New Territory

Just like every child looks a little or a lot different, every birth story is different, too. Those are the two things on my mind right now: What is this birth story going to be? What will this little guy look like? And so, since I'm still sitting around waiting, here's how things have played out in the past:

Carter

Due date: May 24, 2004

Friday May 21: last scheduled doctor's appointment--not dilated, not effaced.

Sunday May 23:

noon--back labor begins

11:00 pm--go to the hospital; dilated 1 cm, effaced 75 % not progressing; sent home with a morphine shot.

Monday May 24:

noon--morphine shot wears off

8:00 pm--head to the hospital again, check in.

Tuesday May 25:

3:00 am--Carter is born

Anderson

Due date: September 16, 2006

Tuesday September 12: last scheduled doctors appointment--not dilated, not effaced

Wednesday September 13:

am: mild labor cramping begins

3:00 pm: regular contractions begin

11:00 pm: arrive at the hospital, check in.

Thursday September 14:

3:00 am: Anderson is born

Baby Boy #3

This time around things are a little different. As I mentioned in my last pregnancy post, my due date seems up in the air to me, but the doctor is confident it was yesterday. If you care to check the details above, yes, I am in uncharted waters. I've never been late before so when I went to my doctor's appointment yesterday I was discouraged. But when the NP checked me that all changed.

NP: You're dilated to a 1 and I stripped your membranes and Diana, his head is LOW!
Me: You're kidding! I've never had that happen before!

I left the doctor with energy to get this baby coming. I went home and mopped my floors on my hands and knees for 1 1/2 hours. I went to Carter's Landsharks track meet which required quite a bit of walking. I was in a lot of pain for about 5 hours. I fell asleep at 10:00 last night and woke up this morning to nothing. Marc went to work like it was a normal day. I got Carter off to school like it was a normal day. And guess what, it was a normal day and I'm back to feeling discouraged, impatient and hopeless. I'm tired of waiting. This little boy inside of me is definitely biding his time.