Week 34: Post-Thanksgiving update

Last week was very busy. I spent four half days at the hospital just doing testing. Everything with the baby is fine and on target. As of last Tuesday, he weighed about 4 pounds, 10 ounces. He is "head down," in position and apparently ready to go. I began the exams to be "eligible" for the epidural, and the doctor said my blood pressure was fine and my spine looks very epidural-friendly. He also asked me a lot of questions and checked my teeth, though I'm not sure what the dental check-up was all about. I still have to do an EKG and a blood coagulation test in order to be able to ask for an epidural, but apparently they will call me a few weeks before my presumed due date to complete those tests. I was unable to visit the delivery room with my prenatal class as it was too busy in the maternity ward. We were told that the hospital delivers around 2,500 babies per year. Doing the math, that equals about 7 babies per day. Did I mention my hospital has ONLY three delivery rooms? No wonder it's so crowded...The midwives in my course also like to make "funny" little jokes that always end up freaking me out. Seeing as though all of the women in my course are due over the holidays, someone asked if perhaps there might be understaffing issues. One of the midwives said, "Well, we are always understaffed so nothing will change there. But if you are unlucky enough to go into labor on Christmas Eve, Christmas or New Years, we may all be drunk." Very funny.

The baby is really active but quite obedient and polite at the same time. If you give him a soothing little pat and tell him to calm down, he usually does. He goes crazy when Cristiano starts talking to him. It's really weird how his reaction changes whether I have my hand on my stomach or Cristiano does. He gets really playful when his papà tries to interact with him. It's actually really freaky.

Friday night we ended the week with Thanksgiving dinner at an American friend's apartment. I've included some pics. Can you spot the big, brown Butterball turkey? Is it above on the table or below wandering around the room?

Week 33: Big week

This is going to be a hot week for Baby Cugini news. Firstly, we have our final ultrasound, which will give us an idea of the baby's weight and will let us know if he's head down. I have not "seen" the baby since early September, so I'm really curious to see what he's doing in there. He's definitely wedged in there. It's similar to the feeling of having a jawbreaker lodged in your throat. But much bigger! And the baby moves. He's not kicking as much now as he is constantly maneuvering and wriggling into different positions.

I also have the delivery room visit with my prenatal class. That's if there is delivery room available and the ward isn't too crowded. I'm curious to see if there really is major overcrowding and laboring women lining the hallways. I then have a second appointment as part of my epidural evaluation and finally I have a gynecologist visit on Friday. I have something at the hospital pretty much every day except Monday.

As much as I am trying not to slip into the third trimester blues, I'm finding it hard. I had to spend this past week taking it as easy as possible as the dreaded pelvic cramps came back. My doctor put me on light bed rest for two days and an anti-spasmodic medicine. Basically, if I'm on my feet or walk for more than 20 minutes at a time, I start getting crampy down there. Sigh.

In any case, I'll report in on developments as they become available!

Week 32: Pottery party

Buon compleanno papà! It's dad's (that'd be Cristiano's) birthday today. Anyway, this weekend some nice friends (thanks guys!) threw me a luncheon/shower/pottery painting party at the Pottery Cafe here in Milan. Baby showers are unheard of here as it is considered "bad luck" to prepare anything for the baby before his arrival. My mother-in-law (she had her husband put together the crib and the nursery furniture while she was in the hospital having Cristiano because she didn't want to see anything beforehand) - and many others - keeps reminding me of this but I plod ahead in my odd American ways all the same. Here are some pictures.

Having coffee before pottery painting begins


It takes concentration


Hard at work


I'm done so I oversee others' work

Week 31: Dylan's room

After much struggle (FIVE straight weekends of painting, moving furniture, rearranging furniture and more painful home improvement stuff), the baby's room is beginning to look like a real nursery. Yesterday we put together the bassinet, which will in time turn into a real crib.

One view of the room.

Another view of the room.

The beginnings of Dylan's English-language library.

Much needed break

It wasn't a real "babymoon" but we were able to get out of Milan for two days and a night to visit friends in the Medieval town of Ferrara near Bologna. It was really nice. The weather was great. I'm attaching some pics. In the first one I'm sporting my new cheapie makeshift pregnancy coat. It's not a maternity coat but hangs kind of like a pea coat/cape so it does the trick. In the second, I'm wearing my super FAT pregnancy jeans that I hope not to grow into (but probably will - sigh) in the next two months. On the way home, we picked up the baby's crib. Tomorrow after we've put together the crib, I will post some pictures of the nursery. It looks really cute.

In other exciting news, we've decided on a baby name. In fact, I'm starting to prepare my bag for the hospital now and I read on the list that I have to have the baby's first and last name embroidered into each article of his clothing (I also have to bring for myself a bunch of random stuff, such as "cup, teaspoon and napkin" - what for??? Is the hospital that hard up for funds that they can't spring for paper cups, plastic cutlery and a paper towel?). This kind of puts us on the spot. There's no seeing the baby first and deciding "Hey, he looks like a George!" No, once the name is embroidered in there, there's no going back, right? So it is looking like Dylan Francesco Cugini. Or I should say we've definitely decided on Dylan Cugini. The middle name is still up in the air...Enjoy the pics.

Me looking sassy yet pregnant in Ferrara. Day of the Dead, 2007.

Cristiano and I in Ferrara outside the Medieval walls. I'm the one in the REALLY baggy pregnancy jeans. Can't miss me.