Late Pregnancy Class

Now that we’re in the third trimester it’s like things are moving in fast-forward. Suddenly the baby’s room is filling with… well… baby things. Melissa is finally, and rapidly starting to show. And I’m starting to freak out a little.

The latest eye-opener was our “Late Pregnancy Class”. The class wasn’t so much about what happens during the late stages of pregnancy (that’s next month) as much as it was about being ready and knowing when it’s “time”. And there’s a lot to figure out.

Here’s a short (very short) list:

- Pack a Bag

- Get the Car Seats Installed

- Know the numbers to Call

- Develop a “Birth Plan”

The “Birth Plan” is a big one. This consists of a checklist of choices that Kaiser gave us. Do you get the baby’s shots right away (yes)… do you want an epidural (YES!)… do you want the lights bright or dim (dim I guess?)… do you want to touch the baby’s head as it crowns (um… what?).

The other interesting part of the class was the hospital tour. We’re having the baby at the new Kaiser in Roseville. Despite being a bit of a trek, we chose Roseville because it’s state of the art and has a NICU.

The birthing center there has been open for a year and the place is beautiful. The room where the baby will actually be born was nicer than most hotel rooms. In fact, they told us it’s big enough to hold 30 people (who has 30 people watch their childbirth?).

The class ended after the tour… however my stress did not. I spent the rest of the night imagining the moment when we actually have to make the drive to the hospital for real. It made me a little nervous, and a lot excited.

What’s next: This weekend my dad and my friend Greg are helping me paint the baby’s room and put the crib together. Should be fun.

These guys were all in our class and they're all waiting for their pregnant wives, who are in the restroom.

Kicking off 2010... 3 Entries for the price of 1!

First entry of 2010… and what a year it’s about to be. Without a doubt, it will be a game changer.

So where do we stand? Well, Melissa has crossed the 6-month mark (not that you could tell) and so far so good. She does continue however to let me down in the “crazy pregnant woman” category. (Come on! Not one craving? Nothing? Fine.)

We have a lot of big things coming up in the next couple of weeks. Two baby showers, one in SoCal, one in SacTown. I’m crossing my fingers for the Nintendo Wii that we registered for (the baby really wants one. I can tell).

Baby classes begin next week… the first is our “Late Pregnancy” class. If I learned anything from the last one, it’s bring food.

Be sure to look for updates.

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It’s amazing how much more other people’s baby announcements mean to me now that we’re having our own. Don’t get me wrong I was always happy for them (most of them anyway), but now I ask questions, talk about appointments, and offer a rare insight now and again (and I mean rare).

The latest big announcement came from my cousin. All of us sitting around the Christmas table when her husband stood up… and well… it went something like this…

Angelo: We have an announcement… Amanda’s pregnant.

(But wait there’s more!)

Angelo: But there’s a second announcement we’re having twins!

Twins! They already have a daughter that’s just about 3… and we knew they were trying to have another… but TWINS!?!?! Crazy.

It’s going to be a big adjustment for them, but I have no doubt it will be smooth. They’re really good parents. They’ll just have their hands full.

But here’s the best part: Amanda and I are 3 months apart we grew up more like brother and sister/best friends than cousins and now our baby and her twins will get the same opportunity. Just awesome.

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There’s no nice way to say this… the dog’s lost his mind. Either that or 6-months into this pregnancy Sputnik (that’s his name) is finally catching on. Around the turn of the year the dog started acting weird… or weirder than usual.

And this was taken before he started acting weird!

He’s become Melissa shadow. She gets up, he gets up. She sits down, he sits down right under her feet. She showers, he sits in front of the bathroom door. The dog has always had a severe case of separation anxiety, but this is ridiculous.

It’s even worse when she’s not home, because then he follows me. In fact, as I type this he’s sitting next to me quivering. What a weirdo.

He should be excited. He loves it when Amanda’s daughter comes over because she’s constantly dropping food or sharing cookies with him. Now he’ll have a crumb-dropper here all the time.

Maybe he thinks we’re trading him in… or maybe he just knows that 2010 is going to be a game changer.