Getting Excited

For both Halloween and brother's arrival. The video below is of our neighbor's decorated home. They began with 3 decorations... the next night, there was a dozen more. A few nights later, even more. Most of them have sensors that allow for some spooky noises (they turn them off during the day, sorta). Trenton can't decide if he likes them or if he is afraid of them, as he sometimes asks to hold my hand while walking on the sidewalk, and sometimes makes a run for it across the grass.

Going again today for a check-up. Not feeling that much different than last week. How long after the baby drops can this last, really?
Saw this FANTASTIC article in Consumer Reports: "Back to Basics for Safer Childbirth: Too Many Doctors and Hospitals are Over-using High-Tech Procedures". Ain't that the truth. It is nice to see something like this in a mainstream publication. Get the word out! Most of the info is based on this study. Highlights include:

• Maternity care is so procedure-intensive that 6 of the 15 most common hospital procedures used in the entire U.S. are related to childbirth.
• The reasons for this overuse might have more to do with profit and liability issues than with optimal care. Convenience for health care workers might be another factor.
• Rupturing membranes ("breaking the waters") does not hasten labor.
• Routine use of episiotomies offers no benefits, but rather increases women's risk of experiencing perineal injury, stitches, pain and tenderness, leaking stool or gas, and pain during sexual intercourse.
• Labor itself can improve a newborn's immunity.

I am really hoping that this labor is much like my last and I can enjoy the full benefits of an intervention-free experience.