pregnancy is SO MUCH FUN!

The last couple Sunday evenings I have been spending the night at my friend Tanya's house. I do this because her work schedule has changed and she needs daycare on Mondays. This way I can just wake up there rather than have to leave my house at 4:30 in the morning to get there before she needs to get to work.

Well last night I got there around 8:30. Hunter (her daughter) was already in bed and Tanya was heading to bed. So I took Ellie and we just headed upstairs to bed (we share a bed at T's). We read a few books, talked and sang a few songs. She eventually fell asleep and I followed about 10:45.

1:02 a.m. - up to pee

2:26 a.m. - up with very uncomfortable contractions. They are coming every 3-6 minutes. I am in pain. Something on the right side of my belly is causing a small circular area of my belly to really, really hurt. I sit, change positions drink water. Nothing helps. This continues on for over an hour.

3:38 a.m. - the pain is getting worse so I decide to go downstairs and get in the bathtub. I knew Tanya had to be up shortly to get ready for work so I woke her up first to check what time she had to get into the bathroom... 4:10 - so I told her I was going to sit in the tub for 10 minutes or so.

3:40 a.m. - texted Greg. He didn't wake up. I wasn't sure I really needed him up either so I just let it go. He was at home and I was sure that this wasn't the real thing at that point. And just like I'd thought... the bath helped. The contractions died down and became less severe.

4:15 a.m. - am out of the tub, back in my pj's and heading back to bed. Still uncomfortable but managed to fall asleep.

5:43 a.m. - YOU'VE GOT TO BE KIDDING ME... my lovely daughter wakes up. She tells me it's light outside and that means it's time to get up. SHAAAA-right Ellie. Lay down and go back to bed. We do (but take a potty break first).

6:50 a.m. - she's up again. This time I just lay there until my alarm goes off at 7.

7:10 a.m. - we're up. Hunter hears us and gets up. I am barely functional! Contractions are seriously exhausting. I give them breakfast. Then have to jump in the shower for my 9 a.m. dr appt.

8:15 a.m. - Greg shows up at T's with a Starbucks for me!!!!!!!!!!!! I LOVE HIM! Katie shows up at 8:30 to watch the girls and we're off to my appt.

Appt highlights:

blood draw for hemoglobin - 11.3 (normal)

bp - 96/60

strep B - results in a few days

ultra sound - baby's head is down

heartbeat - perfect

weight - up 5 lbs (yay!! it's about time)

cervical check - dilated to 1, cervix is very soft, she could feel the baby's head!!

sobbing - yes, yes I sobbed to Jana... wishing I could have the baby today... told her about the night before, my pain, the huge baby in me making things SO uncomfortable, the heartburn, the fatigue, the back pain, the hip pain, the perineal pain... I'll spare you the rest of the details... but all I got was a big "NOPE! No baby today Kris" I cried even harder then.

Jana told me I needed to get more rest and run around less. That the exhaustion was making me more emotional and weepy and that I needed to save up my energy and strength for the actual labor... that if I was this emotional and fatigued when it came time to the real thing I would not have the energy to get thru the contractions and pushing and I did not want to end up with a C-section. So yeah. Rest, rest, rest and start taking Tylenol PM. I'm going to give it a try... but it is so hard for me to ask someone to clean for me or take Ellie for me... I feel like some will think I'm just being lazy and taking advantage of my situation, ya know? Why is it so hard to ask for help?? She also suggested I ask my parents or sister to take Ellie overnight over these next few weeks. So I did ask that they do that once a week or so.

I just don't remember things being this hard with Ellie's pregnancy. I worked until 13 days before delivery. I never missed a day of work during that pregnancy. This time around I cannot imagine how much more tired I'd be if I had to go to work all day 5 days a week. For example this night I describe above... up for hours with contractions and peeing... then to get up at 5:45 to shower and get ready for work, get Ellie up and off to daycare, then go to work all day. Goodness that makes me tired just thinking about it and typing it.

A few more weeks. I can do this. I can do this.

If you need me in the next few weeks I'll be the one laying on the couch vegging out while my poor daughter is forced to watch every single movie in her collection... twice.