First of all, let me apologize for the pregnancy updates being few and far between. I am 39 weeks and 5 days pregnant today, and I was scheduled to go into the hospital this morning for a gentle induction ("was" scheduled...you'll see why). The last month or so of this pregnancy has been much tougher on me, physically, than the last months of other two pregnancies. There's the usual stuff, like not being able to get comfortable at night, little ones still wanting to be held and needing to be lifted into the car, not being able to stand straight up to the kitchen counter (that's the worst...preparing food, washing dishes...everything at a 90-degree angle), but with the added discomfort of lots...and lots...of contractions. Usually just little ones, but sometimes really good ones. All day, every day for at least the last month. Never frequent enough to be real labor, but enough to sometimes stop me in my tracks at the grocery store, interrupt the flow of the morning routine and bedtime routine, and, by the way, get me dilated to 3 cm as of my 39-week check-up. Ever since our doctor in Wichita convinced us to induce my labor for Hollie, I have really wanted to experience spontaneous labor, but this has been ridiculous, and when we discussed it with my (current) doctor I just felt like I couldn't take another day. So, we scheduled a slot for this morning to meet at the hospital to try a gel medication that could hopefully give me a little jump-start.
Last night, Abuelita arrived and the overjoyed kiddos were allowed to stay up late for some extra playtime. When it was finally time for bed, they passed out and Daniel and I stayed up even later talking with her, until about midnight. Then I had to finish packing my bag for the hospital (can you tell this is my third?) and doing a little last minute clean-up until Daniel forced me to come to bed at about 1:00 (I was anxious and probably would have stayed up all night). After what seemed like only an hour or so (I didn't actually check the time) Blake, who sleeps through the night 99 nights out of 100, woke up and came into our room crying. I gave her a drink of water and, as usual, that did the trick and she was asleep again quickly. But then she woke up again, and again, and again. It seemed like she was back every half hour. I didn't put her in bed with us because I didn't want to risk it becoming a habit right before bringing home a new baby. Instead I kept taking her back to her own bed. Hollie slept soundly the whole time.
I must have gotten some sleep at some point, because let me tell you, I had the epitome of ridiculous, unbelievable pregnancy hormone dreams.
In the dream, it was really the night before my induction and we were staying with a friend (whom I can't remember) at a big, gorgeous mansion on a farm (which I've never been to) back in Wichita. During the night there was a big storm, which woke up the kids several times (ha) and made the rest of us adults concerned about flooding in the morning. We ended up sleeping through our alarms and waking up at 9:46 am. We were supposed to be at the hospital at 8:00, but rather than call we just drove there anyway, as fast as we could. The hospital had some kind of band convention going on, and we passed a table for the community band that I had played for in Wichita (true). At the table were two members of the band whom I remember only by sight, and as they started to introduce themselves they recognized me, too. By this point Daniel had gone on to find our doctor. Then I noticed three younger guys at the table that I had known in high school marching band. The first was a very creepy guy that I had never liked, and he came right over with his saxophone and started trying to make conversation while poking the mouthpiece of his saxophone into my ear! I pulled myself away by saying hello to the other two guys - brothers, who I also hadn't liked a whole lot but were preferable company to the other guy. Then I noticed, on the other side of the room, my doctor, Daniel, Abuelita, and a few other people sitting around in some arm-chairs and talking. I went over to find that the other people were also patients who had been late, and they had just been chit-chatting and making small talk. As I walked over, my doctor wrapped up the conversation, telling us that we would all just need to be rescheduled, and then the other people left. Then my doctor, Daniel, Abuelita, and I (and the kids may have been there, I can't remember) decided to sit around the table in the middle and pray, in silence. At some point I opened my eyes and saw a small glass cup on the table in front of me, and a pitcher of milk on another table behind the chairs....and I instantly became so angry...that I had overslept, that I had gotten stuck talking to people I didn't like, and that meanwhile everyone else was sitting around laughing and enjoying some milk and (presumably) cookies. I lost it, picked up the glass, and smashed it on the table! Amazingly, I saw a little reaction to the sound on everyone's face, but no one opened their eyes or said anything. I felt much better, but still angry.
The end! Whew.
Anyway, five minutes before my alarm was set to go off this morning, the phone rang...it was the hospital, letting me know that the rooms had filled up overnight and we were going to have to call our doctor to reschedule. I went back to bed, told Daniel the news, tossed and turned for a few minutes, and then got back up to write this post. I'm still too wired to sleep, but I guess I should probably try.
Well, I suppose we have a second chance for spontaneous labor!
