Friday was the official start of my maternity leave and it is amazing. I slept in, had a chiropractic adjustment, took a nap, got a haircut, and had a date night with Vinnie. I'm thankful that I have the chance to take some time off before my due date to rest, recouperate from the school year, and keep nesting. I have two weeks until my due date, and the rest is much needed after some incredibly busy weeks.
Speaking of, we had three major events this past week: my final concert at Skyview, District III Choir Festival (the biggest event of my school year), and a false alarm trip to labor and delivery!
I'll start with the false alarm. I have a handy little sheet from my doctor with the signs of labor and the number to call with any questions. I keep a copy on our fridge and one at school. On Tuesday morning (the day of my concert) as the bell rang for first hour I had a scare that my water may have broken. (It doesn't have to be a big gush, it can be a little tear without lots of fluid and the rule is that you have to go in if you even THINK this has happened.) My sheet of signs told me to go straight in, but I decided to call. Both the labor nurse and my doctor's nurse told me that I had to come in to be checked. So, Josie (wonderful friend that she is) quickly jumped in to cover my classes and was ready to even take on the concert and festival should this turn out to be the real thing and off I went. Vinnie and I got a great "tour" of labor and delivery, were taken great care of by our nurse "Spike" who is the sweetest lady, were checked and sent home. It was a pretty funny morning, and the quote of the day was when the resident came in for my exam and said "So, I hear I get to be a choir conductor tonight." To which I replied, "I sure hope not!"
We learned that we need to: select our pediatrician NOW, finish our cord blood registration, write living wills, and buy some tennis balls. (That last one is for some great counter pressure techniques we learned in our birth class.) Everything else is ready, but the false alarm sure kicked us into action. Also, Vinnie seems a little more ready now to narrow down our list of names. :) I looked at him as we listened to our little boy's heartbeat on the fetal monitor and said, "So, can we talk names NOW?" We still don't have one selected, but we just aren't worried. We have great choices, and I have no doubt that when we see our little one we will know the right name for him.
The concert that night was surreal after the way we spent our morning. My students were amazing taking care of all the details, especially Shaylee, Matt, and Melissa, three of the officers. Incidentally, Melissa was the one who stalled me on stage at the Christmas concert two years ago when Vinnie was coming on stage to propose. That girl has seen a lot of my life unfold! After festival, she and I cried because it's our last performance together after four years. I don't really feel like the year is done, it's very strange. I did get to end it with a huge achievement - the choirs were wonderful at their festival and sang their hearts out. A goal I set for the year was for Camerata (my large mixed choir) to receive a superior rating. They have been within one of two points for many years, and this year they finally did it! I am extremely proud of them.
Now, it's time for the waiting game. I have to say, driving to the hospital I felt mixed emotions. I was excited at the thought of holding Baby C, but I wasn't feeling ready to give up being pregnant just yet. I love feeling his movements, his reactions to his daddy's voice and his favorite songs, and his little hiccoughs. I am ready to be done with the swollen feet - but I will cherish the closeness with my little kicker until he is ready to be born.
Friday, March 26, 2010
Thursday, March 18, 2010
I now have three more days with students due to collaboration and parent-teacher conference days. The 25th is my last offI'm excited for next week because our festival is Wednesday, with a concert for parents on Tuesday night. The choirs have worked extremely hard in the past month to prepare and they are sounding really wonderful. I hope that we have just enough time to peak at the festival and have a great experience. One of the judges is Dr. Paul Klemme, one of my former conductors. I am really looking forward to seeing him and having him work with the kids.
At our appointment yesterday, Dr. Archibald said that the baby is still happy where he's at and pre-term labor is not in my future. What lovely news to receive the week before my biggest professional committment of the year! (Good job, Baby C!) Dr. A said he'd like to see me hang on until April 2nd and any time thereafter would be great. That date is only two weeks away. We talked about our birth plan and concerns for labor/delivery that came up in our class on Saturday.
Vinnie and I spent last night working on the nursery and were able to accomplish a lot. It is no longer the brewery/nursery/storage facility. Now it's just a nursery! It's a bit challenging making room for the baby in our little apartment, but we are almost there. Vinnie also installed our car seat in the Jeep and it makes me smile every time I see it. I love nesting, it's a blast! If only my swollen feet agreed with me...it's so hard to make myself rest when preparing for the baby is my primary focus.
