Test Results, Tour of WP and SYTYCD

Lots to discuss today, no time to be silly. Let's get right into it. First up, Allison's glucose screen. She got her results back and they were good. The doctor said they should be below 130. Her's came back with an 84 (I think, it was def 80 something) It was well within the doctors approved level. That was a relief.

Next up, tonight we took a tour of Winnie Palmer Hospital for Women and Babies. I had been there when Steven and Stephanie had their son, but this time I was really paying attention to the hospital and not to them and Jack. It opened in 2006 and is the third largest birthing center in the United States, basically, it's a baby factory. It's ranked in the top 10th percentile for patient satisfaction among all hospitals in the United States and it hosts ORMC's level 3 neonatal intensive care unit, the only one in Orlando. I'm not sure what that is, but I think I'd rather have it than not.Driving up the the hospital I'm faced with a decision. Do I valet park or self park? That's right, this place has valet parking! Allison went to the valet, I self parked. I met her inside, we got our visitors passes and filled out some paperwork. Allison is all pre-registered to deliver. Walking through the main entrance, you walk down a 10 foot tunnel with water cascading around you. The dome you see in the picture is the waiting room. It's a glass dome filled with TVs and couches. Also free wi-fi, so be on the lookout for updates that day.

Before the tour started Allison instructed me that I was not to ask any of the silly questions I had been thinking up all day. I gave her the "I have nooooo idea what you're talking about" look. Or you may want to call it the "who meeee?" look. Of course I had been thinking of stupid questions all day. For instance 1) Will we actually see where the storks drop off the babies on this tour? 2) Can we pet a stork today? How about when we come back in September? 3) Will there be a selection to test from the food court?

I did a great job. I didn't ask any stupid questions, but I did make a funny. I have to tell you about it, then I'll get back to the tour. We had just headed up the the 2nd floor. There were 5 or 6 pregnant ladies and 2 of them had to use the bathroom. One small problem, there was only 1 bathroom on the 2nd floor and it was occupied. They asked "Is there another bathroom up here?" they were told no. So I said "If you head downstairs to your left, just before the cafeteria, you'll find the main bank of rest rooms." They had just covered that on the tour. I guess maybe you had to be there...but trust me, it was funny.

Anyway, back to the tour. The first floor is the main lobby, front desk, cafeteria, gift shop, concierge (I'll come back to this later) and triage. We headed up to the 2nd floor where they had pre-op & post op section and delivery rooms. The delivery rooms were ridiculous. They had hardwood floors, marble bathrooms with a shower & tub, flat screen TVs and hidden medical supplies behind pictures. Have you ever seen one of those heist movies where the picture moves to reveal a safe? Well picture that, but instead of a safe, there were medical supplies.

Our tour guide, who was also a nurse, told us that we could make special requests during the birth. Oh boy! This set my mind racing. I was immediately thinking, I request that you deliver the baby as Yoda. "head crowning it is" or "push more you shall." She must have seen that look in my eyes so she then clarified what she meant. You can request to have dad cut the umbilical cord or have Baby C placed on mom's chest immediately after birth. Still cool, but not Yoda cool.

I really want to cut the cord. It's my first responsibility as a father. It's my duty as a man. I'm ready doc, show me where to cut. I want Allison to be the first one to hold the baby. She will have carried him for 9 months, she should be the first to meet him. I also want to tell the doctor & nurses...if I pass out, kick me to the side. Just go on without me. I'll be fine. Concentrate on Allison and Baby C. If I miss something because I'm a Nancy boy, so be it.

The tour then went up to the 8th floor to the...well I don't know what to call them...state rooms? guest rooms? These rooms are just as nice. In addition to Allison's bed, there was a Murphy bed in the room we visited. Also had a flat screen TV, VCR, DVD player, Ipod dock and a similar bathroom. This time only a shower, no tub.

We then went to visit the 8th floor nursery. I counted 4 babies, but I may have missed some in the back. There was one little baby that had jondus and he was under a fancy light. one baby was being swaddled in a blanket and 2 were sleeping. Those babies looked so small. I think it hit us. Holy sh*t! We are gonna have one of those in about 73 days. It definitely hit me.

We went back to the first floor to end the tour and meet with the concierge. They told us some of the options & packages available. You can upgrade your sheets, robes, baby blanket, get a manicure & pedicure, limo ride home from the hospital, a fancy steak dinner for 2, and much much more. For real at that point, I didn't even feel like I was at a hospital. I thought I was hearing a timeshare pitch. The steak dinner peaked my interest, but let's see how it goes.

Overall it was a good tour. I'm excited to go back there and to meet Baby C. I'm a little more freaked out than before I went in. I'm gonna have a baby. One of those little humans I saw laying there in the nursery is going to have my genes and is going to depend on me...for the rest of my life. I'm ready for it, but wow, that's a long time.

Driving home I was listening to the radio and Halo - Beyonce came on. Last week on So You Think You Can Dance, they did a hip-hop routine to that song. The girl was pregnant and she had just told the guy. It is now impossible for me to hear that song and not think of that dance. they are forever linked in my mind now. I'm sure it's because I have a baby due, but isn't it funny how when you are going through life stages how you are more prone to like something? I'm sure had I watched that same dance last season, I would have called it weak and said "That's not hip-hop"

While wedding planning, we watched all those bridal shows (Bridezillas & Whose Wedding Is It Anyway?) and I really enjoyed them. Now I find it as a form of light torture. Almost as bad as touching my toe nails or honking my nose. But baby shows and anything baby is really catching my interest. Strange right?

Anyway, here is that dance I told you about. Enjoy it. It has a dorky white guy and a cute girl. If you've ever seen me dance, I think you will agree, that kinda describes me to a tee.