A thousand apologies for disappearing for so long. We had some pregnancy complications - nothing serious, but requiring lots of extra doctors' appointments and therefore a lot of time. So between a pre-term labor scare that's now passed and a diagnosis of late gestational diabetes (slight but still needing to be managed), combined with getting things ready for the baby's arrival, Thanksgiving, a lovely baby shower, and who knows what all else - well, it's been a while.
In the meantime, Daniel and I have finished our Bradley Method course, which is a birthing method that teaches relaxation techniques (in which the husband is very involved) in order to manage pain and increase the likelihood of a natural birth. We learned so much, and I went from being quite apprehensive about the birth to actually looking forward to the experience. (I'm still nervous, of course, but I think not to be would be very unusual, no matter what.) Daniel is downright excited about the whole thing.
We also have the baby's room pretty much set up and ready to receive our little girl - including getting the cats trained not to go in the crib!! Spray bottles work wonders, especially for Sasha who seems to loathe the prospect of any water droplets hitting her fur more than most cats. I couldn't resist taking these pictures of their smug little faces in the crib before I trained them. And before I get castigations from all around and severe admonitions about my kitties "sucking the breath" out of my baby, let me reiterate that they DO NOT go in the crib anymore. Now we have to work on the bassinet, which they must learn is not theirs either...
Tonight Daniel and I are attending a water birth class at North Fulton Hospital. Our midwife is in the midst of changing practices and therefore hospitals, and much to our delight, North Fulton happens to be the only hospital in Atlanta, as far as we know, that offers water birth as an option. The prospect of this desired but previously out-of-reach option is definitely a further comfort to this first-timer, and to her husband. We'll let you know how it goes!
