Baby Signs...In More Ways than One

Well, I have hit the 9 month mark - 36 weeks! Time has flown by so fast, but something tells me that these last few weeks are going to drag on and on. Went to a bridal shower over the weekend and when I came home, Brad had set up Maya's beautiful crib, and Grandma Betty had hung the curtains and valences in her nursery. It made me realize how far we have come in one year. Last year we were wedding planning, and this year, we are Maya planning. There are baby signs everywhere in our home.
Sunday (9/23) was rather interesting as I started cramping and feeling what seemed like contractions. I got really nervous and kept telling Brad that I was not ready for the pain. He is such a rock on this matter and he comforts me and keeps things light. He has taken on a lot of the load in preparing for Maya, in addition to all the stuff he does around the house. Bless his heart, I think he is as ready for this to be over, as I am.
On Monday (9/24) night, we took the grandmas and went to the Baby Signs class. For those of you with infants out there, I really recommend this program. Baby Signs is a way for parents to communicate with their infants using sign language. It doesn't interfere with their ability to speak, but it makes it easier to understand what they might be trying to say, pre-speech. We learned some basic signs for food, drink, milk, Mummy, Daddy, dog, etc. Then we learned how to incorporate these signs when reading to Maya and when singing to her. Brad and I have been practicing our signing and are getting better at it.
Tuesday (9/25) night was our second Lamaze class. It was a great class that went through early labor, active labor, and the delivery of the placenta. If any 12 year old (thinking of having a baby) out there saw the video that we saw, we would have a significant decrease in the number of teenage pregnancies. The teachers in these classes don't sugar coat the pain factor...pain is definitely a strong component of childbirth and these classes are great in teaching us how to deal with it. We learned more breathing, touching, and massage techniques, and at the end of the class, all coaches were given massages by their wives.
From my doctor's appointment this morning (Wednesday, 9/26), I have learned that my cramps over the weekend were the result of Maya dropping significantly. Her head is in the downward position which is great. As for her due date, well, that may have changed a bit. Dr. Kahen says that my pregnancy will not go past the 38th week due to any stress on Maya caused by my sugar levels. This speeds things up just a bit, so I drove to work this morning with a totally different sense of excitement. Will keep you all updated as to what progresses.