This past Monday I decided to strike out on my own and make a maternity skirt. I used a pattern and bought all the materials, found my size, cut out the pattern, sewed it up all by myself! Not a bit of help from anyone! I was so proud. Unfortunately, I measured my current waist size (this is a maternity skirt after all!) rather than my pre-pregnancy waist, which resulted in a skirt several times too big. I was laughing and laughing when I tried it on the first time because Walt and I could both have fit in it (though we didn't try). My sewing teacher showed me how to take it in, which wasn't so hard actually, and after subtracting about 4 inches on each side, it fits perfectly! I'm wearing it right now, and it's so fun to feel creative, even if I did follow a pattern. The maternity dress I'm making should be done this next week, and then I'll have three things to wear to church. Woohoo!

We started attending childbirth classes this week, taught by the doula my aunt used for her two boys. It is just a 4 week course, but already I've learned so much. At the end she showed us a video of multiple women doing natural childbirth, and I cried. It did NOT look fun. I was trying so hard to contain myself because no one else in the class was crying, and it was a small room with only 4 couples. I think I fought it back pretty well in the end, but it sure made me think twice about what I'm getting myself into. I'm feeling fine about it now, though, and I'm still committed to going natural. The more I learn the more prepared I feel and the calmer I get, even if hearing some of the stories can be kind of unsettling at first. I can take it! My body was made for this! Our doula also brought the fresh placenta from a birth she'd helped with that morning. "No one else wanted the placenta! Can you believe it?!" she said. I said, "Should I want my placenta?" It was very cool to see the one she brought, but I have no desire to keep my own. Although someone was just telling me that they saw a childbirth book from the 70's with a recipe for placenta casserole.....