30 Weeks

Today marks week 30 of pregnancy. It's the fourth quarter folks. Go ahead and hold up four fingers and play that Green Day song because we're in the home stretch.

30 weeks down, 10 to go.

Though according to our recent childbirth class, it may be more like 6 or 7 weeks to go, or maybe 11 or 12 weeks to go. Apparently we need to be ready and flexible because Baby Trey is on his own schedule, and we're just along for the ride.

Speaking of childbirth classes, so far we've had one in a series of five with our second tonight. And to be honest they have been much less traumatic than I expected. For this I am thankful, though they have four more opportunities (including one in less than 12 hours) to scare the heebie jeebies out of me.

Week One we pretty much went over the basics of the third trimester leading up to delivery - true vs. false labor, signs of preterm labor, how to time contractions, when to call the doctor, danger signs, etc. Mostly I was just relieved to walk into the room and find it set up like a classroom with tables, chairs, and a projector rather than a gym with mats and big round exercise balls. There were a few graphic animated video clips showing various aspects of delivery, but nothing too traumatic. The hip skeleton model with the fake baby was a little weird, especially when the instructor, a labor and delivery LPN, tried to force the baby through the hips to show us the whole process of that eventful trip through the birth canal. Let's just say it looked like things weren't quite going to fit. Most of the information was actually pretty useful and news to my virgin ears (Ha! No pun intended... Sorry. Clearly just cracked myself up.), so at least we're that much more prepared.

To be honest, I was a little on the fence about the value of attending childbirth classes at all. It just seems like with some things in life it just might be best to remain in the dark on the details until you have to know (ignorance is bliss, right?). And even then, in the case of childbirth, to just let the doctors and nurses tell you what to do when you need to do it. I'm not all about being an expect on labor and delivery since I plan to have a room full of them and go through it at most three times during my lifetime, but then again this is coming from the girl whose birth plan is one word - epidural. In the end, I say to each her own, and more power to you, but I am glad we decided to do the classes.

I may change my tune after tonight. On the docket for Week Two is the stages of labor (with the scary labor video, or so I've been warned) and medical interventions (if that is code for "drugs," yes please). But if we survive that we get the tour of UAB's brand spankin' new Women & Infants Center including the L&D rooms, postpartum rooms, and newborn nursery.

I actually can't wait for Robert to see this. Working in development at UAB, we've given this tour to donors dozens of times. I've been at UAB four years now, and though I wasn't around for the groundbreaking I was here for much of the fundraising for this space, as well as the dedication and grand-opening. We've done hardhat tours, post opening tours,donor signage, and everything in between. I'm so proud of our facilities, especially the RNICU. This first-class facility for women and infant services now truly matches the first-class care that's always been at UAB. That's our little catch phrase, but it really is true. I wouldn't be delivering at UAB if I didn't think so.

As familiar as I am with this space on a professional level, I'll probably be paying a little more attention this time around since we'll be calling the WIC home for a few days come early July. More details on Week Two classes to come, pending I'm not so scarred from the video that I can recall them.

New pregnancy symptoms at 30 weeks:

-I'd say the first is a general slowness. Things just aren't happening as quickly these days, probably because of the second new symptom...

-Heaviness. Baby is getting bigger. So am I. Though I'm still staying active and keeping up the best I can with my walks and other exercise, my pace is definitely off. Again, I think the massive tummy poking out front is to blame. It's also the reason for the third new symptom...

-Clumsiness. Basically, I've turned into a klutz. Believe it or not, this is actually new territory for me. It's got to be due to the fact that with all that weight out front my balance is completely off. I've almost tripped trying to step out of pants oh, about a dozen times and actually find myself running into my office furniture (desk, bookshelf, credenza) while at work when I'm getting up from my desk. I'm not making sudden, swift movements (lets be honest, nothing is sudden and swift these days). I'm just trying to move normally, but somehow I manage to do it leaning or falling over. It's the weirdest thing.

-And then there are the basics - insomnia, heartburn, an almost ever-present need to use the bathroom...just par for the course. Oh, and trying oh so hard to remember to do those darn kegels. I heard the 5-5-5 rule was good. Five times in a row, for five seconds each, once every hour for five hours each day.

In all seriousness, I'm actually very grateful to still be working full time and feeling fairly well for the most part, keeping active and staying up on most of my activities. God has been good to us and continues to bless this pregnancy, and for that we are thankful and blessed.

On the nursery front, my mother-in-law is making wonderful progress on Trey's bedding. I get so excited every time she texts me a pic of her handiwork in progress - the bumpers or skirt or monogram. They'll be in town the weekend of May 20-22 along with Robert's sisters, so I'll post pics of the finished product then or shortly thereafter once we've got everything in place.

Still waiting on the rocker and hoping it comes in the next three to four weeks. Ordered the rug for the nursery last night along with the chandelier. Am close to finalizing the artwork and need to paint a few pieces of furniture, but for the most part we're on the home stretch with nursery prep too.

It's the fourth quarter folks. Here's hoping this one doesn't go into overtime.

P.S. - The journalist in me decided to just bite the bullet and include the 30 week photo at the top of this post...with the following disclaimer: Holy Moly I'm huge!!!! Everyday people at the office or around town say nice things like "you look so good" or "what a cute baby bump" or "you're so little." But now that I see this photo that Robert took I'm beginning to think they're fudging the truth. I'm ginormous. Where on earth did that belly come from?