New House

Baby Registry

We've had lots of questions about the baby registry, and now that we have our new address, we're happy to let you know all the details.

We used 3 websites to cover all the goodies (see the links below under the images). You can use just our last name for the search (Mocilnikar), since there aren't too many other Mocilnikars with baby registries out there.

Thank you so much for all your support in welcoming our little girl into the world!

1. www.babyearth.com

2. www.babiesrus.com

3. www.diapers.com

We're Moving!!

It's finally happening! We're moving this weekend! Of course everything is a little crazy right now, as a result, but we can't express how happy we are that everything is finally going forward. The new place is so cute...big back yard, studio space for Greg, lots of great daylight, and a really good feeling. We just can't wait to get settled in!

Childbirth Class

Greg and I attended Hoag Hospital's Childbirth Class this last weekend...7 hours of information about all the stages of birth, and I have to say...wow! There's a ton of information to know. We learned about some great relaxation and breathing techniques (thus, the floor mats in the photo above). Greg kept me laughing with visualizations of all kinds of crazy things, and we agreed it was good to get it all out now since we probably won't have the luxury when we're really in labor. We actually saw plenty of videos of women in labor, which confirmed that to be true. I'm now preparing myself for how hard this is going to be!

Our instructor was great, although she was a little hazy when it came to talking about the hospital's cesaerean percentages, which are around 50%, and I found that some of her responses to questions about risks for some procedures were pretty guarded, but generally, we learned that the hospital takes a very family-centric approach that promotes active birth techniques in an attempt to get through as much of the delivery as naturally as possible. Personally, I like that.

One interesting fact that our teacher shared, however, is that over 90% of women who deliver at Hoag get epidurals..."not too surprising in an Orange County hospital" (our teacher's thoughts, not mine, although probably true.) I'm probably on the realistic side of that equation and expect that I will get an epidural before it's over, but I'd like to stay active for as long as possible, simply because it helps speed the delivery time. Once they numb your lower half, you're confined to bed, and you can't walk (for the simple fact that you can't feel your legs!), which can unfortunately, slow the baby's movement out. We want to avoid that for as long as possible.

One of the great points that the instructor made was that women who are informed about delivery typically have better delivery experiences. We've found that our thoughts about delivery have become more refined as we learn more, but at the same time, we're more flexible because you just never know how it's going to go. I'm sure that's what she was referring to. We've also had some great conversations recently with friends who delivered in the last few weeks, and their insights have been invaluable. The basic premise of it all is that every situation will be different, so be ready for anything! In the end, the goal is to have a healthy baby and healthy mom!

Reading List

I promised a friend that I would post a reference list of books that I'm reading for pregnancy, delivery, and childcare, so here it is:

• The Girlfriends' Guide to Pregnancy - Vicki Iovine - I love her perspective on pregnancy...so funny! I laughed the entire time I read this honest account of what REALLY happens when you're pregnant.
• Your Pregnancy Week by Week - Glade B. Curtis and Judith Schuler - This is a pretty straight forward description of pregnancy as it progresses each week. Medically based, it has a lot of information about medical issues that could happen, but it can get a little heavy on this information at times. It's a basic, good reference book along the way.
• The Birth Partner - Penny Simkin - This is an excellent book! I would recommend this to every new mom and dad. It's written for the partner, but it really applies to anyone who is planning to be involved in a delivery. It has in-depth information on everything you need to know from contractions to complications, and it is not overly biased on one delivery method or another. While encouraging natural approaches, it does not preach, which is refreshing, and I consider the information to be critical to have should you need to make any tough decisions during delivery. It is clearly presented and exceptionally informative, and I would give it five stars. It will be with us in the delivery room.
• The Nursing Mother's Companion - Kathleen Huggins - I have admittedly not started this book yet, but it has been repeatedly recommended to me by other moms and is the standard nursing book recommended by my delivery hospital. It's next on my reading list.
• Baby Wise - Gary Ezzo and Robert Bucknam - While not written exceptionally well, the concept behind this book makes sense to me, and we will probably adopt this approach in raising our daughter. Based on the idea of establishing a routine and providing structured support for the daily experience of feeding and sleeping, the goal is to ultimately develop independence in your child that should allow him or her to incorporate into your life as a member of the family, as opposed to taking it over as the center of the family. Should be interesting to see how it works.
• The Happiest Baby on the Block DVD - Harvey Karch - I recommend the DVD over the book because you can see how this technique for soothing your crying infant actually works (and it's only 35 minutes long). Greg can't keep a straight face every time it gets to the "shooshing" part of the concept, but beyond that, it's a pretty helpful and impressive video. Seeing this man instantly quiet a screaming baby is inspiring and definitely gives any parent hope that they too can soothe a baby into restfulness using the techniques shown in the video.
• Baby 411 - Ari Brown and Denise Shields - I have not purchased this book yet, but it has been recommended by our delivery hospital as the ultimate reference for what to do with your baby once you get her home. I've heard good reviews for it, so I'll probably pick it up pretty soon.
• Love and Logic - Jim and Charles Fay - I have not researched this book, but it has been recommended to me by a very good friend who is also a speech therapist and works with special needs children. She is probably one of the most informed people I know in the area of child behavior, and she says this book offers a great technique for handling behavioral issues. I will be looking into it soon!

