Baby Henig is on his/her way!!

Today we had our 39.5 week appointment and FINALLY, some promising news!!! We are scheduled to go in to Baptist East this Friday at 3 pm to start inducing!!!!!!! I was still only 1 cm, but I think they could see the desperation in our eyes :) Dr. Waller had been a bit concerned about the size of the baby (being a big 'ol baby, that is) early on, so he decided to just pull the trigger on getting us up to the hospital on Friday. My eyes welled up with tears, it was JUST the news I was hoping for! Especially after the nurse came in to take the doppler heartbeat on my stomach and, after looking at what my tummy has become said, "God help you...." Thanks so much...Like I don't know I'm a planet.
After the great news, Britton and I went to Storkland for a few things and then to lunch. During lunch I started having major contractions, and by 3 pm they were so bad, we headed up to the hospital. I was still only 1 cm, but in a great deal of pain. After about an hour and a half the pain subsided and they sent me packing....straight to Steak Out. Momma was hungry! The contractions started again once we got in the car (of course). After a good meal and a hot shower, I am feeling much better. But, as the doctor on call said, these things do come and go rather quickly. He said he would not be surprised to see me back up there at midnight tonight! I told them that as long as I can watch Ryan Seacrest and the gang countdown in NYC I'll be happy. Totally kidding....
So, for the moment, I wanted to update you all. I'll post again tomorrow (assuming we're not back in labor and delivery just yet...) and let you know how I'm doing.
Keep my family in your thoughts and prayers as they will be driving in from Nashville for the arrival of the wee one.
And of course, please pray for a safe and easy delivery and a chubby (but not too chubby if you know what I'm saying...), healthy, beautiful baby for the new year!!!

38 1/2 Week Appointment

Last week we had our 38 1/2 week appointment and I can't believe it's already Saturday and I haven't filled you in! With Christmas being this week, and my family having come to see us Christmas Day, it has been a fun-filled week :)

Our appointment was last Tuesday and I was still about 50% effaced and moving on up to 1 cm dialated. Better than nothing! I was hoping for at least 2 cm, but hey, what can you do??? I saw Dr. Waller's partner Dr. Dupre (my doc was on Christmas vacation) and he was so very nice. I had actually seen him on one of my trips to the hospital before, so we were like old friends... ;)

I will go back to see Dr. Waller this Wednesday for my 39 week check up and we'll just have to go from there. I am hoping that he will give me some sort of idea of what is going to happen come next Sunday (my actual due date) if I am still not going into labor on my own. Everyone keep praying for Baby Henig!!!

I will leave you with a 39 1/2 week side view of moi, Big Momma, by the Christmas tree (yes, we opted for a tiny one this year) :

The worst trip to the Dollar Tree EVER

It was Wednesday of this week and it happened to be the glorious day upon with Verlia comes and cleans our house for 3 hours. There is nothing quite like walking in your front door to the smell of Pine Sol and Clorox, knowing you had absolutely nothing to do with it.
I was trying to make my daily outing (that's about all I can do) to get out of her way for a little while. Naturally, I headed to the Dollar Tree, the greatest store the other side of Ann Street.

Known for their fabulous Christmas gift bags, I wanted to stock up since it's not physically possible for me to sit on the floor with wrapping paper this year. I pulled into a parking space and to my right was a silver Buick. I saw my blackberry blink so I left my car running and starting scrolling through my e-mails when, all of a sudden, WHACK! The little old lady loading up the Buick smacks the crap out of my car door. I uttered a dirty word, and got out of the car to let her know she wasn't getting out of this/to let her see I was preggo and feel sorry for me. The first time I tried to say something to her, she didn't hear a word I said. Finally I yelled, "Ma'am!! YOU'VE JUST HIT MY CAR!" She was clearly over 85 and should not have been operating a motor vehicle. It was just a nasty scratch, no dent, so I didn't have the heart to ask for her insurance information. She apologized profusely and told me she had no idea she had even done it...

So I grab my purse and huff away to get my Christmas bags and end this heinous trip. I go to cross the street and this little black girl in a hoop-dy (sp?) waves me across. I notice she has a concerned look on her face, so I wasn't surprised when she rolled down her window. "Hey girl!", she yelled in her thickest ebonics, "You got twiiiins in theah? You havin' twiiiins, right?" I looked around to see if I was being punked and no, she was serious. "No", I replied politely, "just the one!" She gave me a look of pity and another "Oh girl!" and sped off.

It's gonna be a long time before I go back to the Ann Street shopping center.

