Its official… I look FAT….I mean PREGNANT….
Here I am after my Prenatal Yoga Class this AM…we had to hold a squat against the wall for 3 mins and went straight into birthing squats for 5 mins. My butt is so toned right now! 
Mind over matter baby. Legs started to burn and I breathed through it and somehow made 3 mins seem like 1… 
I say BRING IT ON LABOR!!!
I have done a few preparing classes for baby the past few weeks. My first one was Infant Massage and that was neat to learn how massage can really stimulate the baby or calm him down before bedtime. How proper massage can reduce the babys chances for colic and how if he gets a little stuck up, simple pressure points can produce a bowel movement.
Then I took Infant CPR, which was somewhat scary. We learned how to do CPR on the baby as well as a child and an adult. We also learned the hymlic…and what to do if your baby starts to choke. I am glad I know now how to do these things and I hope I never have to use them, but it is always good to be prepared!
Finally, I most recently took Bootcamp for Moms. This was awesome! They taught us about everything that occurs right after the afterbirth is delivered and on. How to manage your time and how you need a good support team with you the couple weeks after the baby comes home. I do in particular because Rhys cannot take Paternal Leave from the team and I will need help with the dog and cooking, etc…We did an exercise with different colors of felt on a round circle and had to place them there for different things such as sleep, exercise, leisure, pet, etc…and you realize that sometimes your priorities are not to get a manicure but rather an extra couple hours of sleep…very EYE OPENING!!! I asked the nurse what if you get a full 8-9 hours of sleep now…she said, well you are lucky because most pregnant women do not and plan on only getting about 3 if you are lucky, once baby comes home….ooooooh boy! I cant even have a redbull because I will be breastfeeding and anyone who knows me knows that I fall asleep at 9pm and wake up at about 7/8….I am doomed!
Rhys and I are signed up, he doesn’t really know this yet…for Childbirthing Class and Labor Support. In the 2 part class we will learn the different stages of Labor, which from all my reading I feel like an expert, and we actually will watch footage of a birth (Rhys might throw up, no joke!)…then the support class will teach Rhys and I different ways to massage me during labor and different ways of touch that can help eliminate tension in my body. I also feel that my prenatal yoga has helped and my instructor at Gotta Yoga, Diane, she teaches individual classes for pregnant mommy and partner, so Rhys and I might start to take a couple classes together to bond with baby and so he can learn more ways to help me during the labor process.
I have decided I want a doula with me during the labor as well as Rhys. This is ideal if Rhys is not around when I begin labor (please pray that he is not at the Jets game when labor starts…I want him to be here for the birth of his son!). This way the doula can labor me for as long as possible at my home (whether Rhys is here or not), and then we will go to the hospital at the last (hopefully) couple hours. I want to labor for as long as possible at home because I want to have this birth as natural as I can. I know it will be hard, demanding and horribly painful at times, but I honestly believe that I have prepared as well as I can (without knowing what the contractions will feel like and no one really being able to describe the pain to me) to have a safe natural delivery. I would love to have a home birth but I must admit I do feel reassured knowing that I am going to the hospital, just in case anything goes wrong with me or the baby.
Last night, one of the wives on the team Silvana and a girlfriend of one of the guys, Risalyn, hosted a baby shower for me and 3 of the other girls. It was so nice. We had dinner and cake (I didn’t even finish my slice because I am healthy!!!) 
Then we did a sort of secret santa exchange- and I got some amazing gifts. Everything from recieving blankets to nursing covers to toys and rattles! The baby is already spoiled and he doesn’t even know it!
I realized today that staying pregnant does not last forever, and I am going to embrace the next 15 weeks (wow doesn’t seem that far now). I feel great, finally look pregnant and I just want to cherish this time to bond with my little baby before he makes his grand entrance into this world. He is going to be so loved!
Well that is all for now…Rhys also doesn’t know but I am signing him up for Daddy Bootcamp…so he can learn all about MY hormones and how to properly change a diaper (Love ya babe!)
Hope to post more next week and maybe get Rhys to finally say something, because camp will be over.
Very exciting though. Things have been good so far, no swelling…been feeling OK, still a bit tired and I do not have quite the appetite I had a few weeks ago. I also have more pressure, “down below” and have had some false labor contractions. They really are not much of a bother just a bit uncomfortable. Prepping me for the pain that is to come!
Ugh. Its like I wanna LOOK pregnant but then again I don’t wanna be massive. It is difficult for me to get on the scale each week and see the pounds go on. I know it is for the baby, but wow what an eye opener, so I am not going to even look at scales anymore and when I am at the docs I am going to close my eyes!