Monday, March 15, 2010
Birth 101
On Saturday Vinnie and I attended our "Birth Preparation" class at St. Luke's. It was, as my friend Katie put it, the "slam-dunk all-in-one-day class." Our other option was a course over 5 Mondays. With our schedule these past few weeks? No way was that possible. Instead, we endured 8.5 hours of sitting with 20 other couples and had to soak it all in at once. (Pregnant women + sitting still for that long = crankiness!) We are both very glad we went and feel more prepared for this whole process. Vinnie's quote this weekend has been "Apparently it's going to be hard, " said, of course, with an impish smile.
Our teacher is also a doula (kind of like a birth coach/personal advocate for birth if you haven't heard of that term before ) and I feel like we got a lot of extra information from her experience in that capacity. She loved our class and said we were really getting the breathing (what's not to get?) and thought it was great that we were so talkative with each other (I thought you could hear a pin drop!) It sure made me wonder what she normally gets to deal with! I did enjoy seeing all the other couples who are as excited as we are for their little arrivals. There weren't many dry eyes in the room as we watched the infamous video and saw the newborns being handed to their moms for the first time!
For me, the best information that can out of the day were the options for positions during labor. I found several that I really like and we got some great ideas for counter pressure and other ways that Vinnie can support me. Vinnie was awesome at the class! He was supportive and sweet, taking very good care of me. We laughed when the teacher talked about the "take-charge" moment in labor when the mom feels like she can't do it and wants to give up and the dad gets to step in and force her back on track. Vinnie will be so good at that, I should hire him out to other couples just for that moment.
We feel much more educated about possible interventions and how our choices/goals play into them. Plus, we came away with several ideas that we want to discuss with our doctor on Wednesday. We didn't think we wanted to write out a birth plan, but after the class we realize that there are several items that are extremely important to us and we'd like our team to be aware of them. Vinnie also learned that I really hate being told to "relax" and "calm down." That's in life, not just in labor. He now knows that those phrases will definitely get him smacked if he chooses to use them in the delivery room.
Baby C is at 36 weeks today, next week he will be considered full-term. Our bag is almost packed for the hospital, and I plan to finish it up tonight. Our teacher encouraged us to keep it in the car at all times from week 36 on. Just 8 more school days until my leave begins. We are so excited to meet this little boy, and our class only heightened the anticipation!
My friend from school, Anne, welcomed her twin boys this Saturday! Will and Wyatt are doing well after joining big sister Ellie as a member of the Crimbchin family. (If you look back at my March posts, Anne is the one on my left in the pictures.)
Our teacher is also a doula (kind of like a birth coach/personal advocate for birth if you haven't heard of that term before ) and I feel like we got a lot of extra information from her experience in that capacity. She loved our class and said we were really getting the breathing (what's not to get?) and thought it was great that we were so talkative with each other (I thought you could hear a pin drop!) It sure made me wonder what she normally gets to deal with! I did enjoy seeing all the other couples who are as excited as we are for their little arrivals. There weren't many dry eyes in the room as we watched the infamous video and saw the newborns being handed to their moms for the first time!
For me, the best information that can out of the day were the options for positions during labor. I found several that I really like and we got some great ideas for counter pressure and other ways that Vinnie can support me. Vinnie was awesome at the class! He was supportive and sweet, taking very good care of me. We laughed when the teacher talked about the "take-charge" moment in labor when the mom feels like she can't do it and wants to give up and the dad gets to step in and force her back on track. Vinnie will be so good at that, I should hire him out to other couples just for that moment.
We feel much more educated about possible interventions and how our choices/goals play into them. Plus, we came away with several ideas that we want to discuss with our doctor on Wednesday. We didn't think we wanted to write out a birth plan, but after the class we realize that there are several items that are extremely important to us and we'd like our team to be aware of them. Vinnie also learned that I really hate being told to "relax" and "calm down." That's in life, not just in labor. He now knows that those phrases will definitely get him smacked if he chooses to use them in the delivery room.
