In Labor

Well, for once in the past few weeks, things went according to plan. I am in the hospital in labor, hooked up to an IV and fetal monitors.

I spent yesterday madly doing laundry and some last-minute shopping with my mom getting ready for my Tues. evening appointment at the hospital. There is something unnerving about a set induction date: it is just strange to know that on this day you will walk into the hospital pregnant and come home no longer pregnant with a baby instead. Even though this is my fourth, there is still a feeling of nervousness and apprehension ("Will I be able to handle this?") and a little bit of awe and disbelief ("On this day a new person will come into the world... a new person that I will be trying to raise into a responsible adult.") And there are always last-minute issues- it's time to leave but Jackson is a wreck and doesn't want to eat, where is the camcorder?, etc. Despite last-minute craziness, we finally set off for the hospital last night.

Dave and I have a tradition of going out to dinner the night before I have a baby- the "last meal" before your life changes forever and you have to take a baby with you for months. =](Of course this tradition is much easier to do when you are induced with all of your babies.) We went out for a nice dinner, which helped to calm some of the nerves and stress of the day, before heading to the hospital.

I was at a 1 when we arrived at the hospital and had one dose of the cervix treatment last night, after which Dave and I watched part of a movie and dozed off. In the middle of the night the contractions started to get more regular, so they started me on pitocin. This morning I was at a 3, so they broke my water.

I'm plugging along with contractions, which are starting to get stronger and more uncomfortable, so I probably won't be blogging for too much longer... at least until I get an epidural.