Yesterday was a Baboo-focused day.  I had a doctor’s appointment in the morning that went just fine.  I am very proud of myself that I can still sit myself up after lying down on the table– the doctor always reaches over to help me and I’m like, “Look, I still have some stomach muscles, buddy!”  :-)   With all the growth and movement on Baboo’s part lately, however, I imagine the next time I’ll be stranded until I receive some aid!  In any case, I tried to be charming with the comment, “I’m so glad I passed my Glucose Tolerance Test so I can eat pie for Thanksgiving!” and ended up getting a mini-lesson on how it’s still important to keep sugar intake low so as not to grow an oversized baby.  Um, yeah- but I’ll still be eating PIE!!  Maybe even three kinds!!!

Then last night, we attended the first of 5 Prepared Childbirth classes.  There were 11 couples in the class, and actually, I think our due date of Jan 4th was the second soonest after somone due on New Year’s Day.  So a totally different group than the crazies on the hospital tour.  The evening was relatively uneventful–I’ve read so many books that there wasn’t any earth-shattering learning–but we’re happy to see that the group will be entertaining in its own way.  Lots of nervous laughter, especially on the parts of the men, during various conversations and demonstrations.   I kinda felt like I was with a bunch of middle-schoolers.  But people seemed nice in general and I’m still holding out for making some new friends!

And in other news (but still kinda related to Baboo and his future baby bottles), we’re getting a new dishwasher installed today!  Hooray!! 

Last night, Seth and I accepted the reality that is to come and embarked on a guided tour of the baby-related halls of the hospital.  We were originally scheduled to go later this month but had to change that date so I think the majority of the other preggos were at least a few weeks closer to a due date than I am.  So maybe it makes sense that they all have more questions– after all, we don’t start our 5-session Prepared Childbirth class until next week.  But really?  Seth and I will probably never ask the kinds of questions these people were asking.  I know it’s hard to believe that I can be laid-back about anything with all my general anxieties and paranoias, but I really have no interest in being anything other than the nice, pleasant patient who trusts that these good people know what they’re doing.  I know this might all change as soon as Baboo is born and suddenly I’ll have the sharp claws of maternal protection; as for now, however, why would I presume to know anything more than the professionals?   Let me tell you, though, it’s a good thing that they do indeed have filtered water (the “blue lady’s” 15th question)….we certainly would’ve had to take our baby business elsewhere if they didn’t. 

So anyway, the rest of the story is that this was really my first extended time in a hospital.  I can remember maybe going to visit family members in 2 hospitals over the last many, many years.  I realize this makes me very lucky, but it also potentially makes me that much more uneasy about spending time there myself.  (Side note: it cracks me up that they hide all the equipment behind the framed print above the bed.  How Alias of them.)  While we were checking out the waiting room of the L&D area, a couple walked by to check in with her clearly being in labor.  Then a few minutes later, when we were gathered in a L&D room, we could hear some screaming down the hall from another of the rooms.  Lovely!

Seth, of course, loved it.  I think in another life, he might have enjoyed medical school.  We couldn’t really figure out what sort of doctor he should have been, though.  Seems like it should be something dark and creepy, right??!  

The good (?) people at babycenter.com stopped sending me weekly e-mail newsletters around 22 weeks.  No idea why that happened, but I since have learned that you can log onto their site and still find the weekly info and occasionally they still reference produce items.  (Hmm– maybe that’s why they did it, to lure us into their website. Tricky.)  In any case, as the calendar switches to 32 weeks today, I am excited to announce that Baboo is apparently the weight of a large jicama.  Yes, a jicama and not a regular one at that.  A LARGE one.  Let’s all become more informed citizens today as we learn just exactly what jicama is:

From The American Heritage Dictionary  (on dictionary.com)– n.   A crisp, sweet turnip-shaped root vegetable (Pachyrhizus erosus) used raw in salads and as crudités or cooked in stews. Also called Mexican turnip, yam bean.

