by the book.

Today, I begin my 32nd week of pregnancy (a.k.a. 31 weeks, 0 days have passed by so far). We had a doctor's appointment (they're going to start occurring every 2 weeks now) and it went great! My doctor says my uterus must have "bought the book" on pregnancy -- I'm measuring exactly where I should be. This was the first time I hadn't gained a pound a week since the beginning of the second trimester (only 1.5 pounds since my last appointment), so I'm feeling good about not getting too large too fast while I still have 8-9 weeks to go. And we talked about some concerns I had with labor and delivery and found out some reassuring information (she's very in favor of natural birth and avoiding pain medication, and she also encourages women to eat and drink [very light amounts] during labor to keep their strength up -- so I won't just be chowing down ice chips). I'm starting to freak out about giving birth, but it was good to hear that she's on board for the kind of birth we're hoping to have. I've also been reading, reading, reading to get ready for birth and beyond. The books I can be most often found flipping through include Natural Childbirth the Bradley Way, The Nursing Mother's Companion, and Healthy Sleep Habits, Happy Child. I also just received Secrets of the Baby Whisperer from Stephanie at my shower. If you have any other suggestions for great mother-to-be reads, feel free to pass them along! I know I won't have much time to read once baby is here, but since my maternity leave starts in just over a month, I hope to squeeze in some more birth and parent education while I can.

showered (and a little sick).

Went to MN this weekend for the baby shower, which was unbelievably lovely. So nice to catch up with old friends and spend time with family! It would have been even better if I wasn't battling a head cold the whole time...but I can't complain too much since I've been very healthy so far this pregnancy. Here's the event in picture form!

so many thoughtful gifts!

a special family heirloom from Jason's Aunt Julie

one of many pink outfits for baby (Go Twins!)

mobile for the baby's room, in fabric to match...

...the new quilt!

Juliette got in on the fun.

one of Jason's favorite gifts: fun bath time ahead!

owls, handmade by my cousin to match the quilt and mobile

the "young people": Beth, me, Stephanie holding Juliette, and Sara

preparations.

Jason and I went to our "prepared childbirth" class yesterday. It was long (6.5 hours) but definitely worth it. The nurse who ran the class was very personable and informative, and though a lot of the information was review for me, there was some new stuff -- and it was all pretty new for Jason. Watching the childbirth videos was a little tough at times (especially for the J-man), but also helpful. And it was really great to get to tour the maternity suites at the hospital. They are beautiful and hotel-like, so I'm pretty excited about getting to stay there. As we left the OB ward, we got to stop and peek into the nursery, where there was one little newborn just stirring from slumber. Jason told me later that was the first time he'd ever seen a newborn baby in his life and he couldn't believe how tiny he was!

The preparations continued today as we assembled the glider for our nursery (thanks, Mom and Dad!). The crib will be delivered on 3/28, and then we'll have plenty of time to finalize the decorative details and get the room ready for baby Hanna's big arrival. Apologies for the bad photo lighting and the bare-ness of the picture -- the room will look much cozier once the curtains are back up (they are being redone by my mom, seamstress extraordinaire!).

two down, one to go.

By anyone's count, I'm now in the third trimester. Had our doctor's appointment on Friday: I don't have gestational diabetes (yay!), my hemoglobin count is "wonderful" (double yay -- no extra iron supplements in my future!), and I have once again gained exactly 1 pound per week since my last visit (as the nurse said, "You're all belly!"). Baby was happy with a heartbeat in the 150s, as usual, and wiggling around while the doctor took my measurements. Jason and I had our typical lunch at Panera after the appointment (gotta love the broccoli cheese soup!). Starting now, we'll be going in every 2-3 weeks until week 36, and then every week until baby arrives. We also have our prenatal classes starting up soon, kicking off with a childbirth "weekend express" seminar next Saturday.

Jason's actually out of town this week -- NIU has their spring break the week before the Sycamore School District has theirs, so he's flying down to Florida for fun in the sun without me. I'll be steadily working on purging the house of things we don't need so we can make even more room for baby, with a Sex and the City marathon and maybe some baking thrown in for good measure. It'd be a lot more fun if we could be lounging on the beach together -- though I'm not sad I missed going through airport security and buckling into those tiny airplane seats. (Jason, if you're reading this, I hope you're relaxing and having a blast with Kirby!)

things not to tell a pregnant woman.

Two people in the past week or so have told me that they can't believe I still have "so long to go" before the baby is due. Seriously?! Pretty sure I look a long ways from "ready to pop" stage (one of my colleagues used that specific phrase -- umm, have you ever seen a pregnant person before?). Besides, what's the point of saying something like this? I have to bite my tongue to keep from saying anything too cutting about their weight, which is still significantly more than mine.

There's me, at 27 weeks and 6 days (today). Definitely not ready to give birth to this tiny little life yet!

This gallery of "things not to tell a pregnant woman" made me laugh -- I think I've heard almost all of these already!

when it rains, it pours.

For a very rainy Friday, it's been a pretty spectacular day. Received a teaching award during my first hour class, got a surprise delivery of flowers from a grateful parent, and came home to find a darling invitation to my baby shower in my mailbox.

Looking forward to more rainy days this spring! And once baby is here, these (my first baby clothing purchase -- frivolous, I know) will help to keep her toes warm on days like today (not to mention brighten everyone's spirits!):