SOME UPDATES

The nursery is coming along!!

We've got some of the major essentials now - crib, rocker, and changing table.

Next up: the pallet/truckload of diapers we need to get to stock up for the lil' pooper!

Grow, grow, growing!!

Baby girl is about a foot long now and just over a pound in weight. The doctor says everything is looking good!

The end of September (09/26) is still the "guess date" for Baby S's arrival, so we'll see if she takes her time or is in a rush to get here. And we'll see if she's still a GIRL when she pops out! I'm hoping for another ultrasound at next month's appointment, just to have a double confirmation of the little girl growing in there. Yes, I'm paranoid, but I want to make sure!

We hope to sign up for some of the Labor/Delivery/Birthing/New Baby classes available at Northside Hospital, which is where I'm scheduled to deliver. After a very, uhmm ... interesting conversation with my doctor about Northside's delivery options and classes available, we've decided to go the old fashioned route and probably stick with variations of the Bradley method.

My doctor, Dr. Andrew Dott, has been great and very reassuring about my progession so far. He's known in some circles as a "closet midwife," because he is quite conservative in his treatments and prefers to let nature take it's course before stepping in with medical interventions. I do like this about him - since Northside Hospital tends to have a high rate of C-sections, which something I'd like to avoid!

Dr. Dott has been a little concerned about the effects of pregnancy and labor on my spine. I've been trying to take good care of my back lately, so I don't think I've had any more pain or discomfort than the "average" prego chick. However, the anesthesiologist has informed me that due to the nature of my previous surgery and the scar tissue I have in my lower back, an epidural probably won't work well for me, even if I had wanted one. He said I would definitely have "hot spots" and, although it might provide some pain relief, he couldn't guarantee the effectiveness or how well the epidural would work. Oh, well... it looks like Chris is going to owe me a BIG beer after this!! =o)

So... up next: childbirth classes and more growing!!