Baby Shower!

My mom and my sister, Kellie threw a shower for me and my sister, Melody (who's also pregnant), on Saturday, February 16th. I was overwhelmed by the turnout and the generosity that people showed towards us and our baby. I have many special memories of that day that I've already written down to share with Baby Pope one day in the future. We never got an official count but we think there were about 40 people there. My parent's living room, kitchen and dining room were full of people-- well the living room was almost fully occupied with gifts. I have a lot of pictures, but I'll post a few that will hopefully be a good representation of the afternoon. Sisters - who's bigger?
Me and the grandmas.
We asked that people bring a book for the baby instead of a card and write a message to the baby inside the book. I was so pleased by how many people participated. We love books and reading and I know the messages will be especially nice to look back on. These are the books Baby Pope received:


My mom's mom (so Baby Pope's great-grandmother) made a quilt for the baby using some different green fabrics I picked out. One has some jungle animals on it to match the "theme" of our nursery corner. It's not overly babyish which is exactly what we wanted. I love it.

We got a few coordinating outfits. Since our babies will be so close in age they could be mistaken for twins. Thankfully Scott and Dusty don't look anything alike.

Kellie made Melody and I each a cake out of diapers, which was really cool and will be very useful.


We also had some cupcakes with babies sleeping under their quilts on top. And everything is edible-- even the babies.
It was a wonderful day. Unfortunately, Scott couldn't make it since he's a busy graduate student. His parent's were able to travel up to Redding for the first time and take part in the festivities. The also got the grand tour of Redding and surrounding areas. We think we showed them a good time. We had beautiful weather in the high 60s and 70s most of the weekend so it was a lovely time to visit. And for the Pope/Kerbis side who aren't familiar with Redding or Northern California, here's a taste of what you're missing:
On Debi & Jim's last day we visited this well-known lookout of "The Three Shastas": Shasta Dam, Shasta Lake and Mount Shasta. Wasn't it a beautiful day?

Thank you again to everyone who came to the shower and thank you to those of you who weren't able to make it that sent Baby Pope gifts anyway. We really appreciate all your generosity.

31 weeks

I didn't realize I was a week behind. Hopefully the 32 week post won't be too far behind.


How your baby's growing: This week, your baby measures over 16 inches long. He weighs about 3.3 pounds (try carrying four navel oranges) and is heading into a growth spurt. He can turn his head from side to side, and his arms, legs, and body are beginning to plump out as needed fat accumulates underneath his skin. He's probably moving a lot, too, so you may have trouble sleeping because your baby's kicks and somersaults keep you up. Take comfort: All this moving is a sign that your baby is active and healthy.

How your life's changing: Have you noticed the muscles in your uterus tightening now and then? Many women feel these random contractions — called Braxton Hicks contractions — in the second half of pregnancy. Often lasting about 30 seconds, they're irregular, and at this point, they should be infrequent and painless. Frequent contractions, on the other hand — even those that don't hurt — may be a sign of preterm labor. Call your practitioner immediately if you have more than four contractions in an hour or any other signs of preterm labor: an increase in vaginal discharge or a change in the type of discharge (if it becomes watery, mucus-like, or bloody — even if it's pink or just tinged with blood); abdominal pain or menstrual-like cramping; an increase in pressure in the pelvic area; or low back pain, especially if you didn't have it before.

You may have noticed some leaking of colostrum, or "premilk," from your breasts lately. If so, try tucking some nursing pads into your bra to protect your clothes. (And if not, it's certainly nothing to worry about; your breasts are making colostrum all the same, even if you don't see any.) If your current bra is too snug, you might also want to pick up a nursing bra. Choose a nursing bra at least one cup size bigger than you need now. When your milk comes in you'll be grateful for that extra room!

How I'm doing: I haven't noticed any Braxton Hicks contractions since much closer to the beginning of pregnancy. I'm sure they'll be coming back soon. We had a midwife appointment this week (or last week now that I'm a week late on this update). The baby was doing just fine. Her heartbeat was still nice and strong. I only gained .7 lbs in the two weeks since my previous appointment so I did well on that front. We made it out to a nice dinner one night to one of Mario Batali's restaurants in LA Osteria Mozza. Even though Scott can be a picky eater we both enjoyed everything we ate and dined next to Lionel Richie in the process; unfortunately his new grandbaby wasn't with him. We're trying to get in a lot of things we won't be able to do with a baby. For Valentine's Day we purchased tickets to Wicked! at the Pantages Theater in Hollywood. We'll be going to see that next week and sitting in something like the 10th row. We're really looking forward to that.

