Progress...

3/7/13

Laura's body continues to make progress towards preparing for baby's arrival...

Tonight we had another of our weekly appointments.  It was so great to hear baby's heart beat again; and still, very strong!  Everything is progressing really well.  Last week, she was dialated .5 centimeter...tonight, she was up to 1.5 centimeters and is nearly half efaced.  I'm not exactly sure what that means, but it's something like parts of her body are now half way to where they need to be in order for baby to start traveling towards meeting us!

After returning home from this news from the doctor, we began making our final preparations with our "go bag"...which has now become 2 "go bags" with a baby bag tucked into another bag!  We have our clothes in a duffel bag, and then our toiletries, cameras and other things in my camo backpack (I know...I can't believe she was cool with this idea either!!!)  Baby's clothes are separate from the rest of ours so it's easy to find her little clothes amongst the rest of our crap.  It was kind of weird...packing for 3...for the first time!  It was fun...making sure she had socks, blankets and outfits.  And still, we don't know if we have the right stuff packed for her! I know this will get easier with time and experience, but I feel totally unprepared to dress our baby while at the hospital.  I'm anticipating they may have something, yet I'm guessing we'll also be primarily using blankets for the first day or so?!?!

Our bags are now assembled in our basement hallway and ready to be thrown in the car at a moment's notice.  As of next monday, Laura will offically be "full-term" at 37 weeks, and baby can then truly arrive at any time.  We were comforted tonight by knowing that if baby is born from this point forward, it won't need time in the ICU for lung/breathing development support.  The car seat was installed over the last weekend, so the carrier just needs to be snapped in, and it's good to go.  I feel being a parent has become much easier over time with so many new gadgets and gizmos to simplify and assist with child care, but at the same time, I think people have made it over-complicated and counter productive and rediculous at times.  I just heard on the news this week, for example, that recent studies are suggesting old studies may have been wrong...to avoid food allergies, children should be exposed to foods such as nuts and fish as early as 4 months old, rather than 3 years old as stated in previous studies.  Seriously?!?  Isn't that common sense?!  If someone/something is to adjust to something new, the more time something is given to make that adjustment, the better/smoother it will go?!?!  I'm sure my perspective will change/adjust/grow with time and experience of my own...but as of right now, I feel Laura and I have a pretty good idea/road map as to how we'll raise our child and where we want her to go in life!

This week I had a snow day for the first time as a teacher...the first since we were at UMD, and if you don't count college, it's my first since elementary school!!!  It's funny looking at that day now...I was so worthless on that snowday...perhaps for the last time in my life, I had a day to myself, with not much to do.  I slept in later than I have in almost 4 years, endulged myself in video games and laziness for a few hours on end...Just Lexi and I for a day.  Those days are few and far between...soon, I'll be outnumbered on snow days!!!

And that's it for now...I'll keep you posted if anything changes, otherwise, I'll give you an update after next week's doctor appointment.  As always, we greatly appreciate your well-wishing, best thoughts and/or prayers you've continuously send our way.  And most importantly, thanks for reading my Daddy Diary!  Take care...