Thirty Weeks

Whoo, hitting 30 is pretty incredible! We've almost made it through our Lamaze classes (only one more Monday), then we have a break from "training" until we attend a Baby Care weekend class.

Preparations seem to have slowed a bit since we got the nursery together. Our first shower is coming up, which I'm super-excited about, and we're trying to start winding things down with church involvement and projects. I reminded a lady at work yesterday that I wouldn't be able to do the newsletter we usually put out at the beginning of January. She thought maybe we could bump it back a month, which I said was fine, but after I got off the phone, I wondered if I'd still be working there in February. Jon got his resume together last night, with one going in the mail today. So the job hunt has started! We'll see where God takes us!

And how is Caleb doing this week? Jill mentioned that she'd read that babies are most active in week 28, but I'd say it's been this past week for us. He moves all around, and when I lay on my said, he pushes against whatever I'm laying on. There have been a couple of times when I actually gasp because of the surprising bit of pain I feel, but it's so quick (and really more of a surprise than painful) that it still isn't bothering me or keeping me awake.

Speaking of being awake, I am still sleeping through the night! No midnight trips to the bathroom! I'm pretty proud of my bladder's capacity, actually. Though Jon and I were out on a date on Tuesday, and I had to go to the bathroom three times! Not sure what happened there....

Okay, back to Caleb. He's grown to almost 16 inches, and weighs three pounds! It won't be too long before he catches up with Bonnie and Clyde! I haven't felt any more hiccups, but I might just be missing them. Who knows. And that's about all I know about my little baby boy. I can't wait until he's made his debut so I can take pictures and give you videos. Right now these updates are mostly about me (and my bladder, apparently), which is only interesting to people who haven't been through it, yet.

Lamaze was interesting on Monday night. We took a tour of the hospital, which was very cool. My doctor's office is on the same floor, and just a short walk away, so I think I can figure it out, even in the throes of labor. :) If not, I'll make it to my dr's office, and someone can guide me from there! The labor/delivery room is very nice! It's big, with a couch, a couple chairs, and a rocking chair. The furniture looks like real furniture: cherry dresser and armoire, and a frou-frou lamp on the side table. I remember there being a spotlight in Karen's room, so the dr. could see better (yes, spotlight on the hooha...just what everyone needs), but was a little relieved to see that wasn't here in this hospital. Oh, until the instructor pushed the magic button, and these huge trap doors opened from the ceiling to reveal a ginormous spotlight. Great! Well, at least everyone will have a good view!

Throughout the tour, I was again reminded of the beauty of labor, and how God works out this crazy thing in us. The more I learn (and I realize I'm learning from a proponent of natural birth), the more I think that natural birth is the way to go. No, I haven't seen any evidence that it's that much better for the baby, but it does seem that it's better for the mama (barring the pain part, of course). Studies show that having a baby while in a sitting position can reduce labor time by 25%! That's quite a lot! The normal way we see birth is with mom laying back, or sometimes slightly inclined. There are positions that help the baby turn, that move him down more, and prevent tearing or the need for an epesiotomy. If my legs are like jello, I can't do those positions.

So, the debate in my head continues. My original thought had been to go natural as long as I can, but not be a martyr about it, and if I can't function, well the epidural is there. I still think I'm going with that, but my resolve to last as long as I can has gotten stronger. I kind of have a feeling there will be a point where I will get the epidural, and that's fine. But secretly I'm hoping that I'm a hoss and I make it all natural. I at least want to do as much as I can do get that baby where he needs to be, so if I do get an epidural, everything is set and it's just a matter of pushing. We'll see if I'm singing the same tune when that first real contraction hits!