We also had an additional birthing class which was mainly on nutrition and a bit about early labor, when to go to the hospital, etc. And we also had our hospital tour. It was a busy week; especially since I didn't return from Redding until Monday evening. The hospital tour was exciting. It was cool to see the place our baby will be born. Or might be born. As it turns out UCLA Ronald Reagan Hospital will be opening on May 4th (Happy birthday Dad!). My due date is on April 25th according to me or April 30th according to my midwives. So the baby's birthday could be very close to or after May 4th. So it's likely we'll find out which hospital our baby will be born at very close to her actual birthday. Luckily they are across the street from each other so it doesn't require any advanced planning. I'm holding out hope that she'll stay put until after the 4th. We saw pictures of the new hospital and I'd rather go there. Even if just for the private rooms. At the old hospital the recovery rooms are semi-private and Scott would have to go home at 9 PM every night if I had a roommate. Babies room-in at UCLA (the nursery is only for babies with problems) so obviously I'd much prefer if Scott were there. If we go to the old hospital, we may consider upgrading to a private room for $330/night (yikes!). But then Scott would have his own twin bed to sleep over in. But of course insurance won't pay for that.

We feel very fortunate to be having our baby at UCLA though. It's a wonderful hospital. Our tour was given by the Director of Labor and Delivery who's a nurse and we liked her a lot. We feel confident that with our midwives and the staff at UCLA we'll get the birth experience we want in a very safe environment.

But I'm leaving out the best part of my week. My mom and sister, Kellie threw me and my (also pregnant) sister, Melody a shower on February 16th.

30 weeks

How your baby's growing: Your baby's about 15.7 inches long now, and she weighs almost 3 pounds (like a head of cabbage). A pint and a half of amniotic fluid surrounds her, but that volume will decrease as she gets bigger and takes up more room in your uterus. Her eyesight continues to develop, though it's not very keen; even after she's born, she'll keep her eyes closed for a good part of the day. When she does open them, she'll respond to changes in light but will have 20/400 vision — which means she can only make out objects a few inches from her face. (Normal adult vision is 20/20.) Her eyesight is almost as good as her mom's already though!

How your life's changing: You may be feeling a little tired these days, especially if you're having trouble sleeping. You might also feel clumsier than normal, which is perfectly understandable. Not only are you heavier, but the concentration of weight in your pregnant belly causes a shift in your center of gravity. Plus, thanks to hormonal changes, your ligaments are more lax, so your joints are looser, which may also contribute to your balance being a bit off. Also, this relaxation of your ligaments can actually cause your feet to spread permanently, so you may have to invest in some new shoes in a bigger size.

Remember those mood swings you had earlier in pregnancy? The combination of uncomfortable symptoms and hormonal changes can result in a return of those emotional ups and downs. It's normal to worry about what your labor will be like or whether you'll be a good parent. But if you can't shake the blues or feel increasingly irritable or agitated, talk to your doctor or midwife. You may be among the 1 in 10 expectant women who battle depression during pregnancy. Also let your caregiver know if you're frequently nervous or anxious.

How I'm doing: I feel like I've hit a major milestone now. 30 weeks, less than 10 weeks to go (or 7-10 weeks since 37 weeks is full term). I feel like we've started the countdown now.

I'm getting bigger and just starting to get uncomfortable. It's getting hard to move around while I'm laying down. I try to hit the bed in the position I want to sleep in (laying on my left side) so I don't have to adjust. I'm now sleeping with 3 pillows (one under my head and two down the length of my body like a body pillow). I might need to add one under my back since it's uncomfortable to lay flat on my back for very long (the baby's weight pushes on my back and compresses nerves). She has also started giving me more frequent uncomfortable kicks. Nothing really hurts, it's more like a jab in my side that I would prefer not to have. My bladder is also getting compressed. Every time I stand up and she shifts down slightly I feel like I need to go to the bathroom even though there's not much in there.

Even with all the complaints I still feel great most of the day. I enjoy feeling her kick and just move around. I enjoy our bond that no one else can experience. Scott likes to lay in bed for a few extra minutes in the morning and at night before we go to sleep to feel her move. She always obliges now; I guess because she doesn't have as much room. So far, she's most active at 11 AM, 3 PM and 10:30 PM. We'll see if she keeps up that schedule on the outside. It often seems like she's doing the splits or spreading her arms out because I can feel a simultaneous kick on both sides of my belly. Maybe she'll be a gymnast or a yogi like her mom.

I'm very much looking forward to my baby shower tomorrow and seeing many of you. I didn't think I would make it up north again before the baby came so I'm glad for this chance to make the trip. And to see if my sister has a belly yet. In December mine was just starting to pop but hers wasn't yet. I arrive in Redding at 9:30 tonight and leave Monday evening.