Patience

Dear Elliot,
So I'm always talking about all the things your sister taught me. Stuff about love, compassion, etc etc. Well you, my son, are currently teaching me a lot about patience! I am not a patient person by nature. I'm like the opposite actually. I hate waiting for anything, especially things I really, really want. And I've never wanted anything as badly as I want you.

My body's been just teasing me since my last update. On Friday night, I started having contractions that were coming at what I thought was every 3-5 minutes or so. My doctor had told me earlier that day, after stripping my membranes, to head to L&D if they were 7-10 minutes apart, since I was already 4cm dialated and it could go fast once it began. So we went to the hospital, where the monitor actually showed my contractions were 2-4 minutes apart. They weren't very uncomfortable or intense, however, so they had me walk around the hospital for an hour and come back to be re-checked. I hadn't made any progress after an hour of walking, so they sent me home.

All weekend I continued to have contractions that never really picked up in strength. Every now and then I'd get a pretty painful one, but they weren't coming regularly.

Grandma (my mom) came over on Saturday and helped me clean the house (and by 'helped me' I mean she insisted on doing pretty much everything herself to save me from 'inhaling too much dust' and things like that!). That afternoon I had some 'bloody show' (I don't know what's grosser--that word combo or 'mucus plug!'), and I was sure that meant real labor had to be just around the corner.

Welp, I was wrong. By Sunday afternoon, my contractions had all but disappeared. They came back that night, but were pretty much gone by Monday morning.

Yesterday I had my last ultrasound and NST. Everyone at my doctor's office was like, 'oh we thought for sure you would have delivered by now!' when I walked in the door.

Last night I had the most uncomfortable contractions and cramps I've experienced yet. But again this morning? Nada. Maybe I will be one of those people that is already like 7cm dialated by the time they  they are actually in active labor :)

I've tried everything they say to try to get labor started. But I guess you are just not quite ready yet. At least I am going to end up with buns and legs of steel from all the walking, squatting, dancing, and bouncing on my birth ball I have been doing!

I'm trying to be patient, baby boy. But this whole experience is really stretching me (pun not intended, haha). I've basically been waiting for a baby since December of 2009, when I found out I was pregnant with Stevie. You'd think after over two years, getting through these last few days would be easy. I'm just so freaking ready to be done with the waiting!

Just come on out little E. I promise you're really going to enjoy it out here. You have no idea how very loved you are, by so many people.

XOXO,
Mom