Gosh... 6 more... what??

Tonight we have our water birthing class. I'm super excited!!

The baby and the belly...

I sure make people happy. Walking down the street I am smiled at, waved to, and more people want to say hello to me than ever before. Now I know what it must be like to be famous.

The belly's so big... how big is it? The belly's so big it needs its own area code...

Day-to-Day people are stopping me in the grocery store to talk to me now. I'm rubbed and loved and praised and told how happy I make them. It's weird, and fascinating at the same time how life brings people happiness. I'm in a whole new world, and loving every minute of it...

HeShe

He believes it's a girl... I believe it's a boy. It's so fun we don't know the gender of our baby, and in the beginning of the pregnancy we were told by our families and friends it's annoying/frustrating that we didn't find out. But... I think everyone is kind of glad and excited because there's a bit of suspense and mystery in not knowing the gender. Place your bets, friends!!

While buying an onion at the farmer's market, the vendor asked me if I thought purchasing only one onion would be enough. I was a bit confused and said yes... then he replied, "Are you sure? There's two of you..." pointing at my belly. This was the opening dialog for the questions to begin. The vendor's questions fit in with all other pregnancy related questions I've been asked... they seem to have a formula of their own, and I'm positive any other pregnant woman would agree with me.

First Question: How far along are you/when are you due?

Second Question: Is it a boy, or a girl?

Third Question: YOU DON'T KNOW??

Fourth Question: Doesn't that drive you crazy/How can you stand not knowing??

What can I say? I don't like to ruin surprises. I don't open my Christmas presents before December 25th... why would I ruin the largest surprise I can ever give myself?

One of my favorite aspects about keeping the baby's gender a surprise is picking names. From the beginning we wanted to pick one name that would work for either a boy, or a girl. Now we're playing with tons of names and sounds. This morning we woke up before the sun and the first words out of Jacob's mouth were names for the baby. Word play, anyone??

To Pee, or not to Pee...

There are many great things about drinking tons of water during pregnancy- it keeps the body hydrated, the skin elastic to prevent stretching, and flushes the body of any toxins... keepin' it real healthy. The bad part is... pee-city. It's constant, and now I'm having a hard time telling when I have to actually go. Sometimes I feel like "OMG, I HAVE TO PEE!!", and then I sit and a small trickle comes out. Sometimes I don't feel like I have to pee and think it's just the baby, but then have to rush to the toiley to prevent an accidental wetting of the pants.

RBM

Caught on Film...

32 WEEKS... Jacob caught me doing some mommy prenatal yoga in the beautiful Chico sunlight! The weather is perfect right now, and it smells like life blooming. Here are some pictures of the belly. Only 8 Weeks to Go!! OMG... so excited.

The Head is Down...

Last night in our child birthing class we had a lactation consultant come in and talk to us about breast feeding... wow did I learn a lot of the overall benefits of breastfeeding! It amazes me some women opt NOT to breastfeed their child.

These are some major points that I found interesting...

* Breast milk is the most complete form of nutrition for infants. A mother's milk has just the right amount of fat, sugar, water, and protein that is needed for a baby's growth and development. Most babies find it easier to digest breast milk than they do formula.

* Breastfed babies score slightly higher on IQ tests because the breast milk has the right amount of fat necessary for brain development!!

* Breast milk is perfectly suited to nourish infants and protect them from illness. Mothers develop antibodies against illness and pass these antibodies on through the breast milk!!!

* Breast-fed infants have lower rates of hospital admissions, ear infections, diarrhea, rashes, allergies, and other medical problems than bottle-fed babies. OH!! And they don't spit up as often as bottle-fed babies... this is interesting because the way babies nurse from the breast give them the perfect amount of food (not too much or too little). When a bottle-fed baby drinks too much their little stomachs expand too fast and can lead to obesity later in life... and it's why they spit up all over the place (there's too much in there, gnar!).

Cow's milk contains a different type of protein than breast milk. This is good for calves, but human infants can have difficulty digesting it. It tears up their tummy's! Bottle-fed infants tend to be fatter than breast-fed infants, but not necessarily healthier. Cow milk for baby cows, human milk for baby humans!! DUH.

Ok... you get the point...

+++===+++
This morning I had my (31 week) midwife appointment. It went really well...

My midwife checked my legs and said I'm drinking the right amount of water. I have no bloating, and no swollen anything. She checked my heart and blood pressure and it's all perfect. The baby's heart beat is really strong and healthy. The head is down!!! I'm really excited about that... and the baby is getting bigger (16 inches OMG!) I carry the baby in front of me because I'm small and have a small torso, which makes me look huge. I weigh 170 now (daaaaaaaaang).

She's told me twice now that I'm going to be fine during labor... gave me a lot of compliments about how well I'm taking care of myself and I have the right frame of mind to succeed. It was a good visit all around... it relieved some worries and made me feel good about where I am and how I'm doing as a momma.