A Baby on the Way=Bad News for the Lab and the Pug

After returning home from work one day last week to find Allie had tried to make herself comfy on the brand new area rug in the baby's room, we have set some different rules for the canines. Said rug had been gleefully torn away from it's plastic for a mere 24 hours when she took her claws to it like a cat on a scratching post. I cried for 2 hours, and THIS is the look she gave me:

One afternoon I also found Big Norm in his bed, chewing quietly and contently on a pair of the baby's newborn slippers. After a swift whack on his curly-tailed butt, this is the face he gave me:

(Don't buy it, he's totally guilty)

Norman and Allie basically run the place over here on Country Club drive, and after these little mishaps we had to put an end to it. They are now confined to the sunroom and back porch only. Animal lovers, don't fret: These dogs are still more spoiled than they should be. The sunroom comes complete with 2 fluffy dog beds, a whole basket full of toys, an ever-full water bowl and afternoon sun. Not half bad, eh? Not according to them.
They are so disgusted by these new rules, when I asked them how they liked their new digs, this is what they did:

I was highly offended at the simultaneous butt-licking.

In conclusion, the dogs are still loved upon on a daily basis, given rawhides when they ask nicely, and never denied their after breakfast and after dinner treats. But for now, they remain in the confines of a sunny room with lots of soft things to lay on. Their lives are very, very hard.

37- Week Appointment

Today was our 37 week check-up for the butter bean, and all looks GREAT!! I was really hoping to have gone into labor without my knowledge (yeah right), and have them dash me over to labor and delivery. But, no such luck. However, God is continuing to bless us with a very healthy baby! At an estimated 6 pounds 10 ounces, this is going to be a big-un. At this stage they gain about a pound a week. With about 3 1/2 weeks to go, that is a PORKER! And I am so thankful because I want the baby to be nice and healthy :) The doctor said that everything is progressing just as it should, and the baby's head is down and starting to drop. Maybe I can breathe again soon? Wishful thinking...
More to come after next Tuesday's appointment :)
Anyways, keep the prayers coming! We are getting SO EXCITED!!!!!

Baby H Gets Showered, Part Deux

My friends and some of Diane's sweet friends all hosted a shower for us this past Sunday at Britton's Aunt Jenny Lynn's house. It was PERFECT!!! Although it's the beginning of the holidays, we had a wonderful turn out, and everyone was so sweet to spent part of their Sunday with me. A big kudos to Jennifer, who got 2 of the prettiest cakes I have ever laid my eyes on, and they were yummy to boot! There were specially made cookies in the shapes of carriages, and yummy fruit and fruit punch. The table was set beautifully and everything was oh-so-girly--just the way I like it!

Can you even stand it??? CUTEST.CAKES.EVER.

A lovely job by Aunt Meghan with the diaper cake. It's sprucing up our nursery until the little one comes along and starts blowin' through diapers like nobody's business. Then we may see the diaper cake come undone...

And of course the carriage cookies---mmmmmmm!!!

As you can see there were so many friends and family around for the shower, it was just perfect! Thanks to everyone for hosting, for coming, and for the lavish bebe gifts for our tiny one!!!

Baby Henig Gets Showered

I will begin my shower blog in Nashville! Sloan, Katie, Amy and Lindsay put together a tres chic shower for me and my little one that 100% rivaled any baby shower I've ever attended. KUDOS to my 4 bestest friends for doing such a wonderful job with every single detail, right down to the personalized napkins that read "the little henig". I about melted!!! Sloan's house was perfect, as usual, and we all still feel it's something out of an interior design catalog. Besides our lovely surroundings, there were wonderful lifelong friends and beautiful gifts for baby!

Look at that tablescape!!! [Mmmm, Sloanie's pumpkin muffins]


Aunt Leslie can hardly wait to be a Great Aunt :)















Paula Snyder made Baby a hand-knit poncho
and blankie. As you can see, this is right before the tears hit!





















And HELLO activity gym--word on the street is that babies LOVE these things...

Elizabeth came from New Orleans, Tricia from DC, and Rachel from Vegas (yes, we're trying to get her back from Sin City). Yay for friends!!!




And, as always, 'Mimi' was there to cheer me on and get excited about her first grandchild :)

Ode to a Wedge: The Pregnancy Pillow of my Dreams

I feel it is my duty to write today about my amazing experice with a wedge pillow last night.

Here she is, in all her glory...

