Finally!

Some progress! We went into my doctor's today, and after being dilated to only about a 1 for the last three weeks, I've finally jumped to about a 2.5! We're starting to move in the right direction!

Dear Baby Girl

I want to personally invite you to come out into the world! I know you're getting squished and squashed and you don't have much room in there anymore. I'm sorry that my ribs, hips, bladder, and pelvic bone get in the way of your movement. Come out and explore the wonderful world of stretching! There are endless ways you can move and wiggle about out here! Space galore! Your Daddy and I really do have a nice place set up for you. You have your own car seat installed, a pack 'n play set up, plenty of blankets and cute outfits, diapers and wipes for your every need... We even got a new car with you in mind! (well, it was mostly for your Daddy, too.) I promise, any time you want to come out now, we won't try and stop you. I know it got frustrating the first couple of times when the hospital didn't want you to come out yet. But they'll let you this time! Really! I guarantee it! So please, leave that dark, wet, cramped uterus of mine and come out into the bright sunny world! Everyone is just waiting to meet you!

Love,
Your Mommy

Nice people

Alan and I had our date night this evening. We didn't go out last night because we were babysitting for another couple in the ward (you know, building up some good karma for when our little one comes). We ended up going to the dollar theater to see "Inkhart" (pretty good movie) and then to Red Robin for dinner. There was quite a wait to get seated, but being 8 1/2 months pregnant, we managed to snag a bench to sit and wait for our table. There was a talkative motherly figure (not really an old lady, but you know what I mean) with her husband sitting next to Alan, and we waited out our time chatting away. We ended up being seated in the booth next to them, and as they got up after their meal they once again wished us good luck with the baby. When it was time for our check to come, the waitress happily told us that our meal had already been paid for! So thank you talkative motherly figure!!

Dang it!

I had two separate dreams last night where I went into labor and gave birth. I can't tell you how disappointed I was to wake up and realize I was still pregnant...

Any day now...

...is what my doctor says. I'm starting to dilate, I'm almost completely effaced or thinned out, and the baby is in a wonderful position. Lets hope I don't jinx it by posting this...

What do you do...

...on a Sunday morning when you've suddenly found out that none of your church shoes really fit anymore due to the fact that your feet and ankles now look like little melons?

34 Weeks

I had my doctors appointment yesterday. He didn't necessarily put me on bed rest, since I'm past the major danger zone. Most babies born after 34 weeks generally do just fine. But a few more weeks would be better, so I'm on a take-it-easy rest. He doesn't want me up and moving around for more than 20-30 minutes at a time with out taking a break to sit down. Just need to hang on to this baby for another few weeks...

False Alarm

We had a bit of a freak out session last night. All day long I had been having contractions, some Braxton-Hicks and some a little more painful. I didn't pay them much attention at first, and we just went about our normal Saturday. But by about 5 o'clock they starting picking up the pace and really hurting. Alan started timing them, and after having 7 or 8 in about 45 minutes, we decided it was time to call my doctor. Luckily he was the on-call doctor for the night, so that was comforting. He told us to head straight for Labor and Delivery at the hospital and have them call him when we got there.

Right as we left the apartment, the BYU-Utah basketball game ended, so we had to sit in traffic for a while. That's a really good feeling, let me tell you. It took us so long to get to the hospital that my doctor was calling to see what was going on. We finally made it and they got me in and strapped up to all the monitors.

Anyway, long story short, they gave me a shot of something that starts with a 'B' to slow the contractions and ran a bunch of test to see what caused me to start contracting so much. I wasn't dialated yet, which was a good sign. Every other test came back negative, kinda good in that it meant I didn't have a infection or anything like that, but still a little frustrating in that it didn't give any answers. There was one test that kept coming back 'invalid', and that was the one that could tell with 99% accuracy if I would deliver within 2 weeks or not. But since the contractions had stopped and my next doctors appointment is in a few days, they sent us home. They might try and repeat the test at my appointment, but we'll just have to wait and see.

All the while our little girl was just as happy as a clam. Her heart rate was wonderful, and as soon as the contractions stopped she started kicking and dancing up a storm.

So that's how we spent our Saturday night together. Not my first choice in activities, but at least it turned out alright in the end.