On the job front, my resume is updated and I set up a portfolio online that has some of my best projects that I can send to potential employers when they want to see work samples. I have decided to just be open about work now. The more I think about it, the more I honestly don't know if I could make the switch from working full-time for years to exclusively freelancing overnight, while adjusting to being a new mom. The shaky economy is not the best to try to be self-employed either. We also need benefits, so it only makes sense to me for now to be open to more full and part-time positions too. I will just see what opens up. Part of me thinks it might be a little awkward showing up for an interview being 9 months pregnant. I'm guaranteed to stand out (of course, most people don't think I'm 9 months pregnant so maybe that is too my advantage as well)! Some women do get jobs even in late pregnancy, as some companies are really flexible. I don't want to fully wait, so I have to do this even if I am not available to start for awhile (at least I have a good reason). This will also help me be ready to get out and look after the baby is born if nothing opens up (which I expect). Who knows, a company might like me and not hire me now but have something else open up later this year.
Yesterday we had our Lamaze childbirth class. The class was scheduled to be from 9am through 5:30pm, but thankfully we got out at 3pm. There were several couples in the class, and again most did not find out their baby's gender! They gave us lots of bathroom breaks (which I need these days, every time I stand up after I have been sitting down I almost always have to pee even if I have gone recently). Michael and I packed a soft cooler my mom gave us with some drinks and snacks. We learned all about pregnancy weight gain (average is 25-35 pounds), normal late pregnancy discomforts and what to do about them, all about signs of labor and stages of labor, what to pack for the hospital, and what to expect if there are complications. The nurse teaching had a visual aid of what the epidural needle looked like, a plastic pelvic bone which she used to demonstrate how a stuffed baby is supposed to fit through it, and we got to see pictures of other things. We watched a video that showed three births: epidural, natural, and c-section. Michael and I watched all of them and it didn't bother us.
After breaking for lunch, we got to practice stretches for labor on a yoga ball and try out different positions. The class required us to bring a comforter and pillow. They taught the guys how to help massage us, and made them massage us for at least 3 minutes. We also got to practice different breathing techniques, and the husbands were taught how to coach us through. Some people warned me that Lamaze had a breathing technique that taught women to pant like a dog. I was surprised that in my class they absolutely discouraged breathing too fast. They warned the husbands to make sure we didn't start hyperventilating if we tried to breathe too fast because we are in pain, and to breath in the rhythm we should be using to slow us down. They told us to find what worked for us, and not to do any of the breathing techniques we didn't like. It didn't seem to bad or hard to me. The only thing that was hard was getting up after laying on the floor as my back aches a lot more easily these days.
I was glad to find out Wi-Fi is available in our hospital! I would love to at least briefly update the blog sometime after the baby is born (or have Michael do it). He is planning to bring his laptop, and can lock it in the trunk if there is a time we don't want or need it. We also can use our cell phones in the hospital, and we had reception. Of course I don't plan to do much talking while I'm recovering, still it is nice to know I can send text messages or call someone if I need or want to. Our hospital also doesn't have limited visiting hours. Of course, I personally will.
We were both so tired after the class, in part from taking international students shopping the night before and being out later than planned, that we both dozed off on the couch for awhile. It did make it a little harder to sleep later, but sometimes you just need to rest.
Here are some extra pictures, first of the first baby shower I had up north on September 13 (hard to believe, already a month ago now!):
A full front view of the cool restaurant where it was
Capturing the pregnancy glow
Side belly shot
More shower pictures from September 28! This lady also printed the pictures and gave me an album too, how cool of her!
More pictures of the string game
Another new mom, Hao with her Mom and daughter Benay.
The girl in the black was one of the two German girls there. 
Two of my friends who helped organize the shower on the left and in the middle. Yinfen, on the right, and is my Chinese friend due 5 days after me. 
I liked these candid shots
International Friendships friends
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