February 19, 2011

Well it just started.  Swelling, and in places I didn't really expect.  At the OB last week, the doctor we met (we are meeting all the doctors now before labor and delivery) told me that there was a little swelling.  He said it would get worse, and the best way to prevent it is to drink water and avoid sodium of course.  Well, I didn't really notice the swelling until I went for a walk, and my wedding ring suddenly got tight and wouldn't come off.  Today my husband Kris and I took a friend to dinner.  We ate pizza.  Rachel and I split a veggie pizza.  Then we walked around the mall for a while.  When we got home, I was talking to another friend about breastfeeding, and suddenly noticed more swelling in some areas I didn't know could swell.  This is just the beginning.
My mom gained 70 pounds with my older brother, her first pregnancy.  She experienced a lot of swelling.  My dad told me it was so bad that they gave her medicine, and after taking it she dropped 20 pounds.  I hope I can keep the swelling down without medicine. 
We had the childbirth preparation class today!  The nurse said to wait until contractions are 5 minutes apart, for 1 minute, and for an hour.  So that means I'll be home and going through labor for at least a few hours before going to the hospital.  Maybe even half a day.
I bought two garage bags full of clothes for Ethan, from birth to 12 months, from a friend of my cousin.  She only charged me $90, and also gave me a car seat and a bouncy seat.  The clothes are so cute, and it's not nearly everything we are going to buy for him to wear.
We had fun today!  The Childbirth Preparation class was from 9am to 4pm.  We have Infant CPR class on Monday night, and Breastfeeding class on Thursday night.  I will tell you more about these classes in my next blog, so get excited!
I want to thank some people.  I feel very loved and supported, and that means so much to me.  Thank you to my husband Kris and Rachel for the fun today.  Thank you Laura for all the labor and breastfeeding advice, etc.  Thank you Mom and Dad for all of your help and support; we are so blessed.  Thank you Sheila Aaron, and Kris's family for your prayers and for being so excited about Ethan.  Thanks Mrs. O for your Facebook messages, comments, and prayers.  I miss yall so much!