I hope that's helpful for any moms out there who are following the blog. If you have any suggestions, feel free to share them too!

Week 27

It's a little early in the week, but I thought this was a good shot. I had a great workout tonight, and I realized there's no better way to see the bump than when I'm rockin' my workout clothes. I've been doing yoga a few times a week, and the breathing and stretching is a fantastic relief. My body is certainly shifting as I go along in the pregnancy, and my hips are definitely opening up, causing some sciatic pain in the mornings. By the time I get home from work, I just want a massage, and yoga seems to take care of that need. I've also been doing "The Perfect Pregnancy Workout" by Karyn Steben, who is a dancer for Cirque du Soleil. She's got this amazing body at about 6-7 months pregnant in the video, and the workout is just challenging enough to make you work but not too much. If I can do her workout and half a session of yoga, I'm really set. That's what I did tonight, so this shot is me feeling very good.

On another note, I had a doctor's visit last Thursday and found out that we do not have to worry about gestational diabetes. (Thank heavens!) The glucose test came back normal, although I'm now taking an iron supplement. For as much as everyone talks about the glucose test being this awful ordeal, it was really underwhelming. You drink a small bottle of sugar drink that is sweeter than Gatorade, but if it's cold, it's not that bad. Then you get your blood drawn in an hour, and that's it. Of course, the way people talk about it, you'd think you had to drink a gallon of sugar Kool-Aid or some form of gross syrup, and then run a mile hooked up to machines, and then maybe stand on your head for a half hour before finally having some strange science fiction test done to you. (At least that's what I envisioned until my girlfriend told me what really happens!) It was very easy, and I'm thankful for that.

I also had a great conversation with my doctor about expectations for delivery, and she said a really wonderful thing. "There's nothing we can do medically that will be more beautiful than what you can do naturally." That is extremely reassuring since I would like to stay as natural as possible in delivery. I'm not opposed to epidurals, and my approach is based more on common sense and ultimately safety, but having a doctor who supports a natural birth as much as possible is wonderful. I'm also happy to know that Hoag Hospital is supportive in a similar way, although I'm not going in with an unrealistic expectation about pain management, or even the possibility of a c-section, if medically necessary. Of course, it will all happen exactly as it's supposed to, and as long as we have a healthy baby and a healthy Mom at the end of the whole experience, I'll be happy. So, I'm starting to gear up for the idea of delivery, which is a pretty awesome thing to prepare for as a woman - perhaps one of the most significant in life.

Baby Basic Care Class

Jennifer, Me, and Erica

Jennifer is due two days before me, and Erica is due a few weeks after both of us. We're taking all the baby classes at Hoag Hospital together over the next couple months, and I have to say it's much more fun to do these with friends!

Matt & Greg

Of course, the boys definitely couldn't make it through the classes without each other. This is Jen's husband, Matt....I can't tell who's more pregnant!

Week 26

Same dress as Week 20 1/2, different belly! Check it out....still growing. (And Max made the photo again, sort of.)