Our first class

Last night Eric and I attended a baby care class at the hospital. 8 couples in a room with an instructor to teach us how to care for a baby. It was a diverse mix of couples. The girl next to me was pretty young and said she brought her little brother because her boyfriend was out of town. The couple across from us was pretty young too.

All in all we learned a lot. I'm sure much of it we would have learned "on the job," but it's nice to have some tips to get us started. At least we feel more like we have a clue. We learned how to swaddle a baby, take their temperature, give them a bath...

In other news, my parents house in Phoenix sold - so they should be in San Antonio for the birth!

28 week doctor visit

Well, I failed my 1 hour glucose screening. This apparently is not cause for alarm yet, but I have to return in a few weeks to do a more thorough 3 hour screening. According to my Internet research, while 15-23% of the 1 hour results come back abnormal, only 2-7% of expectant moms end up with gestational diabetes.

I also am "a little bit anemic." So the doctor recommended adding an iron supplement to my daily routine.

On the bright side, the baby's heartbeat sounded good (145 bpm). And they can't say I haven't gained enough weight (40 lbs so far...)!

Next appointment is September 8th - for a check-up and the 3 hour glucose screening.

Gestational Diabetes Test Today

As I write, I am drinking the orange drink to begin my gestational diabetes screening. It's kinda weird, but I don't mind the taste! Probably because I frequently drink orange soda. I will sit here at work for a little while longer and then drive over to the doctor for them to take blood and for a check-up. I will post the outcome later.

Childbirth classes and childcare classes and breastfeeding classes, oh my!

Being the procrastinator that I am, I did not sign up for any of our classes until today. I knew I couldn't take any of the classes until August/September but I guess I should have called earlier. High drama there. Here are the classes we are looking at:

• Childbirth - I suppose this is the traditional class that couples take. It's 12 hours and covers the actual childbirth, including pain management options, cesarean's, the partner's role in labor and delivery, etc. I'm sure there will be some scary videos! All weekend offerings of this class were filled through my due date, so we will be taking this class every Tuesday in September from 6-9pm.
• Baby care - this one is probably not essential to all couples but is ABSOLUTELY essential to Eric and me, considering we don't know a thing about babies! It covers diapering, baths, sleeping and crying patterns, etc. I'm sure we will need to take a ton of notes! Or else we will be calling our mothers constantly in the first weeks (who am I kidding, we will still be calling our mothers!). All instances of this class were full at the hospital we are delivering at, so we are having to go to another Baptist hospital. It will be Thursday, August 27 from 6-9pm.
• Breastfeeding - here is where the biggest problem was. All instances of this class are full - including at all of the other Baptist hospitals in the city . The only one I could get in was for October 28 - less than 2 weeks before my due date! So needless to say, I will be looking into classes offered by other hospitals. I also found a DVD you can order, which I suppose would be an option too.

Back issues

Well, the lower back pain has begun. This weekend I "tweaked" my back getting out of the car. I guess I need to be more careful carting around this extra weight. It was also annoying because I just commented earlier in the day that I was pleased with how my back was holding up through the pregnancy. Apparently when I said "knock on wood," that didn't prevent me from jinxing myself!

First kick felt from the outside!

The baby was pretty active just now, so I was pressing on my stomach from the outside. I felt her kick - so called Eric over. She kicked him! Awww - the first kick felt by dad :)

First piece of nursery furniture - a glider!

Went last week to pick up something at Babies R Us using a 15% off coupon. We decided the glider would be a good first purchase because we could start to use it now. I'm having troubles getting comfortable sitting on the couch downstairs.

I went at lunch one day, expecting that I'd have to order it. I was shocked to learn that it was in stock and available to take home. Unfortunately, when the workers brought the box to my car, it quickly became clear that the box was not going to fit in my car. I ended up having them take it out of the box and put the individual pieces in.

The story ended well, as I now have a comfy chair in the living room!

Doctor's Appointment - 25th week

I went to the doctor last Thursday. Nothing exciting to report. All looked well and she said I was "measuring good." She said I had another large weight gain :( And here I thought the weight was relatively under control! She asked some questions and we determined that I'm lacking exercise. I guess I shouldn't be surprised, since the only exercise I've had in the last couple of weeks is to walk from my desk at work to the bathroom and then to my car. Oh yeah - and I walk to my bed at night. I guess that's what happens when you work too much!

I go again on Friday, August 21st and they do the test for gestational diabetes. And I already have the next visit scheduled too. It's Tuesday, September 8th. Eeks - the every 2 weeks visits are starting!