Yes, I realize it may seem smally and slightly hospital-like in color, but this item is a dream come true. As of late, I cannot sleep AT ALL, and I came to realize that the random and yet severe pains that I encounter while trying to rest may in fact be due to lack of support under the 30-pound mass that now hangs off my body(shout out to Aunt Melanie who helped me figure this out). The first time I went to buy this amazing invention, a sales person convinced me otherwise. Out of the side of her mouth she whispered "Don't do it, that thing doesn't work". I do love a personal testimony, so I put it back quickly. I wish I could track her down....

ANYWHO, these fabulous wedges come in all shapes, sizes and colors. This particular one can be found here in Montgomery at Storkland for about $11.00. BEST $11.00 YOU WILL SPEND. You may also find other versions at www.target.com and www.amazon.com . My style (pictured above) can be found at Amazon, but it is currently out of stock. Looks like word spread fast. And be warned, mothers-to-be, this thing is nothing but hard foam wrapped in cheap cotton fabric. I had to shake the box a few times to make sure there was something actually in there. Good things come in light, unattractive packages.

In closing let me say, I slept through my alarm this morning, and that's something I haven't done in ages.

Our 35-Week Doctor's Appointment

Today we went to see Dr. Waller and see what all was going on for week 35 with Butter Bean. I felt like I could already tell them what was going on:
1) The baby is, like, 25 pounds.
2) The baby wants to physically hurt me and break my ribs.
3) There have been multiple occasions where I think the baby is confused and is actually trying to come out already.
4) The baby is sitting on major organs and doing mild damage that could be permanent.

However, I was told a little differently. Great report for blood pressure! Urinalisis looked great! The baby bump measured up just right! When Amy (my fave nurse) was listening to the heartbeat with the doppler, the baby kicked right on her-- Too funny! Heartbeat was 150, so it was great! In 2 weeks I will go back for an ultrasound to estimate weight (again, I could probably estimate it right now at about the size of a toddler). Then, we start going every week until we make our way to Baptist East! It was easy breezy today, so I'm just biding my time until our next appt :)
Also:
HAPPY BIRTHDAY, DADDY!!! I LOVE YOU!!!

Childbirth Class # 5: The Big Adios

Believe it or not, childbirth class has come to a close. We lost 2 soldiers out there to labor and delivery. We got the report on Tara, who went into labor right after class #4 and told Mary Jane that labor was way easier than the pregnancy. There is hope! Thank you, Tara, that is what I needed to hear. The other couple that did not appear (you remember Henry from my first blog...) I can only assume are now holding their bundle of joy. During class #4, the Mom-To-Be gave me lots of details about her...ahem...conditions "down there" that led me to believe she was hittin' those stirrups in no time.
Class was great, as always. We learned about the final part of our entire pregnancy and delivery experience. That, my friends, is pushing. Mary Jane gave us lots of tips on the best ways to push to be most effective (important as I'm sure I'll be completely out of breath and out of energy with my lack of ability to exercise for the past 7 months). There are also several ways you can deliver, and we learned about that as well. One of the girls in our class who is delivering naturally (God love her) is apparently delivering in a squatted position. Did NOT at all look comfortable, and I will gladly take the teeny-tiny hospital bed. Her poor husband had to wear the empathy belly and assume the position. Bless his heart.
Class came to a close and in order to actually pass, each couple had to be able to put a diaper on the baby Mary Jane used in class for instruction. If you could not diaper the baby, then the deal was that you had to give your actual baby to her once it was born--a tough pill to swallow since we now knew everything there was to know about our little one. This is the baby who, until this class, never looked like it would fit through the pelvis model she carried. Each demonstration with the baby's head going through the pelvis made me a little sweaty as she never showed us exactly how that was possible. But I soon realized, she was saving the best for last. The baby-through-pelvis demostration was completed with great ease and resulted in only a mild twitch on my part which only lasted about 24 hours.
After Britton successfully diapered the newborn, Mary Jane gave all of us a precious Baby's First Bible as a going away gift. It was so thoughtful, and really touched my heart. We were almost the last to leave that night because we were so sad to see it all end!
We hugged Mary Jane and gave her the highest compliments on her teaching style, and her ability to engage the entire class. Britton and I are SO lucky to have taken this class! We feel so much more prepared and ready to go into the hospital when the time comes. A BIG shout out to Mary Jane, who we truly became attached to--we *heart* childbirth classes!!!!

