Too Busy to Worry?

It's been a busy week.  Things always get busy in any school towards the end of the school year, with reports to write and end of year productions and displays to prepare for.  This year is different though.  To add to the heavy workload, we are of course preparing, or 'nesting', for the birth of our daughter.  The benefit of all of this is the fact that I haven't had too much time to worry about my impending fatherhood.

Our little lady's wardrobe

Bags packed already!

My wife has been busy too.  She has washed all of our little lady's clothes and bedding.  She has also packed the bags for the hospital.  Even though we are 35 weeks through the pregnancy, with 5 weeks left to our due date, we know, because of the diabetes, that we will be having the baby before then.  So, whilst it might seem we have plenty of time to finish these things off, we are of the opinion that you can't be too prepared.  In fact, on Monday, I sent my wife a text checking she had plans to pack the bags, because I'd been told that morning that a friend of a colleague had given birth 5 weeks early.  Hearing things like this, as an expectant parent, only serves to make you more nervous and panic even more.  What if that happens to us?  Are we ready yet?

We started our NCT classes this week as well.  I had no idea what to expect from these classes.  After two sessions, I can honestly say that I have learned a huge amount.  Whilst much of what has been discussed has scared me, all of it has been informative.  There's been a lot talk, as you might expect, about labour.  The signs.  The stages.  The pain.  The drugs.  I've winced on several occasions and none of it will be happening to me physically. 
  

As part of the discussion on pain and pain relief, our class leader brought a TENS machine with her.  This part of the day definitely caused the most hilarity.  We were all given a chance to see how it works (at our own risk, of course) by attaching the pads to our lower arm.  There was an unofficial 'competition' among the expectant dads to see who could make their hand spasm the most by putting the machine on its highest setting and then pressing the 'Boost' button.  The guys found this funny, but there was more than one woman rolling  their eyes or tutting at their partner's juvenile behaviour.

Then there was the balls!  Great big, bouncy balls littering the room.  If you giggled at the last two sentences, then shame on you.  I'm talking about those gym balls that you see pregnant women rigorously bouncing up and down on in 'One Born Every Minute'.  One of the other fathers-to-be commented that getting across the room was like competing in a round of 'It's a Knockout'.  There are over half a dozen of them and every time I walk past them I have to resist the urge to start a game of football.  If we end up getting one at home I am worried that I will break things with my inability to treat it as anything but a really big basketball or football.

The now ready to use utility roorm

As well as this, I've finally cleared the utility room of all the decorating paraphernalia.  Let's ignore the fact it has been there since we moved in 3 months ago and celebrate the fact that it has been done before our daughter arrives.  Now the room can be used for sterilising bottles without the fear that half opened tins of paint and dirty paintbrushes will make any strelising we do completely pointless! It seems like there is nothing like the realisation that your child could arrive any day to make sure you get all of those last minute DIY jobs completed.