Frustration... (some TMI information, just to warn you)

This weekend has been a just a tad bit frustrating.

Friday I went to my OB and had an internal. I was 2 cm and after the internal I became immediately crampy and uncomfortable and was also spotting with some clots. I also went to the Chiropractor and got adjusted. By about 8:00 on Friday night, I was feeling really uncomfortable - my entire groin/lower stomach area was in pretty severe pain. Sort of menstrual cramp-like feelings plus a ton of pressure.

Jay was convinced I would go into labor Friday night but I knew he was wrong. He was insistent though so we timed contractions for a few hours before I finally told him I needed to go to sleep, which I did easily through the contractions. Jay, on the other hand, was so anxious he barely slept Friday night.

Saturday during the day I had no contractions at all - not even BH contractions, which was sort of strange. Then, all of the sudden around 7:30 I started having them regularly and they were a lot stronger than normal. I didn't say anything to Jay because I didn't want to get his hopes up.

Also, by Saturday it was pretty clear from looking that the baby had dropped.

We went to bed around midnight and as soon as I got in bed, pain started radiating from my back to my front and I thought - hmmm........

I got out of bed and walked around, started timing the contractions and finally told Jay that maybe he should stay awake too.

I was in constant pain, even between contractions, which were anywhere from 2 to 5 minutes apart and lasting 30 seconds to just over a minute. Our doula, Lorraine, said to just keep timing them to see if they got longer/stronger and let her know when I started to see pink/bloody discharge when I peed.

At about 1:15, after taking a shower, I started to see pink every time I peed. I got in the tub and the contractions got stronger, rather than weaker and were getting closer together.

We called Lorraine and she decided she would come over in about 1-2 hours. We were so excited - we were going to have a baby!

By the time she got to our house around 3:30, I was having contractions between 45-55 seconds every 2 minutes or so. We timed them on the couch and birthing ball until about 5:00 and then decided to go on a walk around the neighborhood.

We went on a walk for about an hour and the contractions stayed about 2 minutes apart but increased in length to between 55 and 75 seconds. She wanted them to consistently stay well over 60 seconds before we went to the hospital.

We went back home and listened to a Hypnobabies track meant for during labor and I fell asleep, but woke up to way more intense contractions, although they hadn't gotten any longer or closer together.

Then over the next hour or so, they just completely stopped. We tried to walk again to get them to start but .... nothing.

I'm not even full term yet, so it's not the end of the world that baby is still safe and snuggled for now, but I had it in my mind that today was the big day and it is just so hard to wrap my head around the fact that I have no idea when this is happening - or that I could go through contractions like that for 9 straight hours and have it just stop.

It's funny because I think if we had not have hired a doula I would have probably gone to L&D around 6 am when the contractions were around a minute long and 2-3 minutes apart, because that's basically when they say you should go. I bet if we had gone, they would have admitted me. And then I would have stalled. And then I would have been given pitocin and an epidural and god knows what else.

So, I am glad I avoided that whole situation if he is just not ready yet.

So now, after taking a nap, we are going to eat some lunch and then run some errands and hope that the activity will help things speed along.

Check-Up Update

I'm "almost 2 cm dilated."

This tells us just about nothing about how much longer we will be waiting.

Belly Picture Friday - 36 weeks 1 day

Chili!

I have begun working on a loooong list of recipes to make and store in our brand new deep freezer.

Buying that freezer was one of the best ideas I have had in a long time. It already has a few delicious looking meals from my mom stored inside (although we have already finished the eggplant parmesan and will start working on the italian wedding pasta tonight).

Jay took me shopping this morning and we bought stuff to make chili, which is now cooking away in my slow cooker.

other items on my list are:

Herbed Turkey Meatballs
Neiman Marcus Chocolate Chip Cookies
Vegetable Tangine
Zesty Orange Bread
White Bean Pasta and Swiss Chard Soup
Garden-Style Eggplant Parmesan
Lasagna
Beef Stroganoff
Baked Ziti

(all courtesy of Williams-Sonoma recipes online, except for the cookies).

I think I need to grab a snack - all of this food talk is making me hungry!

Ticker Change Thursday - 36 Weeks

Joaquin is 36 weeks today and it is his last week as the size of a honeydew melon. He is continuing to put on weight at about ½ pound each week. This layer of fat will help him regulate his body temperature after leaving the womb. In fact, he will be 15 percent fat at birth. Even in the womb, he can listen, feel, touch and see. His gums are firm with ridges that look somewhat like teeth, though his actual pearly whites won't start breaking through until he's between three months and a year old. He has definite patterns of sleep and wakefulness—opening his eyes while awake and closing them while sleeping. He will become alert and turn his head toward light and sound just as a newborn would.

How far along? 36 weeks
Weight gain/loss: I'm up a total of 34 pounds.
Sleep? This changes day by day. Sleeping on my sides is getting OLD. It is really starting to hurt my hip joints. It will be so nice to start sleeping on my stomach again soon.
Best moment this week? It was nice having my mom come up on Sunday and help out and bring us some food.
Movement: Joaquin is moving normally, which is always reassuring.
Food cravings: Neiman Marcus chocolate chip cookies.
What I miss? Agility.
What I am looking forward to? Having this baby (this may stay the same until the baby comes).
Milestones: Each week is its own little milestone these days.
What I'm nervous about: I just got a new deal at work. I'm sort of wondering how that is going to turn out.

Trying to Take One Day at a Time

It seems like every day is a little bit different these days. One day I will have a ton of energy and feel great. The next day (like today), I can barely muster the energy to get off the couch to use the restroom.

Days like today are pretty hard - my joints are really starting to revolt against all of the extra weight. My feet hurt from the weight, my knees hurt when I stand up, my hips hurt when I lay down, my ribs hurt constantly from the stretching, and my fingers and wrists hurt from having to push myself up with my upper body strength (what little I actually have). On days like today, I just wish I could blink and make it November.

Hopefully I feel better tomorrow!

Grandparents ... now taking name requests

Hi future grandparents! Now is the time when Jay and I are taking requests for grandparent names. If you want to be called something other than the standard "grandma" or "grandpa", please let us know. We hope that everyone can come up with something slightly original so everyone has their own "name".

Jay's parents have pre-reserved traditional Spanish names - Layla & Laylo (I think that is the correct spelling).

Please let us know what you'd prefer!

(If you can - respond in the comments instead of directly to me so that everyone can see what names have been chosen).

It's starting to become official - you are all going to be grandparents very, very soon!!!