Signing up for Pregnancy Classes - Entering Month 7

week 25

I do not like last minute stuff. I can handle change - in fact I welcome it - but I don't like when things are all of a sudden sprung on me that are totally within my control. OK, I can deal, but I just like when I manage the things I can control. Does this make any sense?

Yesterday I spent a chunk of the day looking into all the parenting classes our hospital offers. I heard these classes fill up quickly and I knew I had to get us signed up sooner than later. So, I signed us up for four. Yeah...four.

What can I say? I love learning and I figure it'll be good for us to take as many classes as we can since we really don't have any childcare experience whatsoever. I mean, I read a whole chapter on diaper changing the other morning and was totally blown away by all the different techniques. I have so much to learn!

Tons of Parenting Classes to pick from at St. Francis

Our first class (in the next couple weeks) is a two-hour class on a Saturday morning on Car Seat Safety. This, I must pay attention to. I guess the hospital won't let parents leave unless they have a car seat installed properly in their car and have taken some kind of educational class on safety. I just want to make sure I know how to snap the seat in and out without freaking baby out or hitting his/her head. Seems like a lot of work to me!

The next class (for me) is also at the end of this month. I'm taking a three-hour class on a Friday night on breastfeeding. I figure Karl will be ice fishing, I might as well learn about the bonding that will go on between me and baby. I'm now well into my second book on how to breastfeed, but I'm such a visual learner. I need to see this stuff in action. So I'm hoping this class is a good one.

Next, this was a bit of a struggle with Karl being back in school, I wanted to take the 4-week series of Child Preparation, but it was only offered on Wednesday nights. Well, Karl has his teleconferences for school every Wednesday night. That was out. The one class offered on Tuesday nights was completely full, and the other Tuesday night class wasn't offered until April. Ummmmm....that's cutting it a bit close. So I opted to sign us up for the weekend crash course instead in early March, and also signed us up for a labor and breathing class the Thursday before, which was recommended if you could only fit in the crash course. Three hours of labor and breathing, three hours of preparing us for parenting and then a whole day on Saturday dedicated to learning all about what we're about to become. Phew!

Weirdly, I'm kind of excited about these classes. I'm pumped to meet the other parents in the classes. I'm looking forward to building connections with teachers and nurses just so I know I can reach out to someone who knows what it's like or at least has a whole lot of experience. It's harder to do that when you don't know the person you're talking to.

Doctor Appointment Updates
Karl and I have our next check up on Thursday at St. Francis. I think after this one, I'll be entering my third trimester and will start going every other week from now on until that last month. Zoiks!

People ask me what goes down at these appointments. Basically, I walk in, set my purse and coat down. Get weighed and my blood pressure is taken. Everyone is shocked that it's always under 90 and I'm still able to walk. Ha. Then the nurse asks...

Nurse: "Are you still taking your prenatal vitamins?"
Me: "Yes."
Nurse: "You using Differin for your skin?"
Me: "When I get a zit."
Nurse: "Doctor will be right in."

Then our awesome doctor comes in and asks me how things are. He checks into my weight and blood pressure. I usually have a list of questions...

Me: "I really can't have lunch meat?" (Kind of craving Jimmy John's these days...but just go with Subway and get their sandwiches toasted to be safe.)
Doc: "You can pretty much eat anything...just be mindful. If it's been sitting out for awhile or it's two weeks old, probably not. Just be careful about raw seafood." (I decided not to risk it and haven't had sushi since August. And have also been reading a ton about how horrible diet soda is for mom and baby...very thankful I don't drink that crap.)
Me: "I'm getting leg cramps, can I take Cal-Mag like I did last summer when I'd get cramps bad playing sand volleyball?"
Doc: "Sure, but I'm not sure that's going to help."
Me: "Can I still do heart pumping workouts and play volleyball?"
Doc: "You can do anything and everything you've been doing before. In fact I encourage it. I think it's awesome you're still so active."
Me: "Do I really have to get the flu shot?"
Doc: "Yes."
Me: "Am I growing at a rapid speed? I feel so chubby."
Doc: "YOU ARE PREGNANT. You are doing great. Enjoy it."

So yeah...nothing too crazy there. And then I lay on the table and lift of my shirt to expose my belly and we listen to the heartbeat. It's beyond awesome. Then we set up the next appointment.

Cool Baby Gifts Over The Holidays
So Baby Koester totally got spoiled by the Koesters. We had Christmas at my in-law's house on New Year's Day. My sister-in-law, Kelly, totally went nuts with awesome gifts. And Karl's parents gave us a card saying they would like to pay for a 3-D ultrasound of Baby K!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Saawweet!

We get to get a 3D Ultrasound of Baby K!!!!!

Body Changes
Not too many crazy things going on in this department.

• I think I see a faint Linea Nigra forming along my belly and Karl was "ohhing" and "ahhing" over my super tiny "inny" belly button getting read to pop. Any day now...

• I notice my nose seems to be stuffier. I have to blow it every morning.

• My hair seems like it grew really long and is a little thicker. I wish that would stay!

• I notice I drool a lot more. Of course my husband is just delicious, but seriously...I wake up with drool marks along my lips and cheeks. What on earth....

• When I eat chocolate, baby jumps around a lot. I had a few sips of champagne to toast the New Year and baby was jumping and jiving, so I stopped, feeling incredibly guilty! 

Coming....
Roscoe baby shower!! Of course I'll be taking lots of pictures and can't wait to blog about it.