Today Kwasi and I went on a hospital tour of the new hospital we’ll be delivering. Our OB had changed hospitals in the last year or so because I guess they just weren’t happy at the other facility. I’m okay with it! Although I had a great experience at the old hospital, I really like the new one. The L&D looked cozy, and everything is on the same floor. I really liked some of their hospitals policies, and it just seems to be a bit more “open” in terms of their policies.
Kwabena, unfortunately, couldn’t attend the tour, nor will he be able to come see us at the hospital when we deliver 🙁 Because of all the swine flu (H1N1) outbreaks this year, kids under 18 are prohibited from entering the L&D unit. Today when we told him he couldn’t come, and that we were going on a tour of the hospital, he asked me if I was “going to the hospital to poop out the baby.” HAHA! We’ve had a talk about where babies come from, and in his understanding, I am “pooping” out the baby. 🙂 I guess it is sort of like that, huh? Anyhow, he spent a couple hours with Uncle Kofi.
Going on the tour was really exciting, actually. It’s making this all real–that, yes, we are having another baby!! This little guy that I feel so precisely when I am lying down at night reading Kwabena books…the little guy who’s bonely little body parts push up against my belly-button area…. yep, he’s real…and he’s coming!!
I am getting a little nervous about L&D. I mean, I remember after delivering Kwabena, thinking that it wasn’t “that bad.” But his L&D was manageable, and I progressed quickly enough (18 hours total). I worry that I will have some other type of delivery, something that doesn’t progress as quickly. But considering this is my second child, then I really shouldn’t take even 18 hours. One friend from my mom’s group said she labored and delivered for only 2 hours and 13 minutes! YIKES!! Awesome….but YIKES!!
I worry I will go into labor while at work. And since I take the shuttle….I am totally relying on a coworker who actually PARKS at work (since parking is atrocious) to get me to either my car, or to the hospital. Yeah, what about my car?? I guess someone would have to go and pick it up for me. LOL Driving while in labor would NOT be fun.
So I’m down to my last 6 weeks. Yes, only 6 weeks! Pretty exciting!! I’m ready, I think…..I’ve been spending each Sunday of the last couple weeks getting the house in order. Kwabena’s room is cleared out, with his closet clean and ready to be shared (as well as getting rid of toys that he doesn’t use that just take up space). And today Kwasi took off work to attend the tour, and we spent the morning cleaning up the walk-in closet, as well as getting rid of things that are just producing clutter.
I did walk around and feel like, “OMG, we really need more space…..” But that’s not an option right now. So, we must work with what we’ve got. And we will make it work. We just have to be brave enough to part with things that we totally don’t need. And to try to keep the house tidy.
A coworker loaned me a boat-load of baby clothes from her son, who’s 9 months old. Thank you, Katie!!!! 🙂 It has saved me from having to buy a bunch of cold-season stuff, since much of what I had left over from Kwabena was from the summer newborn season. Everything’s been washed up and stored away in the dresser!
As for my weight gain (which I can’t help but mention), it’s still great. I think I’ve gained about 25 or 26 pounds now. I am 33 weeks and 4 days. At this time in my pregnancy with Kwabena, at 34 weeks and 5 days, I had gained 51 pounds. Holy shit!! It feels good to have managed my weight so effectively as to not completely “let myself go.” My eating habits have been good, although lately I’ve taken to nibbling here and there on a few sweeets (tonight we made Hershey’s Fudge brownies…..), but the amount of sweets I eat are a fraction of what I used to eat. I sooooo keep tabs on that.
So here we are….6 weeks out…..getting a bit nervous, but excited about the change. Kwabena is going to be a GREAT big brother!! I’m glad he’s a bit older (3 years 5 months) when the baby comes. I realized that he’s old enough to even have some memory of getting a new brother, too!! How exciting!!
Leave a Reply