doctor's visit

So we went to the doctor on Wednesday. It is funny, they really don't do much at these doctors appointments. I pee in a cup to check to make sure my urine is balanced, they weigh me and take my blood preasure and then they measure my belly and listen to the baby's heart beat. That's it. Everything looked good, baby's heart sounded great, except she told me I haven't gained enough weight so far. I am "supose" to gain 25-35lbs over the 40 weeks and I have gained 7 over 25wks though I think I was about 8lbs over my healthy weight when I started this adventure. She said for women who don't gain weight, she recomended drinking an extra Carnation meal substitute drink a day which Mike thought was total crap. I have been eating a lot so it is kind of crazy to me that my weight doesn't show it, but I will try and eat more (without going for the chemical drinks) and trust my body is doing the right thing.

Bradley Class

We went to our first birthing class on Tuesday night. There were about 9 couples giving birth from mid July to the end of September (but we were pretty close to the last of the bunch). Our instructor seemed good, she talked a lot about making informed medical choices and staying healthy so we would have the most options available to us. She also talked about how birth in the US has gotten to the point where it is all horror stories and fear and she was going to try and dispell that fear for us. At the end of class, she showed a birth under water (just the end of it) that was very peaceful, not at all like the movies portray it. It was a good class, for homework I am supose to do 80 Kegle exercises a day and keep track of my diet this week.

First Stranger

So yesterday in the grocery store the guy checking me out asked me when I was due. My very first stranger who could tell I was pregnant! Very fun, though I am sure as I get bigger I will long for the days when my belly was small.
I definitely think I have turned a corner in belly growth, it seems to be happening much more rapidly these days. Just looking at those pictures two weeks apart from Mike's post was pretty good proof of that and I am still eating like a horse.

Baby CPR

So we went to our baby CPR class last week. I think I was the smallest belly there. Most of the ladies were in their 3rd trimester (including one who was due in 3 weeks) and I have to say looking at all those large bellies was kind of scary. It had me thinking am I really going to get THAT big....!! But the infant CPR was good, very interesting. The hope is that you never have to use it ovbiously and if you do, that you don't panic so much that you can't remember anything you learned, but hopefully some of it sunk in.

I am attaching a pic of Mike and I in Vegas (for one of our pre-baby get aways) because there have been a bunch of pics of me and junior on this blog, but none of the dady-to-be. Vegas was fun, we may have been the only couple there that didn't drink or gamble the whole weekend (and "O" was awesome!!!).

Growin' belly

It's official.
Mandy's belly is growing. There's no doubt about it. Strangers are starting to notice. (although not quite as much as she would like! We went out for dinner the other night, and soon after we were seated, a lady came in clearly pregnant. The waitress asked if she was expecting, and the lady responded that she expecting twin boys in September. Well, we're not expecting twins!).

Still the belly is growing. The evidence is in the pictures... check it ... (the first image is from May 3, the second from May 18, just two weeks later!):

Baby Stuff

So, I find the "stuff" aspect of babies very overwelming. But I figured it was time to start figuring this stuff out, so I sent an email to all the new mothers I know, asking them their favorite stuff and I bought the book "Baby Bargains" which reviews all different types of baby products and one day last week, I sat down and just starting going through everything. Man, I know how some women do this full time till the baby comes, there is way too much information out there. My friends have been great with the tips (thanks gals!) and the book is good, but it is still really overwelming. Like, for example, to pick the best stroller (which I haven't done yet) you have to decide what kind of "lifestyle" you lead and then pick the stoller which will complement that lifestyle. And then one of my baby books tells me not even to get a stoller, just carry him in a sling (which sounds great, but I'm not sure about the NO stroller thing). And then I picked a breast pump and I was talking to my sister Carrie on the phone and she was very adamant that I get a different one. I told Mike that night (close to tears) "I just don't think I am going to pick the right stuff...," to which he replied, "we probably won't and it is fine." Easy for him to say! (but probably correct). Maybe next weekend I'll have the heart to tackle strollers, car seats and diaper bags...

