance: you don't want to buy it because it's creepy, but you need to buy it because it's necessary. We felt that a couple of hundred dollars a year was worth the peace of mind.

Are Those Bunny Ears I See?

I sent this photo to my mom yesterday, and she insisted I post it for all of you. I'm not exactly sure whether those pink and black things are bunny ears, space antennae, crab eyes? Because they certainly don't look like my feet.

Showing Off My Eighth Month Belly

Two photos (click on each to enlarge) for your viewing pleasure, taken at 32 weeks. Only 8 more weeks to go! Now if I could only figure out where the baby is going to go as it grows. It's getting a little cramped in there.

The baby's movements have changed substantially in the past week and a half. Rather than kicks and random movements, baby has a schedule (10pm? Law and Order is on TV - time to wake up and move!) and reflexes. So when Dave puts his head against my belly to listen in on the noises of the womb, baby kicks him in the ear. If I push on baby's feet, baby kicks back. If I rub near baby's head, baby moves. Amazing!

FYI: black maternity dress from Gap Maternity Online. Pants are beginning to be uncomfortable and slide down the belly. (For relevant musical interlude, click here to listen to the Nields' song, Shoes: Farewell My Pants) Maybe I will wear this black maternity dress every day for the rest of pregnancy???

FYI part 2: Last night Dave and I went out to dinner, and I wore sweat pants and a sweatshirt (which for anyone who knows me knows that that is NOT acceptable). Before we left the house, I asked Dave if it was ok that I didn't change. He replied, "Considering how much effort you would expend just to change clothing, it's ok. But 8 months ago, it would not have been ok." Ah, true love.

Hello, Mr. Braxton-Hicks

I have met Mr. Braxton-Hicks. You know how one day you'll meet someone for the first time, and then suddenly you'll see the person everywhere - grocery store, public bathroom, sidewalk? Well, that's a good assessment of my newfound relationship with Mr. Braxton-Hicks.

Braxton-Hicks contractions are pre-labor contractions. They are the body's way of warming up for the big event. They do not mean you are going into labor, although many a person has freaked out and driven to the hospital just to be told that she has been visited by Mr. Braxton-Hicks. Not to worry.

Last week I started getting cramps in weird places, like around my belly button (still an innie - probably never destined to be an outie, much to Dave's disappointment). They didn't last long, but they were powerful little buggers. A couple of times I gasped. They don't hurt, but they are startling to experience. Involuntary cramping can do that. I'd compare them to menstrual cramps, but again, they occur in strange places.

But then I was leaving school yesterday afternoon, carefully maneuvering through the icy parking lot and sliding a little bit, when suddenly, BAM! Contraction. My body cramped so severely I stopped walking, grabbed the nearest vehicle's side-view mirror, and practiced my yoga breathing. Whoa. After about 45 seconds, I was able to slide over to my car and take a break behind the steering wheel. The whole episode made me nervous. Please, please, please, I thought, we cannot go into labor now. It is simply too early for this. And then... nothing else happened. I wasn't in labor at all. I had been visited by Mr. Braxton-Hicks.

Later that afternoon, we had our 32 week check-up, and the Nurse Practitioner confirmed that those mysterious cramps were Braxton-Hicks contractions. The big one and the little ones. And I've already had two today. So it seems that Mr. Braxton-Hicks and I are destined to be friends for the remainder of the pregnancy. I am welcoming him because I like to think that his presence shows that my body knows how to do this. We are getting ready.