Adventures in Baby Furniture

Since it took us a really long time to realize that there was going to be a baby in January, we waited quite a while to get poor Baby Henig's nursery really going. BIG mistake. Ladies--word to the wise--do NOT wait until you're waddling/limping/hobbling/holding your back to make any decisions about the nursery. Just do it already.
This past Monday night, Britton and I ventured up I-65 to Babies-R-Us in Birmingham to pick up an armoire and a glider that I had put on hold via the phone on Sunday night. When we got there, they were both so nice, exactly what we wanted! After pretending as though we were rich and purchasing both items, both of us and 3 Babies-R-Us team members met at Britton's truck. VERY much to my surprise, both of these fully assembled nursery items somehow fit snugly in the bed of the truck. Fabulous! I patted the gentleman on the back that was wheezing heavily and gave him a big thank you, and asked if he maybe needed to go sit down? No, he was fine he said, just a touch of pheumonia. Glad I touched him.
As we stared for a bit longer at the bed of the truck, I realized we needed bungee cords to strap these in, just for peace of mind. We putt-putted up the hill to Lowe's, and I asked Britton if he would mind braving Lowe's alone tonight and just getting a few cords to strap them in. "Not at all!", he replied. Thinking he would appear in 2-3 minutes with 2-3 hook bungees, he decided to go a more economical route. #1 Dad came out with a 24-Piece Task Force Bungee set, complete with more contraptions than I know how to describe in words. We had to use his seatbelt cutter to get the package open. Why.....
After about 15 minutes of him leaning in the driver side door, hunched over dim car lights, looping and un-looping the complex bungees he purchased, I felt it was my time to take control. The wind was whipping us and it was about 35 degrees, but no problem--I can get this. Within 3 minutes of being at the back of the truck, I had strapped them in, and Britton had latched them. I wanted to give him a go at doing it on his own, being the Daddy and all. But there comes a time in a marriage when you realize that some things are screaming for you to take into your own hands and just get the damn thing done.
We didn't say a word until Clanton.

Childbirth Class # 4: The Video

It happened. What we've all been waiting for. Mary Jane gave us until class 4 to get good and settled in, used to phrases like "mucos plug" and "effacement" before she showed us the video.
Before we saw some crotches, we had 2 of the funniest Dads-to-be strap on the empathy belly. One was made to lay completely down on the floor as if he were in bed. Mary Jane then acted as his alarm clock, and told him it was time to get up and go to work. This was a task that proved too difficult for Gerald. He literally cried uncle--"OK! I'm empathetic! I promise! Please!!" He was dying to be unstrapped. Hysterical.
The lesson was on pain managment, something I got out my pen to take notes on. One thing I know for sure is that if they could, say, numb my entire body that would be grrrrreat. We learned there there are 2 crazy Momma's in the class that want to give it a go sans-anesthesia. These ladies are my personal heroes. I plan to learn the birthday and kids names of my anesthesiologist in hopes he'll push a few more cc's of whatever he's got in that needle, if you know what I'm saying.
I will say that learning the in's and out's of administering an epidural was extremely helpful. Knowing what to expect, and when to expect it is something that every first time Mom should be made aware of. I also thought that the moment you grace your labor and delivery room, that they could shoot you up, but my dreams were crushed when I learned the above statement is not true.
Then came the video. It started out pretty nice, following 2 women--one of which had their epidural and one of which chose to be my hero and be able to actually wiggle her toes. I could have gone without seeing the real-life threading of a tube into a woman's spine, and I'm pretty sure Britton was looking at the floor on that part. BUT, again--good to know.
Then, there they were, laboring along and....GOTCHA! (as Mary Jane says) Not one but 2 crotch shots. And the funniest was the 2nd, where the husband was down "there" in a wife beater and jeans, ready to catch the baby himself. Yeah right, Bubba!
All in all, the video was not quite as bad as I had imagined. But I do think I am now prepared for my pain management. Two things I know after this class are:
1) The epidural is your friend
2) Don't let a man in a wife beater try to deliver your baby

Post #1: A Fabulous First Baby Shower

[I label this "Post #1" because I haven't uploaded my pictures yet, so inevitably I will make another post about my first ever baby shower!]

The girls from work threw me a wonderfully pink and blue baby shower yesterday, and I couldn't wait to upload all the pictures because I'm still busting at the seams excited about how much fun it was! Terry hosted and of course everything was "to the nines"! I was so touched by how much love and effort was put into a shower just for me and Baby Henig. Mom is in town, so she got to join in all the fun! Terry had pink and blue drinks (pick your sex prediction and enjoy a sparkly beverage), pink and blue candles, a cake shaped like a stork (too cute) and all kinds of great baby loot for me and the little one!!!! She also scattered both Britton and my baby pictures around for everyone to comment on who they think the baby will look like. We got all kinds of wonderful things to get ready for Butter Bean including but not limited to our bath tub, 'My Little Lamb Cradle 'n Swing' (yessss!), great bath accessories, blankets, diapers, bottles--OK, I should have just said that we got a little bit of everything! All in all, I couldn't have asked for anything better. I am so thankful to have such a loving place to work. More to come including pictures!!!!!!!!!!!! I am one happy Momma today!

