One Year Ago Today...

March 30th 10:43am

Contractions?... Anyone?... Hello?... Bueller?

So I've been having contractions. Four contractions per hour to be exact. They started at 5 yesterday afternoon and I timed them till midnight and then I went to bed. If they continued on through the night they weren't strong enough to wake me up, so they didn't get timed. I didn't start timing them again till 9 this morning and they've stayed pretty consistent at 4 per hour.

Dr. Google will tell you that it's only a real contraction if it hurts. Dr. Google is a dirty liar. If Caedmon's labor is any indication, I don't have painful contractions until WAY far into labor. In fact, I don't think my contractions with Caedmon became painful till I was dilated to a 7 or 8. These, of course, haven't been painful at all. They're just very tight and they knock the breath out of me.

My midwife is scheduled to make a visit this afternoon and hopefully she'll be able to tell if we're actually making any progress.

2:38pm

Let's Get This Show On The Road

Dilated to a 4.

70% effaced.

Baby will be here late tonight/early tomorrow morning.

7:59pm

Um...no clever title...just...um...Update

Just got back from Caedmon's soccer game about an hour ago. I'm dilated to a 7 now so it'll just be another few hours.

I'm tired.

Need sleep.

One Year Ago...Yesterday...

Geez, I can't even manage to copy and paste an old blog entry in everyday! I'm a pathetic excuse for a blogger! :P

March 25, 2006

40 Weeks 1 Day

Notice how I'm not smiling? Yeah. That's because I'm so over this whole being pregnant thing. I could not possibly be more ready to get. this. kid. out.

Here are a few signs that you are, in fact, ready to give birth:

1. You become insanely jealous when you watch the screaming women writhing in pain on A Baby Story.

2. You haul your unreasonably large body up and down the stairs praying that the motion will somehow induce labor.

3. You're secretly excited when you trip and fall down those last two stairs for the 3rd time in 2 days because you think that maybe, just maybe, the jolt might cause your water to break.

4. You become ecstatic when you are struck with a sudden sharp pain in your abdomen and subsequently dissolve into tears when you realize it's just gas.

One Year Ago Today...

In an attempt to prepare myself for the ever approaching milestone of Presley's one year birthday, I'm going to be revisiting what I was doing during those final days leading up to her birth. Since her due date was one year ago today, I thought that would be a good place to start.

March 24, 2006

Due Date

So, for those of you who are keeping score, today is the due date. Up until today I was under the impression that most people understood that a due date is nothing more than a day (calculated from the first day of your last menstrual cycle) in which one could possibly give birth, and that giving birth on any day of the two weeks on either side of ones due date is perfectly acceptable.

Apparently I give people too much credit.

People have already asked Kevin and I if we will be going to the hospital if I haven't had the baby by tomorrow! And if that wasn't ludicrous enough, when we say "no", they incredulously ask "Well how long are you going to let her go overdue?!". PEOPLE! Overdue is being 43+ weeks pregnant. I just hit 40 weeks today! People have actually expressed concern that we could be endangering the life of our child if we don't go have an induced labor within the next week. Let me please put everyone's mind at ease: I was born 1 month late. 1 month, that would be 4 weeks past the due date. That would make my mother 44 weeks pregnant. I didn't die, my mom didn't die...I'm sure she wanted to die, but she didn't.

It absolutely amazes me how pregnancy/child birth has become a medical condition in our society. Most people assume that one can't maintain a pregnancy and give birth to a healthy child without the constant overseeing of doctors and lab workers and hospitals and nurses. It's insanity. I mean, I'm not one to tell anyone else how to have their baby. If you want to be in a hospital and have the epidural and all that good stuff, go for it. But, please don't assume that our bodies aren't perfectly capable of doing this on their own. Because they are. I promise.

And to answer the question once and for all: No. We will not be going to the hospital if I haven't had this baby by tomorrow, or by a week from today, or by two weeks from today. In fact, baring any complications, this baby and I won't be gracing the doors of a hospital for a very, very long time. Presumably that day will come when Caedmon's luck finally runs out and he breaks a bone while jumping off of the stairs. But that's entirely beside the point.

P.S. Very obviously pregnant women do not like to be asked the question "Have you not had that baby yet?!". Not only do we all see that I have not had this baby yet, but by the time you've asked that question, chances are it's already been asked a dozen times that very day. So please, for the sake of my sanity, just don't ask.

Filling Big Brothers shoes...and his underwear

Recently Miss Priss has started hunting down Big Brothers shoes, bringing them to me and waving them in my face while holding her little feet up in the air, begging me to put them on. It's precious.

So, today while I was folding laundry I heared the familiar "EH! EH! EH!" and turned around to assist my youngest with her little game of dress up. However, this time she not only had Caedmon's soccer cleats, she also had a pair of his underwear...and she already had one leg in.

I tried to pry them away from her but she cried like she'd lost her best friend so I finally gave in. As I type this she's sitting in her rocking chair, happily eating her breakfast and very proud of her little outfit.

Just Call Me the Car Seat Nazi

Today I was picking up my friends daughter from school when I saw a little girl (7 or 8 years old) carrying the cutest little baby. He looked to be about 6 months old..maybe younger.

As she's carrying him to the car I'm talking to Kevin about how cute he is then I realize that they're getting into a teeny, tiny Ford Ranger pick up that has no back seat. I sit there hoping that maybe they're just waiting for someone and that they won't actually drive off with the baby sitting on his sisters lap...in the front seat...with his head hanging out the window.

Unfortunately I was wrong. Fortunately I had the foresight to write down the licence plate number. I followed the car all the way across town to another elementary school. Once they finally stopped I confirmed the plate number and called the cops. They said they were sending an officer right away (the station is only have a block from the school). But, I didn't have time to wait around and see what happened.

What is wrong with people?!?! I mean, I don't expect everyone to be as obsessed with car seat safety as I am. I don't expect them to do months of research when they buy a car seat and I don't expect them to spend hundreds of dollars on a car seat. But for crap sake how hard is it to figure out that it's obscenely dangerous to let a tiny baby sit in someone's lap in the front seat of a pick up truck?!

Yeah, installing car seats can be a pain. Buckling your kids into them 100 times a day is annoying. But is your childs life not worth that little bit of extra time?