Getting Closer!

There is a mama bird who has made a nest on the top of our front porch light.  She hasn't left it for almost a week now, so I'm pretty sure that she's guarding some eggs.  After accidentally scaring her away the first time I realized she was there (and scaring myself in the process), I've been going out the garage door each morning and evening when I go for a walk. I've often wondered which of us would meet their baby (or babies) first.

I don't want to speak too soon, but I'm hoping that it will be me.  I'm pretty sure that I'm in the early stages of labor.

After putting Ella down tonight, I committed to bouncing on the exercise ball for an hour while my husband worked on a project.  Neither of us really want to go in to work tomorrow, so he agreed to help me try to get things started, one way or another. Ella, being the little night-owl that she is--came in around 8:45 to say that she had to go potty.  As I got off the ball, I also felt an odd sensation that I too had to go.  Either my water broke, or I just have very poor bladder control these days (I knew I should have done more Kagel exercises!).

I got her back to bed and started paying attention to my body.  I had been having Braxton Hicks contractions all afternoon, but they we inconsistent and totally painless (as they had been for the last month or so).  But sure enough, I started to (and currently continue to) feel something.  Just before 10:00, I sent a text to our friends who offered to watch Ella (who was indeed fast asleep by this point).  I figured that even though it's only the early stages of what I think (and hope and pray) is labor, it's also early enough in the evening that they would hopefully get a decent night of sleep if we brought her over now--even if it is a false alarm.  I was going to send just my husband, but couldn't really bear the thought of not kissing her goodbye.  So we took the five-minute trip down the freeway, calling my parents along the way to tell them where things stand.

Now we're home, and I'm waiting next to my contraction timer app while my husband sleeps.  The pain is definitely bearable (I'd like to think that I'm much more fit this time around and that somehow has something to do with the pain management), but I'm sure it will pick up in intensity.  It's just a matter of knowing when exactly we should make the 30-minute trip into town.  I do indeed think that this is truly it, but would be so disappointed and embarrassed if we head in there too soon.  And as much as I'd like to curl up next to my snoring husband and try to sleep, I worry that laying down might slow any progress.

And so for now, I bounce, and wait, and time, and pray, and look forward to having my life changed all over again.  I welcome all prayers as we look forward to all that comes next!

Today's blessing was the sweetest little sleepy smile from Ella when she woke up briefly as we were dropping her off.  Her confusion at being at her friend's house in the middle of the night turned to pure joy for an instant when we told her that she would get to meet her baby sister soon.  Oh, how I look forward to watching my first baby fall in love with the new baby!