It's Really Real

I have been feeling very...I don't know...aware lately of the fact that I'm going to be a mom. There is a baby inside of me that is going to come out one way or 't'other. And SOON!! And I better get BUSY!!

We have the crib set up, and the dresser and mattress got delivered today. The nursery is coming together. But. But, but, but, but, but. There are craft supplies in the closet, and a big full-sized bed in the room, too. I want to paint the walls a lovely shade of green, and I need to repaint a shelf and a bookshelf. I know the baby isn't going to care if the walls are painted a lovely shade of green, or if they're made of lime Jell-O. And she's not going to care if her crib is all decked-out in soft-n-snuggly bedding, or if she's sleeping in a laundry basket...but I still want to be done before she gets here! (by the way, if you know of anyone in the southern California area that gets off on "sorting people out"...send her my way, because I feel I need some serious sorting!)

And we took a tour of the maternity floor at the hospital where I plan to give birth. The rooms are really nice. I had no real concept because the closest I have ever been to a birth-related hospital room was watching an episode of Friends when Rachel was giving birth to Emma! TV=Real. Not. However, a neighbor had recently given birth at this hospital, and recommended that we check it out, and I must say I'm pleased.

(most of you will probably be bored to tears with the following information, but it's all new to me, so I'm subjecting you to it, too!)

There are Labor-Delivery-Recovery (LDR) rooms, and their goal is that every mom-n-babe stay there the entire time. There are also post partum rooms if the hospital needs to open up an LDR room, but I'm hoping I get to start, endure, and finish in the LDR room. There's a pull-out couch for Dave, so I don't have to be alone. There's a bathroom and shower in each room, as well as a fridge, and a TV/VCR combo. (VCR. Hah!) The bed has the capability of going from simple incline-and-relax bed to knees-to-your-chin labor bed...complete with overhead spotlights for the doc and everything! :o) They said they give the baby to me for a little "imprinting" time (and hopefully feeding time!), and then the nurse will take her to a warming unit in the room where she'll get cleaned and weighed and have all the necessary tests. Then the nurse will bring the baby back to me, and swap the warming unit out for a bassinet...and leave us alone for some Family Time. I have heard that there is the vague possibility that we'll have web-access in the room, so we can upload pictures fairly quickly. (There's also a Starbucks down the street...so if the Room Access fails, I'll have to send Dave down to post pictures on his own. I need to get him learned up on blogs, eh?) What else? We also saw the other facilities that I don't want to see again (i.e., C-section room, NICU, etc)...but we know they are there. For the other babies, of course! And it sounds like the hospital is well-staffed, so each LDR nurse has a maximum of 2 moms. Hopefully we'll be there during a non-full-moon, so there won't be too many other folks taking up my nurse's time! :o) Ooh, I should start praying for my nurse now, shouldn't I? Yeah. Good idea. Thanks!

And, other than that, the girls over at Pinks & Blues are hosting "Blogger Baby Bump Watch 2008." It seems that lots of pregnant moms are about to be posting their bare-baby-bellies on their blogs...and even though I do it all the time, this time I might win something for doing it! :o) So I tried to take some good belly shots, and Gypsy wanted to play along. And while it isn't the best picture, and the towels should have been arranged just so before I took the shot, it's a sweet one, I think. I call it "Bump the Bump."

I promise, though, to post a picture THE DAY my belly button pops. :o) It's ooching outward every day.