The gloves are off... and by gloves, I mean rings...

Yesterday was the day it hurt to get my rings off and I decided to retire my engagement ring and SMC class ring. These rings aren't just fashion accessories for me, they're very meaningful and I rarely take them off. It was a little sad to know that I probably won't be able to wear them until after the baby is born, but it won't be long until that day arrives. I can still get my wedding ring on and off comfortably, but it's definitely a bit snugger than usual- we'll see how long it lasts!

In other baby related news, we've purchased paint for the nursery and plan to work on that this week. Our plan is to paint broad vertical strips of light yellow on the already white walls. There are two 'panel' sections- one above the closet and one above the door- that we're thinking about using as canvases to do some stenciling that incorporates dragonflies since they're featured on the bedding. A trip to Hobby Lobby this afternoon should help further that along.

We attended our childbirth class on Saturday which was helpful and very informative. Daniel was a very good coach and I feel more confident about my choice to try for a natural labor. The instructor was a L&D nurse who has over 30 years of experience and has been on both sides of delivery- as a mom of 4 and a coach for her daughters. We went over breathing exercises, the different stages of labor and what kinds of medical interventions are available including the pros and cons of them. Daniel said I was the most 'put together' mommy out of the group and I think he was the best coach... since he didn't answer the question "What is a focal point?" with "A point where you focus."

The countdown to Daniel's departure to Colorado is quickly ticking down so we're soaking up all the time we have together. We're hosting Ben, his younger brother, for a few days while he's on spring break, which has been great. It's wonderful to have a visitor in our new house!