On Saturday the 8th at 8 AM, the morning after writing my last post about wanting my water to break so I know it was time, it happened.... or so I thought.
I got up from sitting down and lo and behold, amniotic fluid!
It wasn't a ton, probably a 1/2 cup worth, but it was something to get excited about!
Oh the excitement!
I called the midwife and told her that there was clear amniotic fluid and some bloody show but that there was not real labor......yet.
It was just the sign that I had been waiting for so I would know when the time had arrived!
Yahooee!
I started calculating in my head what time the baby might be born.
If it went like Anna's birth the baby would be here around 3 o'clock that afternoon!
On Dallin's schedule, whom took 40 hours after my water broke, the baby would be here by Sunday night.
It was interesting how a friend Cassandra called at 9 a.m. and asked how things were and to ask another question. I mentioned that my fluid was leaking and that I was anticipating the beginning of labor. It was nice at that time to hear of hear sister going to the mall and walking around while waiting for things to begin. She also mentioned that sometimes, the bag leaks then seals itself back up. That was something I hadn't realized or remembered, but I was pretty sure that wouldn't be the case for me.
Luckily, I had work to do and a full day ahead to distract me from early labor!
Also, that strange nesting desire to have a clean house for a new baby whom could care less whether the floor had been mopped overcame me.
I busied myself once again!
First the kid's bathroom, then sweeping and picking up the house.
By 10:30 it came time for our families assignment to clean the church.
With a tiny bit of hesitance and a hand towel between my legs "just in case" there was a loss of additional fluid, we proceeded to the church where I tidied the kitchen, scrubbed the door jams with vigor and methodically wiped chalk boards clean.
I even almost stuck to my plan not tell anyone there what I thought might be happening soon.
While working till 12:30 mild contractions continued and I kept wondering when it would be time for the "real" ones. Since nothing was happening and the "just in case towel" was completely dry (to my surprise), we proceeded with our plans for the day. To console myself I thought back to Dallin's birth and reminded myself that it might take a while for things to pick up.
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| Justin is on the far left....you know, the cute kid witht the confused look in his eyes? |
We headed over to the rec. center where we got to
watch Justin in his first ever basketball game.
It was comical to say they least. It will be even more interesting when he figures out that the goal is to stop the other team from making baskets and passes the ball to people on his own team!
He sure had fun though, and he and his team even started figuring some things out by the end of the game.
After the game and some fun at the nearby park and of course, some "last" pregnant pictures, we headed over to Trader Joe's to stock the cupboards one last time before the anticipated arrival.
I even got the usual stares and the, "looks like it could happen at any minute" stares.
Next we went to Cafe Rio for a filling meal to give me energy for the upcoming event.
{It was delicious of course.}
By 6:30 we were headed home where I could continue nesting and I could put the family to work with the anticipation of watching a movie together!
For the next 2 hours or more we did dishes, mopped the floor, scoured the sink with the beloved Mr. Clean sponge and cleaned out the fridge and the pantry so groceries could be put into an organized space, free of decomposing radishes that we hadn't consumed from out bountiful basket many weeks before.{These tasks were definitely something the baby would appreciate having done, right?} And boy were those contractions getting going from all of the work!
It was a lovely, productive evening, full of many wonderful yet inconsistent contractions, a sparkling kitchen and clean toilets.
Next, we sat down to watch a movie together.
It was very funny to me, but a documentary on "Absolute Zero" by Nova was the consensus. There I was, waiting for real labor to happen while watching some kooky scientist get REALLY excited about cold stuff. It was way over my head but I think the kids liked it though to my surprise. It was fine though. I just watched here and there, all the while imagining the upcoming birth and waiting for consistent contractions to begin. I'd even time them and try to discover a pattern, but a pattern never came. Pre-labor contractions during this pregnancy are not new to me, but I waited for the ones that I know are needed to move a baby out.
By 11:00 we headed to bed when I thought for sure "it" would start sometime during the wee hours of the morning. We determined that since the baby wasn't born yet that Sunday would be the day.
When I woke up the next morning and nothing had happened it was obvious that Sunday wasn't the day.
Finally after reading "The Birth Book" I admitted to myself that my bag had not ruptured.....
For a few seconds I even wondered if maybe I had been hallucinating and had peed myself without realizing it. That's highly unlikely, but who said I am totally rational anyways!?
I'm pretty dang sure it was the sack leaking which had sealed itself up shortly after it had let out the fluid and that as long as fluid no longer leaked and the bag was sealed, I should just carry on as I have been. Fooey!
It was yet again, another something I hadn't experienced while pregnant that fooled me even more royally than the previous trick.
AND I got to go to church, still pregnant, "expired" so to speak with a few folks having spread the news that i had "leaked" morphed into the fact that my water had "broken." Oh boy.
Not only did the contractions never progress, the midwife's assistant came to my home and confirmed with a test by Sunday afternoon that there was none of the aforementioned fluid leaking from my body like it had done briefly that Saturday morning.
I have been foiled...again!
In my womb I carry the ultimate prankster and I am the ultimate sucker.
At least my kitchen is really organized and clean! And It was nice to hear that I'm almost completely effaced.
So here I am: still pregnant, still "patiently" waiting.
So is Anna as I was reminded with her comment this morning, "Mom, this baby sure is taking a long time!"
