28 weeks and counting

It's been quite a while since I've posted anything here, but rest assured we are all still doing well. Baby seems to be growing pretty well (and therefore I am too) and we're still feeling good. The midwives I am seeing (who are at the birth center where we are planning for the big event to take place) are very nice and seem happy with the progress; it's such a different experience than the first few months of doctor visits where I would wait for an hour or so, then had less than 10 minutes with my OBGYN in which she spewed medical terms and then ordered up several viles of blood to run a bunch of tests that I never heard back about. Heck, I barely understood what they were for! Now I am in a place where I don't feel like I am "ill" and where I'm a lot clearer about what's going on, my responsibilities in preparing for the birth, and how my actions can and will have in impact on the birth. With my doctor, she basically wrote off a birthing plan and didn't really care about the kind of experience we'd like to work towards...I'm so relieved to have care now there they actually CARE.

Daily walks, trying to eat well, and the assorted squats, kegels, and yoga-like postures are contributing to my feeling (relatively) normal and healthy, I think. We've begun a Bradley birthing class (thanks to some very good advice!) and are really enjoying this "husband-coached" method of preparing for a natural birth. Sam is a great coach - he helps me remember to do the exercises and eat protein and all the rest, and we are enjoying "practicing" all of the relaxation techniques (can't we keep practicing relaxing after the birth, too?!) http://www.bradleybirth.com/

It was very sad to lose my Grandpa Haeger in February. Thankfully, we had a week with him at the holidays this year and lots of great memories (there's a picture of him there in the slide show.) Grandpa was always such a great supporter - he was generous, hard-working, smart, stubborn, and enormously interested in what we were up to. But he had a long life, and he was lucky (and determined) enough to live at home until the end. We spent several days with family in Michigan and my grandmother has now moved "up north" where she's close to my parent's but able to be in an assisted living facility (I don't like that word, but "home" isn't much better) where we hope that the social life and support from others will give her a little lift up. It's got to be a tough transition from living seventy years with someone to a whole new place and new people; We're thinking of you, Grandma! xoxo