Doula II

So we hired a doula! We met her last week and she seemed really great. Very calm and confident about birth and she also seemed like she would be a good advocate for us. From my small experience with doulas, they are super in to the mothers (me!) which is kind of fun. She will meet us at our house when I go into labor and stay with us there until it is time to go to the hospital (apparently, going to the hospital too early is one of the reasons that all the medical interventions often happen) and then she will be with us the whole time until junior makes his apperance. I think having a doula and taking the Bradley classes will complement each other nicely.

Birth Class

So, we changed what birth class we were signed up for. Originally, I signed us up to take Lamaze classes at the Kaiser Hospital in Woodland Hills. But, after reading more about giving birth, I found out that there are more than one kind of birth class (kind of a 'duh' if you think about it, but I am a total newbie to this stuff). So there are two major types of birth classes, Lamaze and Bradley. Lamaze teaches techniques to distract you from the pain, while the Bradley method teaches you ways to be with the pain. Most hospitals prefer and teach Lamaze classes because those couples tend to be more "docile" (the book I am reading is pro-Bradley), while the Bradley method couples tend to be more assertive with wanting (and getting) a natural birth (no medical interventions). Bradley classes also tend to be 10-12 weeks while Lamaze classes are usually 6 weeks. So anyway, I found a Bradley class that meets in Pasadena on weeknights (really close to where we used to live, actually) and Mike and I are signed up. I figure the more training I can get for a natural birth the better and then we'll just see how it goes!

Sorry about comments

So when I picked this blog site, I really didn't know anything about it, it just came free with my gmail account. But it seems like you can't comment on this site unless you have a gmail account. So, sorry about that. A few of you have told me you have tried to comment and gotten discuraged and in the future when we blog I will try and find a site that is easy to comment on. But since I have already started this one and since I am attached to the name "mandysbelly" I am going to stick this one out. If you want to comment, you should just pick up the phone and call us, we would love to hear from all of you!!

Eating for Two

So, I know some of you might find this very hard to believe, but I have been eating more than Mike recently. I know, that sounds like a lot, but... Mike hasn't been eating quite as much recently, so it isn't the ginormous amount of food it would be for those of you who know how much Mike used to eat. The last time I went to the doctor (at about 20 weeks, a couple weeks ago) I had only gained 5 pounds, but she told me I would gain about a pound a week for the rest of the pregnancy for a grand total of around 25 pounds (which is a normal healthy amount). I have to say, with my new found hunger, I think the weight gain time has begun.

Bumpin around

Mike had never really felt the little guy move, he has tried before, but I think what he thought might be movements really just was my heart beat. So last night Mike put his head on my stomache and we were telling Jr to "kick dad in the face!" For a while there was nothing, but then he obliged a couple times. Both times I felt it and told Mike it was a kick and he verified that he had felt it. Afterwards, he said it felt kind of like I was passing gas. So there you go. Mike has now felt the baby move, and has likened it to farts. I am sure later on they will get more dramatic.

Wanna get away?

So when we were at the doctor last time, she told us "Take vacations now, because you won't be able to later!" Now that is the kind of advice I like from my doctor (other than the "you won't be able to later" part). So Mike and I listened to our doctor and we have a trip to Vegas booked next weekend, a trip to Catalina Island booked in June and we are going to Vancouver for a week at the beginning of July (my first Canada Day in Canada!). I am excited, all of the trips should be fun for different reasons and then we can hunker down and get ready for this little guy to show up. We have decided we want to rent a house before he gets here insted of living in our tiny place, so we will also be moving this summer. That should be fun, I will just get to direct traffic. I told Mike he better make some good friends with his new hockey team fast so they will help us with the move, I'm not sure Molly, Marin and Vickie will be willing to move our TV again.