3 posts tagged “nursery”

 20 days to go and I it would be great if she was close to the projected date, here's why:

4/5 I will be selecting candidates for Teach CA Charters (it's a side job)

4/11 and 4/12 I have my LMU class

4/15 Last day of work

4/19 Her Due Date !!!!

4/24 and 4/25 I have my LMU class

It would be so ideal for her to be born on 4/16 so I have more time to rest up before going to class on the evening of 4/24.  I love my education administration program at Loyola Marymount University and don't want to miss any classes.  I already told P, he would accompany me to class that day to give me a hand with Vida.  :-)

My classmates think I am 'crazy' for 'planning' her due date.  I know I only have a 5% chance of her landing on 4/19 so I am taking some measure to (naturally) induce labor: eating more pineapple (juice ice cubes and chunks), sex (for the prostaglandins to soften the cervix), staying active (hence my late maternity leave),  and  pregnancy massage ( I figure I will schedule one for 4/13 and give it sometime to take effect).  I am stubborn about her arriving early or on time and not leaving wiggle room for a late arrival, she can come late too, but if she could hold off to 4/26 that would be great. I don't want her to be too late, because of the interventions that ensue and the impact it has on my maternity leave-I wouldn't have a full 6 weeks with her.

:-)

1. How many days until the final childbirth class?  11 (There's only 2 left to go, darn it, I have really been enjoying them too!)

2. How many days until I have weekly prenatal visits? 2

3. How many days until Vida's 'things' (washed clothes, toiletries, baby gear, and accessories) are in place? DONE

4. How many days until my next doula appointment?  14-19 (It won't be an 'appointment', it will be TIME!)

5. How many days until my belly button disappears?  7 ( I still got it, although it is ever so shallow)

6. How many days until we load the car with 'labor day' supplies (labor bag, recovery bag,  towels, car seat)?  1

7. How many days until P and I have our last outing as non-parents? 7 (I would like to squeeze a movie into this time line)

I am thinking this is my last countdown post, almost all of the estimates are in the single digits.  Next time it will have morphed into a nesting task list and/or live blog of early labor. 

This Week:
1. Shared my 4D ultrasound pictures with the team and family at school.  Everyone's first reaction was, 'wow', and 'look at all that detail'.  I don't talk about the pregnancy that much with the majority of the staff, so it was refreshing to hear everyone's congrats and positive responses.

2. Mamasource: I used this website to assist a fellow pregger who is in need of a post partum doula, then I saw all the great responses she received.  So I replied to a posting from a mom looking to find a better school for her child.  It so happens that one of the schools she's interested in, is the same school that one of my cohort members is the president of the board.  Small, small world.

3. Prenatal appointment and maternity tour: CNM says, Vida is head down, she's growing well, and heartbeat is 125.  Maternity tour: The UCLA hospital is getting a new maternity wing, not ready until May 4th.  The old/original side is where I will give birth, the rooms are not so bad.  There are plantation shutters painted on the walls and pretty landscape murals, home-like cabinetry, and labor and delivery occur in the same room.  Babies room in with mom.  I asked a lot of questions, the one that received the most overwhelming response from the other couples was: "You mentioned, that a woman can labor in whatever position is most comfortable, what about delivering in her position of choice?"  The director asked who my doctor was, I replied the "CNMs".  To which she said I would be fine and can deliver squatting if I felt like it.  Another woman followed up because she has an OB, like the rest of the couples.  The director said it would be up to the doctor's discretion.

How crazy is that?!?!  You are carrying the baby but the 'medical professional' gets to tell you how you will birth the child you carried for 10 months!  I realize that's the norm but the women were surprised.  One of the woman, Rosy, stayed behind to talk to me about my experience with the CNM group.  Rosy wants to try for a VBAC but isn't receiving the support she needs to pursue that decision.  She was considering switching but the OB care felt impersonal.  I think I convinced her to come to the 'other side'.  She asked how did I know to choose them, simple, I knew what kind of birth experience I wanted.

4. 4D Ultrasound, take 2: Last Sunday, the 16th, P, Nana, and I went to Treasured Moments to take a sneak peak at Vida.  We had attempted the previous sunday at 2:30 after a lovely and super filling lunch at Porto's cafe/bakery.  Well, that was a bad idea, she was in a deep sleep.  The pictures posted above are from the 16th.

5. Baby Shower planning: Since we ate at Porto's after the 4D sonogram on the 2nd visit, we stopped upstairs where 'specialty' cakes are ordered.  We placed our order for the baby shower on the 15th and the 16th.  These cakes are so delicious.  I will make sure to take good pictures and post after the shower.

6. Nursery prep: Cleaning out the 'office'.  Packing up items we don't use, sort items for Goodwill or trash, post the futon and some other items on Craigslist, in order to make room for the upcoming painting project.  We decided green, still torn between three shades: honeydew, garden (something), and something a little darker.  I figure we'll do the actual painting the first weekend of March and just wait for the furniture to arrive.  I can't wait until I can place her clothes and items in drawers and add decorations to the walls, etc.

Last week:

1. Not much on the baby front, plenty of busy activity at work.  I did notice Vida's kicks and punches increasing in strength.  Vida's Godmother finalized the invites and sent them out.  They're so cute, pink with polka dots and a cute stroller embellishment on the top.

...and to think I thought February was going to be a slow month...so I look at my March calendar and it looks so wide open.  Mmm, not so much because my grad work really picks up, along with some EOY (End of Year) projects.  So I keep waiting for this 'slow' period to creep up, maybe April? 

If I stop working on the 1st, I can see the next 18 (+ or - 14) days being a little slow. I will DEFINITELY stop working on Friday, April 18th.  We'll see how I progress...

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Update: At 5:00 pm we purchased the nursery set online from costco.com and it will arrive in 3-4 weeks, keep your fingers crossed it comes in time for the baby shower on March 15th.  We are going to paint the room next weekend. 

I am not one to focus on making sure the walls coordinate with the rug and the furniture.  In our apartment, all of our walls are still 'adobe white'.  Vida's bedroom will be the first room we paint, a garden or sea foam green most likely.  Anyhow, one thing Pablo and I decided on long ago was the nursery theme: fairies and butterflies for a girl and bears for a boy. 

One day in the first trimester I was browsing Costco online.  Did you know you can plan everything from a baby to a funeral online at Costco?!  They sell caskets!  They also sell all the basics of a wedding, the flowers along with the invitations, and other necessities for the big day.  I love Costco for many reasons, mainly overall quality of products.  They are selling a fairies and butterflies nursery set.  I knew it was just a matter of time before it was discounted, it seems that all of their furniture sets eventually get $500 knocked off.  I checked it last week and YES!  The 7-piece set is down to $1000.  To me, that is still INSANELY expensive, but it's a theme she can grow with, the bed is convertible and the decorative knobs on the furniture are reversible to a plain knob.  The great thing is that it's not going to cost us $1000, as we have $112 rebate from our AMX Costco card for our yearly reward.  Also, Pablo has just sold his Halo edition Xbox with a bundle of games for $110 and we have some left over Christmas gift money.  I am also working part time.  For example, today I earned $200 in 4 hours by selecting teachers.  We could get away with spending only $500 out of our own pocket!  Hooray!  Now that sounds like a fair deal for a 7-piece set!