All Packed and Ready to Go--But We Want to Know Your Thoughts!!

I'm 35 weeks pregnant--where did the time go?!  Trinny is already such a good girl, moving lots to keep me reassured, but never waking me up at night (I'm still sleeping like a rock all night and will nap whenever I can--I am more tired now than ever!  Third trimester exhaustion definitely trumps first trimester fatigue!) and never moving hard enough to actually hurt me (I know lots of moms whose babies will kick them in the ribs a lot--ow!)  She is head down and I've been feeling her very low lately, and the midwives are saying that she's been in the optimal (anterior) position for a couple of weeks already.  Also--despite what we've been told before--at our most recent (33) week appointment the midwife estimated our little nugget to be on the healthy but small size--only around 4.5lbs!  We had been convinced that we were having a giant baby, so this was news to us!

So that's a little update in case you were wondering!  Phil and I am going out of our minds with excitement about finally getting to meet our daughter.  We've been reading on all of the pregnancy sites that 35 weeks is the time to get your hospital bag packed, so we thought we would get started on that today and share our bag contents with you so you can let us know if there is anything we've missed!

 

The stuff!  And a peek at Trin's overflowing closet.  Spoiled already ;-) 

 

This is Trin's layette, or first (going home) outfit!  It's from Auntie Mich and was bought in Arizona when she and Uncle Tyler were living there during spring training.  There are also two more outfits in the background in case of poop explosion (ha), and the softest blanket ever, given to us by Auntie Sheena.  Also a book (by Anne Lamotte--one of my very favorites--thank you Meghan!) and a journal to write everything down so that I don't forget a thing (thank you Nana!)  Oh, and all of this is hiding a nursing pillow, which I'm assuming I'll be sitting on on the way home in the car.

 

Stuff: The blue scarf is for rebozo (I think that's how you spell it?) sifting, a cool ligament release technique we learned about from Spinning Babies that could help with bringing babe down faster.  Coconut water and red raspberry leaf tea, to speed up labor, and because yum.  A waterbottle (from my almost alma mater!!) with a straw to drink them out of.  My bathrobe from Mich's wedding, hair ties, a chapstick egg (thank you Chel!), Frankincense essential oil (I've heard that if you sniff this during labor it helps ease some of the pain--worth a try since we're going the all natural/no epidural route!), stretch oil (anything to avoid an episiotomy), deodorant, toothpaste, witch hazel.  Heavy duty pads, nursing pads, nipple cream, and a post partum belly wrap that helps with uterine contractions (and general flabbiness, I'm hoping).  Two giant dark colored mu mus (mom's going home outfit, haha.)

 

Daddy's stuff!  Daddy is considerably lower maintenance than his wife and future daughter (duh).  He's bringing a change of clothes and a bathing suit so that he can join me in the tub. 

Not pictured:

--Our birth plan, which the midwives already have, but I need to print again

--Last minute additions like cell phones and toothbrushes

--Nursing bra and 3 p giant underwear (because I thought I'd spare you the sight of those)

--Gifts for the midwives!  (Champagne, Starbucks gift card, and chocolates!  Like I said, anything to avoid an episiotomy, lol!)

--LOTS OF SNACKS--green apples, goldfish crackers, and a frozen pizza or two (who knows how long we'll be there and how late we'll end up delivering!  We're not sure if we can order from the hospital cafeteria, so better to be safe than hungry!  Also, another perk of birth center delivery is that you can eat as often as you'd like during labor.  That's my kind of place.)

--Alpha Cord cord blood storage kit

--Trinity's car seat

 

Vera Bradley go bag (a birthday gift from my parents--thanks Mom and Dad!) and camcorder (shower gift from Phil's parents--thanks Mom and Dad!), sitting by the door in the nursery, all packed and ready to go!  (With no help from Suzi or Boo Boo of course.)

Ok guys--tell us how we did!!  Do we have too much?  Is there anything vital that we're missing?!  Any and all input would be much appreciated!

(Side note--In case you didn't know yet, we're not planning to give birth in a hospital, but at a birth center.  A birth center is set up more like a home, with a giant bed, giant tub, showers, kitchen, gardens, etc. for you and your family to take advantage of while in labor.  Our birth center, the North Shore Birth Center, is located on the Beverly Hospital campus on the off-chance that anything should go wrong and we should need emergency medical attention.  We toured the hospital yesterday so that we wouldn't be in unknown territory if we had to transfer, and overall it was very nice--but I wouldn't want to deliver in that tiny bed if I didn't have to!! ;-)  I will definitely be writing another post about why we chose to do this instead of going the normal hospital route, and another post hopefully about our wonderful birth center experience!)