Baby C is at 36 weeks today, next week he will be considered full-term. Our bag is almost packed for the hospital, and I plan to finish it up tonight. Our teacher encouraged us to keep it in the car at all times from week 36 on. Just 8 more school days until my leave begins. We are so excited to meet this little boy, and our class only heightened the anticipation!
My friend from school, Anne, welcomed her twin boys this Saturday! Will and Wyatt are doing well after joining big sister Ellie as a member of the Crimbchin family. (If you look back at my March posts, Anne is the one on my left in the pictures.)
Tuesday, March 9, 2010
Getting ready for baby
After today's appointment with Dr. Archibald we have an estimate for Baby C's current and birth weight. He thinks our little one is about 6 pounds right now and will be in the high 7's or low 8's if I go for the full 40 weeks. This is the average for full-term babies according to our doctor and I can't wait to tell that to the next checker who asks me at the grocery store! :) The baby is still in a head-down position (YAY!) but hasn't dropped yet which is great. Dr. A said "He's not ready yet, he likes it in there." My response was, "That's great because I have a lot of accomplish in the next two weeks!"
I had some light contractions on Sunday that prompted me to write a plan for school entitled "If I go into labor tonight..." I feel much better having that taken care of because I realized that although I am ready for my subs, I am ready for them on April 4th and not whenever the baby decides to make his debut. I have several friends whose babies were early, and a family friend whose baby decided arrive while she was grading papers and didn't have a sub lined up. (The principal taught her classes!) These stories made me realize that although the doctor doesn't expect this little one to be early, it never hurts to be prepared.
We have our all-day birth class this Saturday. Although I am not looking forward to the early morning on my day off, I am definitely looking forward to information. After all the books and online articles I've read Vinnie can't imagine what information I could possibly want. However, in this situation, the more I know, the better I feel.
We got our taxes done today by the sweetest older gentleman at H&R Block named Melvin. He was the best and we feel so good getting that taken care of. Bless his heart, he didn't notice that I am pregnant! I loved him, needless to say.
My three students are headed to Seattle tomorrow for the All Northwest Honor Choirs at the American Choral Directors Association Conference. I am incredibly glad I made the decision not to drive up there with Vinnie, but I will miss the conference that is always so inspiring. I am also very sad to miss the girls' concerts. This is the first year I haven't been able to cheer them on in person and I am so proud of their accomplishments. Melissa, one of the freshmen my first year at SHS, realized that between this and All State we only have two more rehearsals together. This realization was very sad for me as I have some very dear students leaving this year. They were the first students who were only "mine" and didn't have the previous teacher, so they are special. I have both a sense of relief and one of loss as I get ready to go on maternity leave, it is extremely bittersweet. My last day with students is our day at festival and I just hope I can keep it together on stage without bursting into tears. (The hormones REALLY don't help.) Ten days left at school, crazy.
We are now on to weekly appointments and everything is speeding up. We'll keep you updated on Baby C as we anticipate his arrival!
I had some light contractions on Sunday that prompted me to write a plan for school entitled "If I go into labor tonight..." I feel much better having that taken care of because I realized that although I am ready for my subs, I am ready for them on April 4th and not whenever the baby decides to make his debut. I have several friends whose babies were early, and a family friend whose baby decided arrive while she was grading papers and didn't have a sub lined up. (The principal taught her classes!) These stories made me realize that although the doctor doesn't expect this little one to be early, it never hurts to be prepared.
We have our all-day birth class this Saturday. Although I am not looking forward to the early morning on my day off, I am definitely looking forward to information. After all the books and online articles I've read Vinnie can't imagine what information I could possibly want. However, in this situation, the more I know, the better I feel.
We got our taxes done today by the sweetest older gentleman at H&R Block named Melvin. He was the best and we feel so good getting that taken care of. Bless his heart, he didn't notice that I am pregnant! I loved him, needless to say.
My three students are headed to Seattle tomorrow for the All Northwest Honor Choirs at the American Choral Directors Association Conference. I am incredibly glad I made the decision not to drive up there with Vinnie, but I will miss the conference that is always so inspiring. I am also very sad to miss the girls' concerts. This is the first year I haven't been able to cheer them on in person and I am so proud of their accomplishments. Melissa, one of the freshmen my first year at SHS, realized that between this and All State we only have two more rehearsals together. This realization was very sad for me as I have some very dear students leaving this year. They were the first students who were only "mine" and didn't have the previous teacher, so they are special. I have both a sense of relief and one of loss as I get ready to go on maternity leave, it is extremely bittersweet. My last day with students is our day at festival and I just hope I can keep it together on stage without bursting into tears. (The hormones REALLY don't help.) Ten days left at school, crazy.