Belly Pic: 31 weeks

And here I am, large and in charge.

Sorry, our room was a hot mess, but hey, it did the trick for our background :) This was before Brooke and Phelps' engagement party on Saturday night, so I thought it would be a good time for a 31 week pic. My face is starting to look a bit rounder....I was hoping ButterBean would give us a swift KICK as Britton took this, but I think it was sleeping :)

Childbirth Class # 3: My pregnant husband

Ahhh, just the class I've been waiting for. Guess who's turn it was to wear the Empathy Belly?!?!?!

Mary Jane strapped him in TIGHT. So tight, in fact, that the extra bladder weight wouldn't quite shimmy into its spot. She was reluctantly forced to loosen the velcro just a bit so he could get the full experience. I'm surprised I stopped laughing for long enough to take these...

It was all fun and games as he posed for his profile shot, cradling the baby. Very natural, honey--impressive.

But the sweat needed to be wiped from the brow when he had to sit indian style on the floor next to me. I asked him if he knew how I felt, and he said "Well, I mean, you never sit like this..." Um, yeah, and now you know why. Watching him get up was so dang funny. He also had to tie his shoe, at which point I think he almost asked me if I would do it for him.

And finally, we had to take a simultaneous belly pic. Excuse my extremely large grin and flat hair. I couldn't stop laughing! Looks like we're due around the same time, eh?

During class this week, we learned all about labor and delivery, and Mary Jane even had some of the tools and tricks of the trade used to help us out during our stay. One of the instruments was a long pointy plastic...thing, that made me literally shake. I'm not kidding, I started quivering. I think she saw me shaking, so she let me hold it, which did not seem to keep the shuddering at bay. A good sign of things to come on January 6th. If I'm shaking at a plastic pointy....thing, then just imagine what I'll do when they strap me to that bed, not to get up until the baby is OUT.

We then met over at the hospital for the last hour of class to tour our future home. As aforementioned, I've gone, I've seen, I've conquered, so for me I felt like waving to the nurses and saying "Hey! Long time no see! Yeah, no, I'm good, it was just vertigo. Who knew??" The tour was fabulous as we learned that the husbands are not allowed to watch the TV or eat, per our requests, during labor and delivery. She also instructed them that they may stand by our heads so as not to get any 'full-frontal' action, if you catch what I'm puttin' down.

Walking by the nursery was the most precious thing I've ever seen. The tiny brand new ones were just TO DIE FOR. And the best part was, my friend Allison who is in the class with me, actually came out of her long-standing denial and realized that she will soon (5 weeks, Allison, 5 weeks, say it with me...) have a little nugget of joy just like the ones we were looking at. She and I were the last ones standing at the nursery window, reveling in the moment she figured all this out :)

I was so worn out after the tools, the tour, and the belly, I got in bed at 8:30 and fell fast asleep. Another educational day at class, and with 2 more to go, I feel my time is drawing near!

Halloween as a preggo

When you're very rotund and almost waddling, Halloween calls for creativity. So, this year, Britton and I went as a duo that we thought was most appropriate in regards to our bundle of joy on his/her way. I googled ideas and I'm sorry, but I'm just not the kind of girl to paint my stomach like a pumpkin. I know for a fact no one wants to see that. So, I got creative! If you can't quite tell, I was a baby and Britton was the delivering doctor! (note the latex gloves). When purchasing my baby costume, I was under the impression I was getting into an over-sized cloth diaper of sorts. Much to my surprise, I opened up the packet to find what could only be a Depends. Needless to say I had to wear pink shorts underneath to cover myself up.

My preggo friend Jody was an expecting bride. Aren't we a classy bunch!!!

We also had a Sarah Palin, an underage Chinese gymnast (my personal fave), and of course Leah was a nun.

All in all it was a fabulous Halloween, complete with 2 parties and 2 tired babies.

Baby Henig's 4D Ultrasound!!!!

