Don't get me wrong...

This was last night. Mom and Dad were over, we had just finished dinner at Andy's Pizza, and I was starting to have contractions every 4-7 minutes. My doctor informed me at my last appointment to go straight to Labor & Delivery if I was having them 5 minutes apart for a half hour - no matter what. Even if I thought I'd just be sent back home. I kind of had a feeling I would be (sent back home, that is), but we went anyway. Doctor's orders. My parents took Tiegan home with them for a sleepover, which I'm sure she was excited about. I ended up being monitored for about an hour, if that, and was sent home. Still dilated to 2cm, about 50% effaced - same as 2 weeks ago. Of course that's according to the same nurse that checked me last time - the one with very tiny, very arthritic hands. I have a feeling if someone else had checked, they might say different.

Oh well - I'm done being negative. I realize the last few posts have been kind of whiny, as if I'm going to be pregnant forever. It's to be expected I suppose. I've been contracting hardcore for 2 weeks and haven't seen any progress. The farthest apart my contractions have been is maybe an hour, if I'm lucky. In fact, they are more frequent at night. Bye bye, sleep! I consider it good practice for being up all night with a newborn. ;)

I'm actually very excited for this new phase in our lives. I can't wait to adjust to being a family of 4. I know it's going to be a lot of hard work. A lot of frustration. But soooo worth it.

I got to thinking about how difficult it was going to be for me - going from 3 1/2 years ago, never thinking I'd ever have children (and not really enjoying the company of other peoples' children)... to being a mother of 2. Once I finally got used to being a mother of 1, I thought that was it. I loved things the way they were and didn't really want them to change. Probably because life was just starting to get easier again.

But then, I imagined Tiegan growing up as an only child. Alone. I knew she'd probably have tons of friends, but our home just didn't seem complete. There is plenty of love between the 3 of us, but it seems like there could be so much more. I'm so excited to be giving her a playmate, a pal, someone to relate to. We are such a close family that I'm sure they will grow up loving and appreciating each other. I see future family get-togethers and holidays with 4 of us instead of 3, and everything just feels so much warmer and happier. More full. In a good way.

I'm done being impatient. I'm so full of happiness that anyone still reading this is probably nauseated by now.