Wow, “yam bean” is so much cooler.  I’m totally going to start calling him Yam Bean.  Or perhaps YamBeanie?

In other news, as Kerry taught us all in her Baby Dunbar blog, there’s a whole lot of weight-gaining going on in relation to blood.  According to my 32-week newsletter, my blood volume has increased 40-50% since the little yam bean came to be.  Crazy.  They also tell me that I may experience shortness of breath and discomfort while sleeping.  Yes and yes.  Thank goodness I haven’t started in with the heartburn like I know some other bf2k7 preggos dealt with.  Happy thoughts for no heartburn, people!! 

Author’s Note:  Okay, first of all, how weird is this?  I use the word “travail” all the time but I decided before posting on such a well-read site that I’d make sure I’ve been using it correctly.  Indeed, it does mean what I thought it did–but who knew that the 3rd definition of the word is “the pain of childbirth”?  I do NOT mean it in that way at this time…

Seth came home the other evening and asked me what was on my shirt.  ????  I had no idea what he was talking about.  He starts cracking up because he realizes my ignorance is due to the fact that I can’t SEE what’s on my shirt because of, yes, my big belly.  Turns out I’d been wandering around with flour all over the underside of said big belly but I couldn’t see it due to the roundness on the top!  And then last night, I was trying to move pork chops from one pan to another when one bounced off my big belly, hit the stove, and landed on the floor.  It’s so sad.

I also think the preggers clumsiness has set in.  Besides the pork chop incident, I knocked a glass over and it broke into lots of pieces, although thankfully I knocked it into the sink and not onto the floor.  I continue to walk into things fairly often but I suppose that could just be because I’m extra-wide (like I wasn’t wide enough already!).  Seriously, if these hips of mine don’t result in seriously-reduced travail (3rd definition), I’m going to be really disappointed. 

My eating and sleeping also have been amped up.   One bad thing about working from a home office is that it is so easy to be distracted by the kitchen.  I am constantly in there rooting around for a tasty treat.  The good news for my scale visits is that we don’t buy anything too unhealthy so even if I’m eating all the time, at least it’s whole-grain toast or cheddar and wheat crackers or something like that.  (And actually, the opening episode of this entry stemmed from my constant hunger.  I really wanted a palette for jelly, apple butter, and/or spun honey, but there was no bread anywhere in the house at the time and I didn’t feel like going to the grocery store.  So Sheils suggested I make biscuits.  Why don’t I do this more often?  Use Bisquick and you’re done in like 10 minutes!!)

The sleep thing is crazy.  Last night, I took a delicious nap on the couch starting at 7:15 pm.  I did wake up in time for House at 9, but true to form, I only made it through the first half before I was asleep again, this time sleeping until 10:30 or so.  Then I went to bed.  I know, I know– get sleep while I can!  Mission accomplished!

I was treated to a wonderful tea party baby shower on Saturday, organized fabulously by Christy and Kathy.  They put out quite the beautiful spread and welcomed more than 15 of us into Kathy’s home.  Christy organized both a Wegmans-centric game and a celebrity-centric game so this truly was an Emily-appropriate party!  Sheils got to meet many of my friends she’s been hearing me talk about for a long time now; it was so great to have her in town!  We actually accomplished quite a few things while she was here– Baboo now has a mattress so he won’t have to sleep on the floor (or a drawer) and we also selected a fine rocking chair that we are going to finish to match the other nursery furniture. (And by “we”, you know I mean Seth, right??!!)   Anyway, it was a delightful weekend and many thanks to everyone who played a part.  OH– and there was quite a gang at Seth’s game Saturday morning as well to cheer on the ultimately victorious Warriors in what was quite the nail-biting game!

Here are a few pics from the festivities:  the tasty spread (but I forgot to take a picture of all the teapots!), me with the hostesses, and some gift-opening!