Oh my gosh!
I don't even have words for how beautiful these pictures are. OK, I know I'm baised, and they look like every other 4D ultrasound we've ever seen, but to me...they are perfect. And there are some really sassy ones like the tongue sticking out, and holding its nose like something stinks! And a precious, sweet little yawn. Yeah right! Like YOU'RE TIRED, little one!
I hope you enjoy these pictures of our baby as much as we do ;~)

Childbirth Class #2: I've been CAUGHT

[My apologies for this post being really delayed, but moving everything out of Baby Henig's future room entailed unplugging the computer, and we just got that bad boy up and running last night!]





The 2nd installment of childbirth class was something I can say I will never forget. I usually pride myself on being a pretty darn good prankster, very sneaky; always able to 'get' and not be 'gotten'. But not on this particular Tuesday night, thanks to the open door policy of the world wide web.


After settling into class, and removing my jacket (keeping on my scarf was a must, it was about 35 degress outside), we all took the same seats as we did last week. Right as class was getting started, Mary Jane walked over to me, put her hand on my knee, and jutting her head toward our friends sitting beside us whispered "I think that's Ms. Air Force sitting next to you". My face turned SO RED--how did she know I nicknamed her that?!?!?! Nothing was coming together in my head, and everything got fuzzy--I suddenly had to remove my scarf as Mary Jane backed away, smirk on her face. Then it hit me--I'VE BEEN CAUGHT. Somehow, I didn't know how, my instructor had found my blog and taken great pride in reading my report on her first class. OH.MY.GOSH.


I mouthed "How did you know about that?!?" and she replied with "Oh, I know everything" : A statement I never doubted. She then tapped her scrub pocket and said "I've got it all right here..." Britton looked at me with the widest eyes I've ever seen and said "Oh, she's got your number..." A thousand thoughts went racing through my head...."Is she going to read this out loud?" "Am I about to be the first person in history to be kicked out of childbirth class?" "Oh my gosh...WHAT DID I WRITE?????"


Class continued as usual, and I'm pretty sure this episode was doing wonders for my heart. It was beating so hard, I just knew my blood pressure was back to normal!


This week we learned about what false labor is, and when it's appropriate to call in to the doctor. Mary Jane informed us that if you are in any way giggling while talking to the on-call OB at 3 am while saying "Um...Dr. So-and-So, I think I'm in labor! tee-hee", then you are most definitely not in labor. I wrote that down....Also, don't get your husband to call in regards to his wife's shooting pains, as they will always want to talk to the pregnant woman. This should not be a problem for us as I'm pretty sure by the time I'm having labor pains, Britton will already be feeling woozy and light-headed.


We also watched...gulp...a video about labor pains. And thank the Lord above, it was strictly educational as it followed 3 couples through their pregnancies and into counting contractions. One of the couples did our state proud. As they showed them in their bedroom, the husband sat up from under the covers to reveal an Alabama Crimson Tide t-shirt. This was the part in the video that told us that sleeping can be difficult to impossible (awesome, I already can't sleep) during the beginning stages of labor. The next scene showed that our Roll Tide fan had not gotten up to get his wife a heating pad or a glass of water, but had strategically gotten HER to move to the couch as he enjoyed having the master suite all to himself. Roll Tide, Roll.


During our break Britton, Mary Jane and I had a good laugh about how she had all but scared the baby right out of me. She was so proud of her mad skills in making me sweat, and I told her I aspired to be able to prank like she had. That is a true talent. It was really and truly one of the funniest things that has ever happened to me.


To end class, we sit on the floor with our husbands and practice our breathing. Of course, this is when the massage starts and the part of my week I look most forward to. We also learned a stretch for our back that in yoga is otherwise known as the "Cat and Cow":
This stretch begins as you arch your back up (like a cat), and then slowly back down(like a cow). It feels AMAZING.
The husbands were instructed to kneel beside us, and Mary Jane walked around to make sure everyone knew how to do it. All of a sudden, as she was walking around, I believe she came across a young man who may have been kneeling behind his wife in a very...ahem...suggestive position. We all of sudden heard "WHAT ARE YOU DOING???? Get back over to the side of her! That's what got you in here to start with!" I was in tears.

All in all, an unforgetttable class it was. I look forward to this week as we have our hospital tour of labor and delivery and get to see all that goes into checking in and getting settled for when baby comes. And since we've already had 2 nice trips up there, we may help lead the class!

