Little Tease

Here I sit in the living room typing away while Gavin naps. I should lie down too but there is not enough time for me to sleep and feel well rested before we have to leave for our PEPS (mommy group). I would be too tempted to sleep right through our meeting and we missed last week because of a late nap. As much as I hate to do it I'm probably going to have to wake Gavin up from his nap so we can make the meeting. I was really hoping to not make it today's meeting. I was really hoping the baby would have been here by now. Really. Really. Really.

Yesterday I had an appointment with my midwife - I was 38 weeks and 5 days. I asked her to check me to see how far I was dilated. 2.5 cm. TWO AND A HALF measly centimeters! I have been having contractions since last Tuesday! Nine days of contractions gets me 2.5 cm? I almost cried when she told me I was so mad. But who is there to be mad at? The baby? No. Me? No? My uterus? maybe. My cervix? For sure.

What do you get when you eat licorice (the real stuff - no watered down Red Vines for me), eat spicy food that makes you sniffle, walk, walk, walk and walk some more, walk the treadmill at full tilt, do some stairs, swim, chase a toddler, get acupuncture, stomp up and down the stairs, do a little jumping, massage pressure points to help induce labor?

N-O-T-H-I-N-G!!!

Oh, and I forgot the more important one of all.... my midwife stripped my membranes. I don't know exactly what is involved - it is not entirely pleasant as it only takes about 30 seconds to do but in those 30 seconds I went from 2.5 cm dilated to 3 cm.

Yesterday was the day. I just knew it was going to happen yesterday because I was so uncomfortable after the procedure. I sat around the house and did very little while my mother-in-law watched Gavin, did laundry, made dinner... spoiled me really. Then I was having lots of contractions. Yesterday was also Ryan's birthday. I held off on being so active because I didn't want the baby to come on Ryan's birthday. But I think I was too lazy because after my little nap in the afternoon all contractions ceased.

Once they stopped I decided it was time to put my butt in gear and get active again. I helped out after dinner with the dishes, I rounded up everyone to go for a walk where I stomped my feet like a little kid in imaginary mud puddles. My poor family had to be seen with the crazy pregnant lady stomping her feet.

We got home, put Gavin to bed, had cake and ice cream and the contractions started again! Woo-hoo! They weren't all that painful but they were less than 10 minutes apart. I called my midwife to get her input as I knew I was no where near ready to go to the hospital but I wanted her to be in the know since she is going to deliver the babe. She told me to lay down and get some rest. If it is true labor you can't stop it.

I laid down and the contractions stopped.

Boo.

When I got up to use the bathroom I would have a contraction but as soon as I laid back down - nada.

About 5 am Ryan woke up when I returned from the 3rd or 4th potty trip and asked how I was. "Pissed off," was my gracious, lady like reply. I thought about it and changed my answer to, "disappointed".

So here I sit experiencing mild contractions and yet expecting nothing to come of them. I don't think I've ever wanted to experience pain more than I do right now.

Tonight Ryan's dad and step mom are going to be here. Tonight would be another great opportunity for the baby to come. We will have babysitters sleeping downstairs. There would be no need to pull out the phone tree. We would just take the monitor downstairs and say, "See ya!"

Bring it on!!!