Subbing, Baby Care, and Doctors, Oh my!

So the last week was a whirlwind. Our Baby Care Class turned out to be a little different than we expected. Jonathan was worried about other people critiquing his baby "technique," but it ended up that we didn't get to do any hands-on practice. The lovely nurse, Diana, sat at a table in the front of a classroom in the hospital and demonstrated some baby basics. I was worried that might be a little boring, but we really got a lot from it. Unfortunately, I didn't have a notepad to write down all the good tips and helpful information. I am hoping that between the two of us, the new dad and mom will remember when it counts! We learned about taking baby's temperature, baby's first baths, diapering, swaddling, and clipping little tiny fingernails! It was kind of a bummer not to watch Jonathan attempt to diaper a baby doll. Guess we'll wait for the real thing to get a good laugh out of him!

Also last week was my 34 week doctor's appointment. My blood pressure had gone up some since last time but was still good. I gained two pounds, which the doctor was impressed by and that earned me a compliment.  Baby's heart rate and measurement was right on track so everything went well. My only concern was that I haven't felt very much movement from Camp. The doctor told me that baby will sleep for 20-30 minutes at a time, so in a two hour time span, I should feel at least 10 movements (including kicks, bumps, turns, and jabs). Ever since I brought up my concern, this kid seems to move around constantly. It's like he is saying, "I'm okay, Mom, don't worry." I feel like I am going to hear that a lot in his lifetime as I am a natural worrywart.

Thursday and Friday I dove into the world of substitute teaching. I was back at my old school from last year and worked in a second grade classroom. I was super nervous (see the last paragraph about worrying) about getting back into the swing of things. The class was great and everything went smoothly. I even got some laughs out of the kids! By the end of the day, my. feet. hurt. bad. and I felt more pregnant than ever before. It was good to work and stay busy though, so I was excited to go back on Friday. In my two days, I gained a huge new respect for substitute teachers. I can't begin to explain all my "Aha" moments in that short amount of time, but I know that everyone should walk in the shoes of a sub for a while! (I plan to go back again to another 2nd grade classroom next week!)

Well, I still have a lot of work to do before Camp arrives. I still need to buy his car seat, install it, and get it inspected so we can take him home from the hospital. There are still several things to work on in the nursery including making the crib skirt, changing the closet door knobs, caulking and painting the new crown molding, and unpacking/organizing all the great baby gifts we've received! Piles of new baby clothes, blankets, towels, and sheets are waiting to be washed and put away too. I am reminded by my baby journal that most babies come within two weeks before or after the due date, which means we have about 3 weeks or so until Camp could very possibly make his debut. I guess I should get the water going in the washing machine!