38 Weeks

I had an appointment this week, which you can read about in the previous post. Tamale is still very active and finds some positions that make my stomach look really lumpy. I don't have the nerve to ask the doctor how big she thinks the baby is. Ryan and I were both over 9 pounds! I don't know if that is a factor, but it's been in the back (ok, front) of my mind the whole time. I know several people who were given an estimate that was off by as much as 2 pounds, so it doesn't sound very predictable. Wednesday morning I woke up at 4 am and couldn't go back to sleep. Ryan had to get up earlier than usual, so I got up shortly after he left and soaked in the tub at 6 am. That was a first! My hips and leg muscles were bothering me and keeping me from sleeping and I think the tub really helped. We are both amazed at how alert I am when I wake up in the middle of the night. Before I was pregnant I was a very sound sleeper! I've slept through many severe thunderstorms and had conversations that I have no recollection of the next day. I was actually worried that a baby couldn't wake me up and I'd not know to get up and take care of it. I've read that it's the body's way of preparing a mother for getting up with the baby and being attentive. If that's true, I think it's pretty neat. If not, it's just a sick joke and I feel cheated out of many nights of peaceful sleep.

As I mentioned a while back, we plan to start using cloth diapers a few weeks after she's born. I don't really want to use disposables, but I thought I would let us adjust to having her home for a little while before starting. I don't think the actual diaper changes will be different, but it does create more laundry. I've never minded doing laundry. I know people who hate it, but I actually like it. Anyways, the brand we are using is called bumGenius, very clever. Each diaper is $18, which sounds like a lot upfront, but a stash costs much less than what you will pay for disposables over time. I check a website called cottonbabies because they occasionally put some of the diapers on sale in a category called "seconds." It's the same as outlet stores where you can't find anything wrong with the item, but for some slight irregularity it had to be put in the outlet. I talked to a mom who bought some of these and had no problems with them. Plus, she sews and has a good eye for detail and said she can't find anything wrong with them. All this to say that cottonbabies listed them Wednesday night for $12 each. It took FOREVER to get through the purchasing process because I'm sure a lot of people watch for these deals. I wanted green or yellow, but it took too long and my cart was cleared. All that was left were blue ones, so I got those. It made me think about something I've thought a lot about before... if I were having a boy would I buy him pink diapers and outfits? The answer is no, and that bothers me. Why is it ok for girls to wear blue, but not as acceptable for boys to wear pink? I took a really good class on gender in grad school and have since been very interested in identity and gender roles. I have strong opinions about gender roles. Fortunately, Ryan and I have always viewed each other as true equals in our relationship, and I couldn't have it any other way. I could go on and on with this topic, but I will spare you for now.

After we get in a routine with the baby I am anxious to get back into graphic design. I have two classes left to finish my certificate program by December. My main obstacle so far has been the printing process. Most of the orders I get are for 10-25 cards. My printer at home does not print with the professional quality I'd like. I've used an online company that takes small orders, but it's hard to make much of a profit after paying their shipping costs. They have good base prices, but they get it back with outrageous shipping. I've been browsing etsy and I noticed that some designers offer a digital file instead of printing. They create the invitation, card, etc., and send it to the customer in an e-mail. Then you can take it wherever you want (Target, Sam's, shutterfly.com) and have copies made. That sounds like the way for me to go, especially since it will save time on printing, packaging, and trips to the post office to mail packages to customers. I'm really excited to see where this new method takes me, and I'll keep you posted on my shop.

Saturday Ryan played in a mud volleyball tournament to raise money for a local children's organization. I ran a couple of errands and did laundry. That night we had a Baby BBQ with his coworkers. The hostess called it that so the guys would come :) Her house is beautiful and has amazing views from the back yard. We have been so fortunate to have several showers and get the things we need for Tamale's arrival. Her bedding should be here on Monday and the diapers on Tuesday.

I've been reading a book this week called The Happiest Baby on the Block. I'm not sure where I first heard of it, but I've seen a couple of articles about it in pregnancy magazines. It's about how to soothe babies when they cry, especially really fussy babies, and gives parents hope that they can do something about it. Watch this clip of the author, Dr. Harvey Karp, on "The View." This has to be a few years old because I think Elisabeth was pregnant with her first child and asked him a million questions. I love the babies' expressions when he calms them down. They look around like, "Hey, how did he do that?! I'm not crying anymore!" We've been practicing our swaddling. The dog seems to enjoy it :) If anything eventful happens at my appointment tomorrow, I'll update.