Impatience at its finest

I didn't exactly get my labor date wish of last night.

I kicked off the school year today by going back to work. Honestly, it worked out better that way. I got so much accomplished and I now feel like a sub could walk into my room and take over without me feeling any guilt of neglecting her.

I won't, however, say it was easy. I sat in a 45-minute IEP meeting in which I had three BIG contractions and it was everything I had to keep a straight face and just will my water not to break in front of this family whom I had never met.

After that meeting was over, I called my doctor and explained that once again, my contractions were getting stronger and asked if there were any openings today instead of tomorrow, as was originally planned.

I may or may not have also called due to being anxious to get my membranes stripped as my doctor had promised. Just a little.

At first, the receptionist said no, but then she called me back, saying they were worried about me, and they squeezed me in.

I spent the rest of my day getting as much accomplished as possible when you are really, really pregnant and working in an elementary school. I clenched my teeth smiled nicely in response to all the comments and looks and questions and pats. By the time I left, I had told 285 people my due date, said I was feeling fine 9520 times, ignored 92875 comments about my waddle, and told 7928 kids that yes, there was a baby in my belly.

At least that's what it felt like. It was really a little ridiculous.

Well, I thought it was ridiculous until I caught a glimpse of myself in the dress I had worn to work....

(Please ignore L's handprints on the bottom of the mirror. He enjoys checking himself out, and with this belly, it's not easy to squat down and clean them.)

Ohhh. Yeah. I get it now.

So I flew to see my doctor at 3. When he examined me, I prayed that all the natural induction techniques I had tried this weekend had moved me past a 1. Because if they hadn't, and I could have just laid on the couch eating dark chocolate covered raisins and gotten the same results, I might have cried.

Luckily, they SO did!! He said I was between a 2 and a 3, and according to him, that's great progress for 5 days! Can I get a woo hoo?? He stripped my membranes as much as he could. As he did so, he asked if it hurt. I told him it wasn't the most enjoyable feeling, and when he asked if I needed him to stop, I enthusiastically told him not to before he finished the question. I might have even asked him to do it again afterwards. Apparently, I'm fully comfortable with looking extraordinarily desperate.

I begged him to tell me when I'll hold this little boy in my arms and he said there was no way to tell. He said it could be tonight, but odds are, it'd be at least a few more days. And he made me promise that if I do go into labor this weekend, it wouldn't be during the big college rivalry. football game. I appeased him by saying I'd have it on in the delivery room when he arrived and that I'd cheer for his school of choice.

Unfortunately, there was more blood in my urine. Boo. It could be from the...ahem...natural induction techniques that occurred this weekend, or from an infection, or from nothing. I have to get a culture done when I arrive at the hospital, so please say a prayer that it all comes back normally. I'm choosing not to worry about it and to instead focus on the fact that...

I didn't gain any weight again this week!! I am holding steady at a 30 pound weight gain!

In other news, little man has hair, but not a lot. That mental image made me even more excited to see what he looks like, which I didn't think was possible.

I'm off to time these contractions, which have indeed gotten stronger since the membrane stripping...and cross my fingers, and toes, and basically everything but legs, in hopes that my next post will be introducing L's little brother!

Namaste!