Okay, any time now would be good. Like now. Or in ten minutes. Or now. The midwife came yesterday and I’m 3cm dilated and 60% effaced. This is good in that something is going on and that I’m already done with the early phase of labor before I’ve actually gone into labor. On the other hand, I’ve waddled around at 3cm for a week before actually delivering with prior pregnancies. This is not especially comfortable (or remotely comfortable; actually, comfort doesn’t really figure into this scenario at all).

Last time I was 5cm for two days before I delivered. The midwife didn’t want to freak me out so she told me I was at three and I didn’t find out I was at 5 until I was actually in labor. She was probably right; I would almost certainly have freaked out and not let George leave the house (for all three of you people who are unfamiliar with labor terminology, you deliver when you are dilated to 10. Most people do not waddle around halfway done yet not actually in labor).

This morning while the big kids were in school, George and I took the little girls out to Clackamas Town Center and walked up and down the mall for an hour and a half in an effort to get labor going. Nope, not in labor yet! I’m starting to get a mite impatient….

On the other hand, this will give me a chance to take a nap this afternoon since I slept dreadfully last night. I had weird dreams all night about things like glow-in-the-dark mice, goat-bugs with detachable heads, and people who could turn us into sand if they touched us chasing me and George. This was when I actually got to sleep. Not overly restful!

The kids seem to be getting antsy too. You know how animals get weird right before an earthquake? That’s kind of what our house seems to be like. All five of them were psychotic yesterday and definitely on the weird side at church on Sunday. Happily, they seem a bit better today.

Trinity’s bizarro fever seems to have gone away. That was weird! She had a fever on Thursday, nothing on Friday, fever Saturday morning that was gone by the afternoon (which she spent rollerblading around the house), and was fine on Sunday and has been ever since. Anika, on the other hand, woke up both Monday and Tuesday saying she didn’t feel good but had no fever or any other symptoms other than “unspecified malady.” Being meanies, we sent her to school anyway and told Amy (her teacher) to call us if she deteriorated and we’d come get her. She improved throughout the day both days and was fine by the time she got home. What do you do with that? She took a nap yesterday afternoon. That’s what you do with that!

So to recap, the sickies are more or less gone again (or at least are in hiding) and I’M READY TO DELIVER NOW. I’ll keep you posted. Hopefully it will be tonight. Argh!

Rachel

Oh wow - I’ll be praying that you have the baby soon and that your labor is easy on you. Sounds like I’ll get to see your little guy (maybe) when we’re down there. Happy dilating!