Get that bag packed - and birthday goodies!

Yesterday, my mom, Ben and I headed to my 36 week prenatal appointment.  I was expecting another week just like last week, finding out I hadn't progressed at all.  I'll admit that I totally wanted to hear that I  had progressed a little, but I wasn't prepared for what I actually found out.

"You're every bit of 3 cm dilated and 80% effaced."  She finished it off with, "This baby will be here any day."  Wait, wha?  Any day now?  Um, I'm only 36 weeks pregnant.  I never made it to 3 cm and 80% effaced with Ben before my water broke.  Well, at least that I know about.  The last appointment, two days before he was born, I was about 2.5 cm dilated and 80% effaced and the doctor told me basically the same thing as I heard yesterday.  I believe her exact words were, "I don't think you'll make it to next week's appointment."  And she was right!  (I know what you're thinking.  "Serves her right for complaining last week about how she was going to be pregnant forever!"  Yeah.  I guess things really can change in a hurry.)

The good news is that I know these checks don't really mean much of anything.  A woman can walk around 4 centimeters dilated for weeks on end while another can go in, be told she's high and closed, and go into labor a few hours later.  But I also know that being effaced is more telling that dilation, at least according to things I've read and been told, and I can't help but compare this to my last experience.  Plus I've been having lots of contractions.  I had an early labor scare on Saturday where I had fairly regular contractions for hours.  Luckily they petered out, but they obviously helped progress me.

Yesterday was a whirlwind of panic and excitement.  Mom and I headed out to finish up all the baby shopping and then Tim and I pulled everything up from the basement last night to clean and sanitize.  We still have to put the actual crib together tonight and get the car seat installed, but I'm pretty proud of how much we accomplished in a 24 hour period!  I started out the morning with a HUGE list of things still to be done before baby came and tucked myself into bed knowing that if she were born overnight, we'd survive just fine.  :)

So...who knows...maybe the next post from me will be a baby announcement!  If you're the praying type, though, we could use a few prayers that she holds off for at least another week.  I would feel much more comfortable knowing that I'm 37 weeks pregnant.

In equally as exciting news, Ben's second birthday was Monday and his party was Sunday.  It was appropriately Elmo-themed and Ben had a ball!  His friends came over to celebrate and they ate cupcakes and demolished his playroom.  It's so wild to think that my little "baby" is a big boy now.  Where does the time go?  I remember typing up these end-of-pregnancy status reports with Ben like it was yesterday.  I remember SO vividly holding him for the first time, staring at his gorgeous baby face, so overwhelmingly in love and awe.  Those feelings have all multiplied daily since his birth, but I just can't get over how fast they grow and change.  I love you more than words, my big boy!

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