Child Birthing Classes: Part 1

So last week we attended our first child birthing class.  This is the first in a series of 6 that will conclude on May 4.  We decided to start them now because we will not have time to complete them before Evie comes, once we are back in Tehachapi, and any later than this, we will not have time to complete them in Ventura.  We went back and forth on whether or not we should even do them.  I am currently taking prenatal yoga and I am learning some great pain management techniques, as well as breathing practices, but we want to be as prepared as possible, so we decided to go for it.  We are taking them through the local community hospital in Ventura.

The class is two hours and our instructor, Pam, was pretty entertaining.  She made the topics interesting (though I think Keith was a little bored)  Half way through we had a break.  During this time the men were encouraged to try on the empathy belly to get an idea of what we women are going through.  Keith looked pretty good in it!

After the break we watched a video and then had to practice the breathing techniques...which I DO NOT LIKE.  I prefer my yoga breathing, but I tried to do it anyway with little success.  I could not figure out when I was suppose to be breathing in.  Then it didn't help that Keith was laughing.  Needless to say I started laughing and we were the only couple out of 10, who could not do the breathing exercises because we were laughing so hard.  I felt like "that" student in class who the teacher figures out the first day of school is going to cause problems.  But regardless of what everyone "thought" of us, we laughed the whole way home remembering the night.  

A "Priceless" Day

From the beginning of this pregnancy, we knew that we wanted to get a 4d ultrasound done.  We looked into pricing and while it was a lot (almost as much as the stroller I want!) it was one of those things that I figured would be "priceless."  I can now say that I recommend it to EVERYONE!  It was the neatest experience and a day we will cherish forever.  So many friends and family together for a sweet occasion.  As four generations of my family gathered together in this lovely room to watch the fifth generation floating and smiling and stretching, there were smiles and tears.  It was so beautiful. 

We all met in the lobby of My First Peekaboo in Ventura before and took some pictures.  14 people all together came to share in this fun day and to see Evie Love in action for the first time.  

 

  

Then we went into the room.  My cousin Kelli described it best, as what looked like a cozy massage room.  The lights were dim in this nice sized room.  There was a nice big bed for me, and a couch and chairs for others.  We had so many though, that many were comfortable standing and or sitting on the ground.  The screen was a large projection screen, so there was not a bad seat in the house! 

Then Anna, our technician, got started.  She put the lotion on my belly and started some quiet music that would become the soundtrack to the DVD we purchased.  And then we watched in amazement at the little girl who came to life on the big screen.  It started out black and white and then went to 4d.  I was so choked up when I saw her beautiful face for the first time.  

I didn't care what she looked like, but I could tell she was pretty.  Everyone laughed at her moving, while we counted her fingers and toes and smiled that our baby is perfect.  

Soon people were guessing at who they thought she looked like.  When she smiled they said Jami's mouth, but when it was closed and she looked like she was sleeping we thought maybe more like Keith's.  

Some said maybe she had my sister's nose, but Keith insists it is a baby nose and we will have to wait and see on that one.  Grammy said she has her daddy's ears. 

All in all Keith and I think she is probably a mix of both, but it will be so much fun to see her pictures next to our baby pictures.  However, it will be even more fun when she is here with us.  

This is experience was truly incredible and for $139 we got a DVD, a CD with all of the pictures, and these amazing memories that we will never forget, and that truly is priceless.

Feeling Evie Move

The first time I felt Evie move I was sitting at my in-laws house working on my computer.  I didn't tell anyone when it happened because I wasn't sure.  This was January 23.  After that I would randomly feel her move every few days.  Now, feeling her move is the highlight of my day.

At first it was like bubbles.  That is the best I can describe it.  Now sometimes it feels like bubbles, sometimes like butterflies, and sometimes it is a full blown kick.  The other day I was sitting in a staff meeting and had my hand resting on my belly.  She kicked my palm a couple of times.  These were the hardest kicks I have felt so far.  The coolest part was that I could feel that it was a little foot.  Like I could feel the actual little bones, where as before I had no clue.  It was so precious and melted my heart. 

Keith has felt her once.  It seems like she will be doing flips in there and when I call him over to feel, she stops.  Stage fright I guess.  The other night we were in bed and I was feeling the little pats.  He asked if he could feel and as soon as his hand touched it she stopped.  He is excited to feel her more and after the kicks the other day, I know it's close!

A Moment to Share...

Most days I don't mind being pregnant.  It's actually a lot of fun.  It's fun because I'm never alone :) and I always have something to talk about (whether or not people want to hear is another question all together...haha).  I don't really mind when people touch my belly, but what cracks me up (most of the time) is what people say when they touch it.  

When 5-6 year olds touch it, they usually say something like, "Wow Mrs. Butler, your tummy is getting BIG!" or "Is the baby sleeping?" or, my personal favorite, "You're getting really fatter!"

When people my age touch it, they usually say something like, "So cute!" or "Love it!"

When people older than me touch it, they usually affectionately rub it and ask, "How are you feeling?" or "You are really starting to show!" or "Do you feel her moving a lot?"  

But the best was last week when I wore a sweatshirt to work.  Now, in her defense, I usually wear clothes that show that I am pretty much all belly (see picture below) but it was a cold, miserable day and a big sweatshirt was sounding so cozy!  So I wore it.  This lady at work affectionately touched my belly and then very sweetly said, "When you wear that you don't really look all that pregnant, just mostly a little chunky."  I laughed.

A Not-So-Pink Nursery for Evie

Anyone who knows me could probably tell you that I am not a "pink" lady.  I have no problem with the color, I think it is quite pretty, but I don't know if it has ever been my favorite color.  When I was younger I know it was purple, then around fourth grade I changed it to blue, and since high school my favorite color has been green.  I LOVE green.  Look at my wedding, my classroom, my closet and you will find green all around.

Now I know that in having a little girl, pink is inevitable, which Keith and I have accepted and embraced.  We are ready to dress Evie in the girliest of girlie colors almost everyday.  However, we have decided that her nursery will be a different story.

I had found a few different prints that I loved, but when I saw this, I knew it was for my girl.  I will get the whole bedding set, but I plan to accent the room with other details, rather than this line.  I found a cute cherry blossom lamp at Ikea and I have different ideas for the walls all together.  I'm still shopping and looking around.

In this picture there is still a lot of pink, but I mostly love the cherry blossoms with the red, pink, and green.  My plan as of now is to do a green accent wall behind the crib with the tree decal below.  The tree will be brown and the flowers will be pink and red.

Still very girlie, but a little more earthy, which works well for me.  I think it will be really cute when it is all done.  We also made a selection on our crib.  I think it is perfect for the room I have in my head.

I can't wait to get to work on it.  Too bad we still have a little while before that happens, but planning is definitely fun.  I'm now searching for pictures and a chair.  We will see what comes up.