Birth talk, etc.

My parents were here this past weekend. We had so much fun, and Marissa had a blast. I actually left her home with them on Friday while I went to work as a nanny. It was so weird to be at the family's house without her, but Marissa loved spending time with Grandma and Grandpa, and they loved it too. The funniest part about the weekend was how Marissa said Grandpa. Most of the time, it sounded more like "beanpole" than Grandpa! We just cracked up laughing every time she said it! We tried to get some family pictures taken (for Christmas cards), but I'm really not happy with any of them. In the ones where Marissa was cooperating, I look drugged, and in the ones I look decent (very few), Marissa is going crazy. We may try again, or just go with a picture of Marissa by herself. Frustrating.

Crazy girl in the outtakes

Last night we had our first babysitter for Marissa (besides family) so we could attend the orientation at the birth center I'm planning on delivering at. It finally seems so real that we'll be bringing home a baby in February! The orientation mostly consisted of reading through their information packet of procedures and requirements, etc. Then we got a tour of a room and it's soooo nice! They have queen size beds (which would be great for Dan since when Marissa was born he had to sleep on a strange couch/bed thing - but he will be going home to stay with Marissa once Arianna is born), normal-looking furniture (instead of hospital-looking), and a HUGE bathroom with a HUGE tub where I hope to labor and possibly deliver in. I'm starting to get so excited about this birth. I have absolutely NO complaints/regrets about Marissa's birth, but I have high expectations about this birth! There are a few circumstances that would prevent me from delivering there (a breech baby being the main one, besides other risk factors that we would know about before even going into labor), and so I'm a little worried about those. But even if they happen, they'll just transfer me down the hall to the regular labor/deliver area. There is also a NICU right in the attached hospital, just in case.

We left the orientation excited (well, I did...Dan is still worried about passing out like he did during childbirth classes before Marissa, even though he was fine at her actual birth), only to find a completely flat tire on our "second" car, since we had to put our "family" car in the shop because the heat stopped working! Dan started to change it to the spare tire, but one of the bolts (no idea what they're actually called) was a different size from the rest so the tool he was using wouldn't take it off! He called one of his friends who came with a big set of tools in different sizes, but they still didn't help. Finally, some guy in the parking garage (turned out Dan and his friend sorta knew him from college) came over to help and had the right size tool and even a drill for us to use. An HOUR after we were supposed to get home, we finally made it home!

Marissa did so great with the babysitter! I was really annoyed that we got the flat tire while we were paying for a babysitter. But when we got home, Marissa told the babysitter "I not want you to go. I need you to stay at my house!" It was so cute, and she was so excited to tell me all the things they did while we were gone. Today she asked if she was coming back! I knew she'd be fine, but I didn't expect her to enjoy it so much! It's such a relief to have a babysitter lined up, and know that Marissa likes her. We have a few other occasions we will need her (or the other one we met a few weeks ago), but for Arianna's birth, a friend from church (with 3 kids of her own, and pregnant again!) offered to watch Marissa. Marissa and her middle girl are in the same class at church some of the time, and my friend watches that class on some Wednesday nights. So I feel very comfortable sending her over there (they also live very close) when the time comes!

Today I had a doctor's appointment (27w, 1d), and now I start going every two weeks instead of four! Crazy! I'm finally starting to gain more weight after that horrible month of misery way back in July! I actually lost over 10 lbs then, but from when the doctor started keeping track, I think I've gained close to 20 lbs. I'm measuring at about 26 weeks, so hopefully that measurement doesn't continue to be small again (like with Marissa). Although I kind of expect it to be small, since I'm small and I make small babies. But they ended up being concerned over nothing with Marissa because I was consistently measuring small for the correct week, and that was part of the reason they induced me.

Well, I guess that's all. I'm so excited that Friday is coming soon! I love the weekends normally, but I'm going to have a full week off from work, and it just doesn't get any better than that (well, until I can quit in January to stay home with my girls!)!