Yes, I'm Still Pregnant.

My mom came down to stay with us for a week right over the baby's due date.  She is leaving to go back to Michigan today, with no baby to speak of.  The ladies at Publix were wrong-- I did make it four more weeks, then I did make it to Tuesday...and beyond.  My days are monotonous-- hoping each irregular contraction will lead to the real thing, nothing planned in case the baby comes, just waiting.  Its really really hard mentally.  Every morning that I wake up still pregnant I feel like crying, and most mornings I do.  I feel hopeless and distressed, then about mid-morning I get things together, get dressed and get my restless self out the door.  Today we went to Costco where I saw a lady from my doctor's office who said "Why are you still pregnant!?"  Good question!

So, if I am STILL pregnant after this weekend, the plan is to go in for an induction Tuesday morning.  I scheduled it at 41 weeks to let myself live with that decision for a few days to see how I felt.  Despite my romantic visions and hopes for an all-natural labor at home in the shower, our bed, alone with my husband, I think the desire to have it over with is winning out, and I actually feel good now that there is a light at the end of the tunnel.  I am certainly a little conflicted between my ideal birth vision and actually having the baby at some point, but I am feeling OK with just getting it done with.

Speaking of which, at this point I am 4 cm dilated.  When I was induced with Jamesie, I hit transition at 6 cm--going from 6-10 cm, and pushing, in about 15 minutes.  SO, if the same pattern is true with Sissy, I really might only have 2 more cm of work to do before I get to push-- not bad!  AND, those two centimeters might be accomplished just by breaking my water, rather than actually starting Pitocin.  Cody reminded me today that I basically have been in labor at home -- in the shower, on our exercise ball, in our bed, etc-- for the last month.  Its just not the one day I had in my mind, its been a whole month of labor. 

Finally, one shining upside to being induced Tuesday is doing it simultaneously with our good friends Steph and Preston, who are due with their second baby the same day we are (or, i'm sorry, "were" due)!  No baby for them yet either.  Friday night, 3 days past due, we all went out to mexican food together to try to get things moving (obviously didn't work).  If we are all still here Tuesday, we can go out to breakfast together before the induction, Cody and Preston can bring a few drinks to share together in the hospital (how's that for romantic visions of labor?), and Steph and I can have our babies on the same day-- kind of funny and silly and fun to think about :).

Wish us luck for the rest of the weekend, and please send your prayers our way on Tuesday morning, that all goes well, quickly and safely for both of our little families.  Here's a parting picture of Steph and me at 40 weeks and 3 days.  We will get to see the little people in those bellies so soon!