We are now on to weekly appointments and everything is speeding up. We'll keep you updated on Baby C as we anticipate his arrival!
Tuesday, March 2, 2010
8 1/2 months and counting
On Tuesday, some friends at Skyview threw me, Josie and Anne (a science teacher here) a joint baby shower. Hailey put it all together with help from Kellie and Amy. Josie, on my left, is having a baby girl in May. Josie is on my left, her baby girl is due in May. Anne's twin boys are due any day! In fact, we weren't sure whether or not she would be able to make it to the shower!
Hailey did such a cute job with the decorations! The theme was "Sweet Pea" so the lounge was covered in yellow and green. Debbie Boone, a reading teacher here, made two incredible cakes for us: one chocolate, and one white with lemon filling. Good thing I have a newfound appreciation for sweets - I blame Baby C.
Of course, the joke at school all years has been "Don't drink the water!" We also had two male teachers whose wives had babies in February, and one whose wife will deliver in June. It's the year for baby hawks!
Unfortunately, being 8.5 months pregnant (as I currently am) does NOT mean you have two weeks to go. Since pregnancy is 40 weeks, I have a little under 6 weeks until my due date. However, if Baby C were born now he would have a 99% chance of surviving without assistance because all of his major developing is done. From now on he is growing (in weight, not length) and his brain will continue to develop.
I had a fabulous time visiting with friends this weekend (two from out of town!) and nesting. Now, if we could just get the items currently stored in the nursery to a new location, we would be set! Baby C is packed for the hospital, and my goal is to have myself packed by this weekend. It feels great to get all these things taken care of.
This weekend my godmother, Kathy, is coming to town. She said she wanted to see me pregnant, and then she'll return in the summer to meet Baby C. Saturday is also my grandparents' anniversary, this month is full of fun stuff!
This Friday and Saturday are the last nights of our musical. The show went well last weekend, and the kids and I are looking forward to the end of the run because we are all exhausted! Next week I have three students traveling to All Northwest in Seattle. I am very proud of myself for deciding not to attend (I would have driven with Vinnie) and taking that off my plate. The kids are being chaperoned by a parent who is also a Skyview administrator, so it all worked out really well. We are now four weeks away from festival, which also means four weeks from my maternity leave. I find it hard to believe, but the excitement is definitely building.
Our next appointment is a week from today, after which we will begin going in every week. Saturday, March 13 is our birth class at St. Luke's. We decided to get it all done in one fell swoop rather than 6 Monday nights. I've been given some great advice by friends who have recently had babies and appreciate them so much!
I had a fabulous time visiting with friends this weekend (two from out of town!) and nesting. Now, if we could just get the items currently stored in the nursery to a new location, we would be set! Baby C is packed for the hospital, and my goal is to have myself packed by this weekend. It feels great to get all these things taken care of.
This weekend my godmother, Kathy, is coming to town. She said she wanted to see me pregnant, and then she'll return in the summer to meet Baby C. Saturday is also my grandparents' anniversary, this month is full of fun stuff!
This Friday and Saturday are the last nights of our musical. The show went well last weekend, and the kids and I are looking forward to the end of the run because we are all exhausted! Next week I have three students traveling to All Northwest in Seattle. I am very proud of myself for deciding not to attend (I would have driven with Vinnie) and taking that off my plate. The kids are being chaperoned by a parent who is also a Skyview administrator, so it all worked out really well. We are now four weeks away from festival, which also means four weeks from my maternity leave. I find it hard to believe, but the excitement is definitely building.
Our next appointment is a week from today, after which we will begin going in every week. Saturday, March 13 is our birth class at St. Luke's. We decided to get it all done in one fell swoop rather than 6 Monday nights. I've been given some great advice by friends who have recently had babies and appreciate them so much!
Baby C had his first bought of the hiccoughs on Tuesday night. It was the cutest thing! I guess he takes after his Mama on this one...
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