Childbirth Class # 1

Being first-time parents, Britton and I (ok...just me...) thought it would be a good idea to sign up for childbirth classes that are offered at my doc's office. Five Tuesdays in a row from 6-8 pm will enlighted us about the nuances of labor and delivery, something we are very unfamiliar with. As I grow more rotund by the day, I realize at some point the 3-lb baby swimming around in there will have to come out.
My OB's wife teaches our class, Mary Jane Waller, she is a labor and delivery nurse. I give her BIG props for being entertaining and very 'sassy', as Britton said. There were, I counted, 14 total couples in this class with us (good work, Mary Jane, at 60 bucks a pop, you've got some shopping money, sister.) We got front row seats right next to a couple that is in the air force, and class started right on time.
My eyes went first to the TV that had been rolled into the room with old-school VHS tapes stacked on it entitled "Stages of Labor 1" and "Stages of Labor 2". There were several others, but after I read the titles of the first two, I suddenly felt faint. After going around the room and introducing ourselves, I realized that most of the girls in the class were due before me (as in, due in early or mid-December). Hello! You MAY not make it to the hospital tour class before birthing that baby!! Did you not realize this???
She started the class by asking us if being pregnant was at all what we expected--easier, harder? I started shaking my head in the "no" direction thinking about everything that has happened, and Mrs. Air Force pipes in with "Oh! It's been MUCH easier!", her loving husband smiling at her. Note to self: Do not sit next to them for the remainder of the class.
Soon after Mary Jane gave her introduction, and lead us through the booklets and info she gave us, it was time to call up the first random husband to strap on the Empathy Belly. Poor, poor Henry. Not only did he look exactly like Herman Munster, his clothes were SO tight, I thought they might rip just walking up to get the belly. Mary Jane strapped this contraption on him, and it was all I could do not to fall off my chair (but then again, Lord only knows how long it would take me to get up once I was down there...). She first velcro-ed (sp?) a big strap around his chest to constrict his breathing, then came the actual belly complete with huge boobs that he did proceed to grab, and a weight insert right on the bladder. To say that Henry was uncomfortable is the understatement of the year. We then got to call out things that were really hard for us to do, and Henry had to do them. Pick up 4 things that were dropped on the floor (he almost ate carpet), tie his shoe (could not complete this task), sit on the floor and get back up (touch and go there for a minute...). On that last one I grabbed Britton's leg just waiting to hear his pants rip. Tears were all but streaming down my face.
There are lots of reasons why I like Mary Jane (who I may call MJ for short), but I'll give you my top 2. We got down on the floor with our hubbies and practiced relaxed breathing (you know, in through the nose, out through the mouth, yoga style) and she made the husbands give us all back massages for the entire 15 minutes. She literally walked around the room the whole time to make sure all male hands were in motion. She then instructed them all that they WILL do this for us 3 times a week, and that day did not count. Then she had the preggo's cover their ears, and strictly instructed the guys to purchase a gift of some sort to give us once we have the baby, preferably something sparkly if they knew what she meant... My kind of girl.
We left class feeling informed, and....hungry. I can honestly say that I'm NOT looking forward to the day that she presses 'play' on that VCR, but I'm glad we're signed up and taking this class. If nothing else, Britton now knows the exact size of my squooshed bladder, stomach and lungs, and why I can't stop complaining, wheezing, and peeing. Another big high-five to the Dad-to-be for such a good attitude and the potential willingness to buy me something sparkly.

Preggo Pic-28 weeks!

Oh, you asked for it--you know you did. Here I am, 28 weeks (aka 7 months for all you not-yet-Moms who don't know the lingo. Lord knows I didn't....). This was before Britton's cousin Hilary's engagement party on Friday night, and Britton decided the best backdrop would be our new stainless steel oven.

I figured if he's taking pictures of me from the side, let's see what he's looking like these days... (backdrop of new stainless steel dishwasher. Oh, the things that bring us joy.)

Very foxy, indeed.

Speaking of last Friday night, I went down again, but this time I was actually in public--at an engagement party, nonetheless!! I felt it coming on, so I just tapped Britton's leg and was able to mutter, "uh-oh...take me out" right before it happened. I was admitted to Baptist East on Saturday morning after talking with one of my nurses. Thank the Lord, my blood tests were fine, but after some time I've actually been diagnosed with vertigo. A build up of fluid in my head and inner right ear is causing me to see things in a rapidly spinning motion at certain times, and leaves me in a state of dizziness basically all the time. I have to say, it's pretty miserable. But I am going to an ear nose and throat specialist tomorrow and hopefully this will pass (shout out to Britton's Mom, aka Dede, for the great referral). Britton gets the award for being a wonderful nurse-man, and extremely patient and caring. For now, just pray I quit running into walls. WHAT?!?! I have to joke about it or else I'll cry!!! Again, a big PRAISE to God that Baby Henig is growing quite well (and it sure shows when I hop on the scale...holy toledo....).

