So here I sit...

In the Courtyard by Marriot.

3 minutes from the hospital...
Contracting away.

I sit.

Let me back-track my day...

***

I woke up around 1:00am with some hard, painful contractions-- shooting into my lower back and down into my bottom.
And bloody-yuck.

I was able to sleep in between contractions, but when they would hit-- they would HIT.

Lance kept asking if "it was time"... but I knew these things should be closer together, so I said no.

Around 8:00, I got a text from my mom saying she was staying home today...

So I could go anytime today, if I wanted...

Lance crawled out of bed around 9:00 and immediately started nesting!
He swept, vacuumed and mopped the entire house, and I bleached bathrooms and finished up on laundry.

Every so often or so, I would pause for a contraction...

occasionally complain of pain...

but wasn't impressed enough by their strength to find a clock.

Around 11:00, Lance said, "you've been contracting pretty regularly for a while now... you think you should sit down so we can time these things?

So I did.

I opened my handy-dandy little IPhone app called nine months, and started timing.

Consecutively, they were 5 minutes apart.

We watched them for a solid hour...

And though they weren't getting stronger, they were getting closer together.

I kept saying how excited I was to see my body do actual work... contractions... possibly labor on its own...

But bigger than that, I was thrilled to see how calm I was!

I continued cleaning (iPhone in hand), and realized at some point these babies were getting closer to 3 minutes apart.

Because I worry way too much what everyone else thinks, I still didn't want to head into Fort Worth, for the fear of this all being a figment of my imagination and being sent home like a whipped puppy.

I called a couple of my gal pals, who all agreed we should head in.

Super-firm or not... Dumb or not... I was 3 minutes apart-- and they know me::

I need an epidural.

They encouraged me to go.

I called mom, who had just sat down in the chair with hair color on half of her locks, and was panicking on what to do.

She sent Allison my way.

Funniest part of my day::

Allison:: flashers on-- tears in her eyes-- hitting every bit of 70mph coming down my driveway!!

I don't think mom explained to her that I was completely comfortable (at this point) and all she knew about labor, she had seen in the movies.

She was booking it!

She took Maddox for me, and Lance and I headed in.

About 10 minutes from the hospital, I decided to call my office.

They said to come there rather than going upstairs to the 2nd floor and they could check me.

I had a break down of the century when the receptionist said, "Dr Deem is out this afternoon so another doctor will be seeing you."
"So if I am in labor, she won't deliver him for me?!"
"No ma'am, she is not on call"

You know that cry when you are trying to hold it in but all the sudden it busts out 5 million times louder/ stronger/ more pathetic than you ever intended it to??

That's the wail I made in the middle of the waiting room.

Lance patted my back and then apologized for me.

And the receptionist said, "its going to be a long night, daddy."

In the room we were hooked to a monitor and checked.

Still a 3.

My biggest fear of going in hours from my induction came true.

I am still. a damn. three.

After about thirty minutes on the monitor, the nurse came in and said, "So your contractions have stopped?"
Which I replied no?!
(Do not treat me like that crazy pregnant girl... I am contracting.  I have never done this monitor crap before.  I may have not labored on my own with Maddox, but this tight belly-- pain in my back--stuff, is hard to forget.  I don't want to miss my epidural.  Bottom line.)
She re-adjusted the monitor, and realized they were right on top of each other.  (Like some less than 2 minutes apart)
And her tone changed pretty quickly.

The doctor came back in and gave us our options:
She said we were right on the cusp:
She could send us upstairs and admit us.  (Due to the constant contractions)
We could go eat and walk around and then come back in a few hours with hopes that my body would progress some more on its own.
Or we could go home.
(She said some women can contract this close together for days and not change their cervix at all)
We have an induction already set for 7:00 am.

I chose the eat option.
It was now 3:30 and the only thing I had put into my mouth at this point was a glass of orange juice.
We were starving.

I chose dinner at Lubys.  :)
I love Lubys but always get vetoed.
It  is hard to veto a chick in labor...
Me and all-folk-over-80 ate dinner at 4:00 pm today at Lubys.
Contractions slowed to about 3 minutes apart during our meal.

After dinner? (its difficult to call food that early in the day, dinner!) we had to make a decision...
home, back to the hospital, kill time in Fort Worth...

We went to Sams Club USA and I walked.
And walked.
And walked.
There my contractions moved back to 2 minutes apart.
But still not anything that I couldn't handle, pain-wise.

I wanted to go home.
Lance said that wasn't an option.

***
I finally decided to call our family-friend, Lori.
She was an L&D nurse forever, I kept her babies every year growing up, and she is who I admired to be when I decided that nursing was the path from me.
She is actually why I chose nursing.
I love her, and respect her opinion.

She talked to me a while, and thought this could really go either way.
Hospital or home... it was tough.
She thought the best option was to get a hotel in Fort Worth, get a warm bath, and wait-- since we live an hour from our hospital.
So we did.

Thanks to Dave, who put us up in the Marriot for the night,
2 minutes from my hospital.
We sit.

***
My contractions are still coming constantly...  some managable, some breath-taking.
(which is why it has taken me over 2 hours to type this thing)
but bigger than the pain from my contractions is my headache.
It is killer.
To the right side of my head.
and running down my neck on that side.

My mom has rubbed it for me...
and I took Tylenol (despite Lance trying to convince me not to, saying it might "mask my contractions"... seriously.)
This tiger is still rocking my world!

***
I am planning on laboring here in this room and showing up to my induction at 7:00...
but if it gets unbearable, we are minutes away.

I really do think this was the best option for us.

***
My girls have been on pins and needles, texting for updates constantly, and I love those chicks for their care and support.
I have also got texts, emails and FB posts from other friends, and every single one of them have given my heart joy.
I know we have a ton of people praying for us, and especially my team of prayer-warriors who I asked to join my team a week or so ago.

Despite the pain, I feel peaceful and blessed.

Stay tuned for further updates...
The next one should be the picture of a beautiful bouncing boy!