One last update, and then I am not reporting anything until it's the real deal

Okay...so let me tell you about my day yesterday. It was a long one.

On Friday, starting about 11 am, in Target, I began to have regular contractions--you know, 5-10 minutes apart, 1 minute long, etc. etc. They weren't super uncomfortable or anything, so I just continued on with my day, praying that they wouldn't stop. I was in Target for a while, and I still had to go to Publix and Kroger and even CVS. And the contractions continued. At 4:00 ish, I finally finished all of my grocery shopping, and I started some cleaning projects around the house. Again, I was scared to stop for fear the contractions would stop, and they were becoming more uncomfortable. I was having to stop every once in a while, catch my breath, etc. etc. So... Scott and I went to Chili's as planned, and the contractions were less intense, but they never stopped all during dinner. In fact, I couldn't really enjoy my dinner because I was thinking about the contractions.

So...after dinner we had to go back to Target, and at this point, the contractions started to intensify. Walking across the store seemed impossible. So...we finished up there, ran one more errand at Publix and headed home. I was fairly uncomfortable at this point and tired, so I decided to go to bed early, thinking I might need my rest later. Sure enough, at midnight, I woke up again, the contractions stronger than they had been. I went downstairs, and Scott and I began to time them. They were coming very regularly, so I called the doctor, and we decided to get ready to go to the hospital just in case. I took a shower, got my stuff together, and then I decided to lie back down just to make sure they were the real thing. As soon we lay down, Scott was falling asleep, but the contractions started getting worse, so I told Scott I thought it was time. We loaded up and headed up I-75.

So...we check into the hospital, they check me, and I am only 1 1/2 centimeters. DISCOURAGEMENT!! But, naturally, I think, alright, pack it up, we're headed back home. Well, the nurse goes to talk to the doctor, and they decide to keep me for observation because Ada was rather quick to arrive for a first pregnancy. Lying down at the hospital, however, my contractions came to an abrupt stop. I walked for a couple of hours, hoping to get things going again, and the nurse told me that the doctor would be in to see me at 7 am. (This was at 5ish, I think). This story is a long one, so I will make it quick--we did not see a doctor until 10 am--going on 7 hours after we got to the hospital. This was after my nurse talked me into an induction. I didn't want to be induced because I didn't think my body was ready, the nurse told me all these great reasons why I was a prime candidate for induction, I called my mom and Ann, discussed it with Scott, discussed it with the nurse, and we decided that I would go ahead with the induction, and everyone prepared to make their way to ATL for John's birth. I was praying a lot and nervous about how things would go, but the nurse was very convincing. And every time I said, "let's just wait to hear what the doctor says," she would reply, "I know what the doctor is going to say." WRONG--7 hours after I got there, a midwife comes in (a mistake on their part because I am supposed to see doctors) and tells me they are sending me home. You can imagine that I was a bit emotional at this point. I am still confused about why they didn't send me home as soon as they checked me and saw that I was only 1.5 centimeters. But, no, 7 hours later, after no sleep, we headed back to the house. I was emotionally and physically exhausted, and I was (and am) convinced that John has decided to permanently make his home in my womb.

So...I am changing my thinking. They will not let me go 10 days beyond my due date, so we know that this baby will be here by February 20th. Until then, I am getting my mind on other things. Emotionally, I can't take the waiting. I think I thought that he would come around the same time as Ada, as did the doctors, but now, I have decided it will be a while.

In fact, mom and Sarah are headed back home, and only when I am overcome with so much pain that I can not stand it, or my water breaks, will I head back to the hospital. For the time being we are carrying on with life as normal, and I am going to try to blog about things other than this pregnancy.

And that is what is going on with us.

(p.s. the doctor did give me some ambien--the same thing they gave me when I was pregnant with Ada--and I got a wonderful night's sleep as a result)