crazy crazy

Today was yet another fun filled doctor's appointment. With no changes. I thought that after this weekend, there would be at least a little progress made. After all, on Saturday I thought I was going into labor that night!
After the baby shower, I came home and told Dan about the crazy lady at McDonalds. She apparently decided that she didn't want a Big Mac after all, and tried to back out of the drive thru. That would have been fine, but she didn't take into account the fact that I was in line behind her, and her actions led her to hit the corolla. But she did make a worried, nervous face, like she felt reeeaaallly bad when she saw me pull my big pregnant self out of the car to inspect damage. Everything was fine, and I felt ok, so I didn't think too much more of it, but Dan and I decided to go check it out and make sure Nate was still in tip top shape. He was. I was freaking out every time the monitor got louder, or quieter, or changed in any way, but the nurse said that it was actually a basically perfect strip. And that the hills were him moving, so it was a good thing; I was worried it meant that his heart was crazy irregular. So, everything checkout out ok, and we went on our merry way. But about an hour or two after we got home, I started contracting. At first it wasn't bad, but it progressed. And Dan came into our room to see if I was ok and was confused to see the various body contortions being employed to ease the discomfort I was feeling. When it got so bad that I was doubling over and crying every couple of minutes (neither of us has a watch, much less one with a second hand, so we weren't really timing anything) Dan put me back into the car and we sped off to the hospital again. As I said, we didn't have a watch, or any way to time the contractions, but as we were driving up the 101, I had one at McKellips that lasted most of the way to McDowell and another one that started about halfway between McDowell and Thomas. Dan did really great, reminding me to take deep breaths, and at one point, just to breathe at all, and talking about inane topics to take my mind off it. Since it was later in the evening, we had to go to the after hours entrance, and be buzzed in. And I swear, that's where I heard the most ridiculous question I've ever heard. "What can I do for you?" Lady, you are manning the after hours entrance to the birthing center. Exactly how many possible things could I want from you? Hmmmm, I'm not there to order a pizza, I'm not selling girl scout cookies at midnight on a Saturday night, I don't have a broken arm. I'm a woman 38 weeks pregnant who wants to come into the birthing center!!!! You can open the bleeping door...That's what you can do for me! The funny thing is that as we were waiting to be buzzed in, I had what was to be my last contraction of the night. So for the next couple hours, I sat there, exhausted, and listened to the baby's heartbeat again. And I could feel the nurse's judging eyes, knowing she was thinking that I'm just another woman who cries "labor" for the attention. The worst part is that I was STILL only a 1+, but I did find out that I'm 50% effaced, and that Nate is at a -3 position (+5 is crowning I know, and 0 is at the entrance to the birth canal, I think). So, at 3:30 am we made our way home and I slept in all day long, so I missed conference.
And while I'm on the subject, can I make a confession. I feel like I can tell you, because you'll understand, and won't judge me. And even if you do, oh well. At least I won't have to see your judging eyes like that nurse. I just have to say, it is a challenge to sit attentively through General Conference. I know that the talks are good and the messages and topics are pertinent to our lives, my life, right now. But I find it's soooooo easy to let my attention wander. And Mom, if you're reading this, skip ahead a bit, ok? ....................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................... ok, here's my biggest, dirty secret about Conference. If I know that I haven't been paying as much attention as I should have been, I will listen to the last talk like someone's got a gun to my head, and when I talk to my mil, and she asks, I will tell her that was my favorite talk. And I'll quote a line or two from it and say how amazing it was. Because I know she'll ask, and I don't want to ever admit that I was playing pinball on the computer and not paying attention. Though that method does have the potential to get me into trouble, especially if the speaker is talking about something like senior missionary work, or the importance of personal worthiness of Priesthood holders. ....................................................................................................................... ok, Mom, you can come back now! So, I missed Sundays sessions (I actually woke up and reminded Dan that the afternoon session started in 10 min, then fell back asleep again) but I'm going to get them online and I will watch them. Really.
Anyway, back to today. Dr. Hunt said that everything is all still the same. Third week in a row! But, since Nate is such a big boy (I've been selling him short actually, he's in the 96th percentile for his weight, not the 94th like I've been saying) she likes to induce in the 39th week. I really like Dr. Hunt. Because she says what she usually does, or what she recommends, then asks what I want to do. She left it up to me and Dan, and we decided to schedule the induction for next Tuesday. So, by next Tuesday (if not sooner) we'll have our giant little baby. Now I've just got to go exchange all his clothes for something a little bigger, like maybe 3T so he'll fit them. I kid. Actually I joke a lot, but his large size is starting to scare me. The nurse on Saturday was feeling my stomach and seemed surprised to find all baby, and very little squishy, fluid-filled pockets, and declared "he's a big boy all right" in response to Dan's question about his size. And, even though a lot of women's weight gain slows down or even stops in the last few weeks, I'm still gaining about 2 pounds a week. And the average baby gains a half pound per week in the last month. Well, Nate didn't get into the 96th percentile by gaining weight at an average rate. And about 4 weeks ago he was 6lbs, 15oz. Dan thinks he's going to be close to 10lbs. And every time he says that, I cry a little.