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Week 39 ~ October 18, 2004
~ More Nesting
We've finished our birth plan! There are still a few things we want to look into, like what newborn procedures are typically done after a birth at our hospital, but it's ready to go now just in case Penguin is ready to make an appearance soon.
To write the plan, we started with this online birth plan format we found. Then we personalized it a lot more, adding an introduction that tells a bit about our past birth experience and what our main goals are for this time and including a few more options and ideas that we discussed with our doula. (By the way, our doula was a great help for this, giving wonderful feedback and even attending a midwife visit to discuss the plan.)
We have been quite busy preparing for this baby. My parents have spent lots of time over here helping. Last week, my mom and I went through all of the baby clothes and pulled out the smaller things to organize them. She took a bunch home, washed them, and brought them back. Charon and I have had lots of fun unfolding them to look at them and then refolding them and stacking them on the shelf on the changing table. My dad got the oil changed in our car and put in a new baby gate for us at the top of the stairs.
Pete and I have been doing what we can, too. Last week, we cleaned out our front closet and got out the winter gear - coats, hats, mittens, etc. Cold weather is right around the corner for us! Pete put some new shelves in the closet and got us some containers to store the loose items. It feels so good to have this done now and ready to go!
Pete is planning to take three weeks off of work, and then he'll go back part-time for two weeks. With that and the holidays coming, we feel very fortunate to have such a nice amount of time to spend adding Penguin to our family. We are planning to stay at home, at our own house, for the holidays this year, and I'm looking forward to spending time with just the four of us, watching the first snow fall, decorating the house and tree, and wrapping presents for each other. Charon is so into celebrating now, and I think it will be a very magical time for her.
Last weekend, Charon and I got together with my sister Katy and nephew Louis, my sister-in-law Dawn, and my mom for a mini-shower. My mom put together a surprise big sister box for Charon, full of things to do that will be easy for me to help her with one-handed once Penguin is here. Some extended family members added items to the box, too, and it will be so fun to see the surprises! My mom hasn't shown it to Charon yet; we are thinking it should wait until birth-time. I'd also like to come up with a gift for Penguin to give Charon, and something for Charon to give Penguin.
My mom made the baby a cozy blanket, and my sister did, too. Mom surprised Charon with a new homemade blanket - a purple one! - and that's been a wonderful hit. Katy also gave me a pre-birth gift: A blue silk scarf! (She's been reading my journal entries.  )
I also went to an infant/child CPR class. It was a short class, just an overview course, so I'm not certified, but it sure helps to know what could be done in an emergency while waiting for professionals to arrive. I was worried the class would make me scared - being pregnant, I find myself a lot more sensitive to stories of people, especially children, in awful situations - but the instructor did a great job of not scaring us but making us feel more confident. Pete went to one of these classes when Charon was born, and I'd always intended to do it, too. Good thing Penguin gave me the chance to do it by waiting!
We've officially passed the date when Charon arrived, twelve days before the due date, which would have been this Saturday, October 16. I have a feeling this baby is going to stay inside until at least 40 weeks. I'm not sure why I feel this way. I am more tired than I remember being with Charon, and I feel bigger and more uncomfortable, but that could be because I am five years older than I was then. I just think this kid is her or his own person, and is going to do things his or her own way.
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