1 CM Dilated, and 8 more to go...

On Thursday I found out I'm 1 CM dilated and 90% effaced. The midwife advised us to be prepared for this weekend. The baby is on its way. That night we packed our bags with all the essentials needed to keep us comfortable, prepared, and entertained with everything from fresh clothing and nursing pads to healthy snacks and The Happiest Baby on the Block.

Every new parent should check this out...

Well, it's Saturday. The weekend is here. Baby? Nope ... we're just being patient. I kind of wish our midwife wouldn't have told us to get prepared for the weekend because now I'm constantly wondering... however, the fact that I am dilating and opening up makes me really happy.

I'm ready, but also know that the baby has to be ready before anything will happen. One side of my brain is anxious, but the other side is patient. It makes me say things to the baby like, "Baby! Aren't you ready to see us??" and "Baby, I trust you'll come when you're ready".

I'm opening up w/out contracting. Is this normal? I've never even experienced Braxton Hicks. Maybe the baby will just slide out... or swim its way out the birth canal. Maybe I'll be one of the lucky ones who feel "no pain". Yea...

To Whine, or not to wine...

Wait, wait, wait... oh, and wait.

I don't feel any different today than I did last week. While relaxing in bed last night I started to visualize myself going into labor. I kept telling myself, "water- you can break now".

I really don't want to go too far past my due date. The closer I get to that DUE DATE the more I want the contractions to start... and I want them to start on their own. If I am 2 weeks past that date they will start to induce me, which means poking and drugs and membrane stripping and not what I want.

Inducing Labor

Not only do I NOT want to be induced, but I also don't want to push a 10 pound baby out the birth canal. It can be done-- my mother did it, but I don't want to relive that history. Scares me. So basically, the baby should come today.

Is there a Baby Dance I can do to get things going? Can I start pushing now?

1 Week From Today

And the clock ticks twice as fast. I'm due in 7 days. I've been pregnant for 273 days. I haven't had a sip of alcohol since August 24th, 2007. And I have been slowly wanting my body back for 21 days. I'm ready. The baby's room is ready. The house is ready. The baby shower is finished. The belly cast is finished. The classes are finished. Come on out now little one. Mommy and daddy are finished waiting.

Baby Blessing...

Yesterday we created a cast of my belly! It was so much fun, and the cast turned out really nice. Here are a few pictures:














Thank you all who were there to help... couldn't have done it without you!

NEW HOUSE... IMAGES #1

The house is almost complete... the baby's room has a few more days of work, but we're almost there. Oh, right... we moved in the last month. Jacob is amazing and did most of the work himself. Julia was his little worker bee, and the two of them moved our entire house. I helped... but not as much as I wanted. They wouldn't let me lift anything over 20 pounds.

LIVING ROOM:
DINING ROOM:
KITCHEN:
BEDROOM:
BEDROOM:

NEW HOUSE... IMAGES #2

NEW HOUSE CON'T...

BEDROOM LOOKING INTO KITCHEN:
BEDROOM WITH PANELS DRAWN:
LOOKING INTO BABY'S ROOM (ACCENT LIGHTING AND FINISHING DETAILS STILL NEEDED):
THINGS THAT STILL NEED ORGANIZING:

38 Weeks

NAPPING:

IN THE GARDEN:


Just a short update: Only 2 more weeks! ...and now we wait.