In 2 weeks we'll have our 4D ultrasound!!! We CAN'T WAIT to see this cute one ;-)

An Exciting Wednesday....

Wednesday after lunch, I realized I hadn't felt my little one kick nearly as much as it usually does, so I called and talked to a nurse at my OB's office. Even though it was kicking very faintly every once in a while, it usually does kung-fu karate at night and in the morning, and I hadn't felt that.
She advised me to drink a sugar-y coke and sit with my feet up for about an hour and see if that made it move around a bit. I walked to the kitchen at the office, got down about 1/2 of my coke and walked back to my office. As soon as I shut my door and turned around to sit on my desk chair, the room started rapidly spinning and my right ear went totally deaf. Thinking I was about to faint, I hit the floor so I wouldn't fall, and crawled to open my door (a sad sight I can only assume!). Thank God for Fern, who was working diligently in her office and heard my faint cry for help!
After laying on my office floor for a while shivering uncontrollably, I was able to get up (with some help from the girls at work), and was driven to Baptist East. Britton met me in the parking lot with a wheelchair--so embarassing!! What was worse is he couldn't drive the daggum thing so he kept running me into walls. I have to admit it was pretty funny.
They hooked me up to a fetal monitor and the baby was just fine--PRAISE THE LORD!! The moment we got to the hospital, I guess the sugar set in because Butter Bean started doing some form of interpretive dancing. Through the heart screen it kept moving and kicking like crazy--I guess it showed me!
After about 30 minutes of a good strong heartbeat, they let me go and I hit the hay. I haven't felt the same since, so I had my glucose test done early. I went in this morning, although it was scheduled for this Tuesday during my appointment. They'll have the results for me when I come on Tuesday so I'll know what's going on. For now my nurse just said it's probably really low blood sugar, and to eat a snack about every hour or hour and a half. Not a prob!! I just don't ever want to feel like that EVER again!
Never a dull moment in our life, but at least it usually makes for a good story with a happy ending :)

All my praise goes to God, once again, for a healthy baby!

Butter Bean's Photos- 19 weeks

Our ultrasound appointment was done at 19 weeks, and I counted down the days BIG TIME! I couldn't wait to take a peek at the little one. I had just started to feel little flutters of movement around 16 weeks, so it was becoming more and more real every day. That, and the fact that the few pounds I was "bloated" were turning into a solid mass around the abdominal area! Helloooo, Belly Band, and thanks be to whoever invented that glorious contraption.

The first question Amy asked (our ultrasound tech) was if we wanted to know the sex. We of course said "no!", so she did a good job of keeping that to herself. Even through Britton's intense questioning. It started with, "Well, I mean, can you tell what the sex is?" To which she replied "Yes, it's pretty easy to tell right away whether it's a girl or boy". Britton looked at me and said "She said girl first!" Later, he tried to mistake the umbilical cord for a weenie. Wishful thinking bud, that would be one big weenie for one tiny baby. I had to ask Sherlock Holmes if he needed a breather, maybe he should step out momentarily? No, he said he was fine....Just a little curious. I almost pinched him...HARD.

Little BB was not cooperating too much, and had turned over onto its tummy for the ultrasound. The tech kept nudging the poor little one to try and get it to turn over, but to no avail. (By nudging I mean applying blunt force trauma to my abdomen via the probe-thingy) Stubborn--just like its Daddy.

Nonetheless, the baby is already so naturally photogenic (and probably gifted, let's be honest) that we still got some GORGEOUS pictures!

Baby Henig waving hi to Mommy and Daddy!

SUCH a beautiful profile! I think it has my nose :)

On the tummy of course, but I do love this one. You can see its spine, foot, thigh, tooshy, and head.

And lastly another profile showing the heart and spine.

LOOKIN' GOOD, BABY HENIG!!!!

Butter Bean's 1st Pictures

We went for our 1st doctor's appointment at 8 weeks and got to see a tiny image of Baby Henig. It was SO surreal! Britton's face was so close to the ultrasound tech as he watched the screen, I think he made her a little uncomfortable.
Here are the 2 ultrasounds from that wonderful day...




The red shows blood going into the heart, and the blue shows blood exiting the heart. Ahhhh, technology.





And thank you for the written confirmation saying "baby", but by now I think we know there is definitely a baby in there!