Appointments, Appointments, Appointments!

Appointments seem to be the theme of these last few days. Tuesday morning we were at the Elmore County Health Department bright and early for my first WIC appointment. It was definitely a humbling experience to ask for help, but we are very grateful for the groceries that this will provide. Next we had to swing by the courthouse to file for the homestead tax expemtion. We were FINALLY able to do that with our recorded deed that we JUST got in the mail. Yay for being homeowners! I can't believe we've been here two and a half months already! After running errands all morning in Wetumpka my feet were back on the rise but I was able to rest a lot that afternoon. On Wednesday morning we drove the opposite direction into Auburn for my doctor's appointment. I'm 34 weeks and have so far gained 37 pounds.... yikes! It's not an issue of vanity I promise, but all this weight is getting hard to carry. I'm not sure how I managed to gain so much in just two weeks, but I guess that explains why my body is just so pained and exhausted. I'm definitely going to have to be dedicated to losing this weight after this baby is born because it is so miserable!! Because of the weight my blood pressure was a little high but nothing to worry about. The baby's heart rate is till strong but he is pointed away from the exit!! There is only one way out of here baby and let me just tell you it's not up. Dr. Golden did an ultrasound to check and sure enough this little stinker is breech. At this point the majority of babies should be turned so the doctor says they'll just continue to monitor it and next time we will discuss some possible options. Though I would rather not have a scheduled c-section, if that's the worst thing that happens during this pregnancy that's fine with me. Some of us just make our appearance into this world in a slightly different way... I mean... I'm a c-section baby! But I am praying that he will go ahead and turn between now and due date. After the OB I had an appointment at the LifeSouth office right outside the hospital because I wanted to go ahead and fill out all my paperwork to donate the baby's cordblood. Donating cordblood is a wonderful opportunity to give the gift of life to someone else! LifeSouth collects the cordblood right after baby is born. They take no blood or anything from the baby and what they are collecting is something that would get thrown away anyway. They freeze and store the cordblood for ten years to see if a match needs it and after then it is used for research. If someone needs it to help treat their disease it is given away and if my family needs it and it hasn't been given away yet, we can get it back! Of course my prayer is that my family will stay healthy and never need such a treatment, but it's nice to know that it's there and hopefully more will be willing to give. NOTE TO ANY EXPECTANT MOTHERS: you should definitely look into cordblood donation. Obviously, you must decide what is right for you and your family, but especially as Christians who are commanded by the Lord to love others, this is a great chance to show tangible love. Also as we speak out against what we believe are unethical practices in medical research, cord blood donation is a chance to say "hey, this works just as well... if not better!" Just a thought for you to consider. End note to expectant mothers. In naming news we are still pretty sold on Peter, but are reluctant to claim anything for sure. I'm trying to do better about using his name to try and get used to it, but I think what we ultimately call him will depend on his appearance and personality once he gets here!