Done!

Yesterday we were sent to the doctor for me to be checked. I started having braxton hicks at 4:30 on Thursday afternoon. I've been having them since around the middle of the pregnancy, but when they started on Thursday they would not go away. Throughout the night they continue to hit, getting stronger and closer together. However, one thing I did learn from Isaac is that contractions get very, very painful! I started having cramping with the contractions around 3 in the morning. I went to work, since they were still going on, but they were not consistent and not really painful yet. Between 8 and 9 in the morning I had 6, so I called the nurse to find out what she thought I should do. They had me come in to the office. Between 10 and 1 they were coming between every 4 and 6 minutes. The doctor said I was not dilated at all, which means I was just having strong braxton hicks, not real contractions. They sure felt real! After taking a nap they slowed down. They are still strong when they hit, but they are not consistent anymore. The doctor said that if they get really painful or my water breaks, to come back. Otherwise, I go for my normal check up on Wednesday.

Sometime between sitting in the waiting room and sitting in the second waiting room yesterday I officially hit that point of "I'm done." Even Larry has started talking to Jared, encouraging him to make his appearance anytime now. (Of course, his reasons are slightly different from mine- he has to live with the crazy person that I have become!)

Here are some ways to know that you are truly done being pregnant:

You have to pee so often that you don't remember what it's like to NOT have to pee.

You stop caring about where you are when your water breaks. I walked around my classroom yesterday thinking, "Eh, these kids will get over it. Our custodian will just come in and clean up and I'll tell them, calmly, that it's time for Mrs. Summerlin to have a baby. They will be excited and slightly grossed out and confused, but they'll deal."

You want EVERYTHING organized. I've even moved my students' desks into rows. Last night I cleaned out our junk drawer in the kitchen. The entire time I was thinking, "I want everything out of this drawer. People should not need a junk drawer. It's ridiculous!"

You make sure that all of the bills for the next several weeks are paid in full.

You tell the grandparents to keep their cell phones by them at all times. And then you prank call them just to make sure they are ready for the real call.

You go from not being able to move and wanting to lay on the couch all day to considering becoming a marathon walker. Anything to get your body dilated.

Things you've never eaten before- eggplant, spicy foods- it all sounds good to you now because someone else you know went into labor after eating it. Bring it on.

Your "plan" that you had of when you wanted to have the baby is long gone. I didn't even want to be induced with Jared. Then I started measuring big and that plan went out the window. Then I wanted to have Jared the weekend that Thanksgiving break started. Now I want him on Halloween. I don't care when I would have to go back to work. What matters is that I wouldn't be pregnant anymore! (With Isaac I wanted him on July 4th. I was induced July 1 and I picked that date because it was the first available my doctor had. I didn't even have my regular doctor deliver me.)

Time is completely different. You count in minutes, not hours or days. Time revolves around the contractions.

You have nothing left to wear. And that makes you very angry.

Kind people that you like say things like, "You look great!" and you want to punch them and reply with, "Rachel McAdams looks great. I look like a freakin' sumo wrestler and walk like one, too! Now get outta my way, I have to find a bathroom!"

You know logically that you don't have much time. The doctor will help you get this baby out. You will not be pregnant forever. In fact, I've only got around 3 weeks left. But at this point, when you are done being pregnant, 3 weeks is forever. 3 days is forever. 30 minutes is really too long to still be pregnant!

You become very angry at your husband. Yes, I will admit, I threw hangers at him last night. He was saying something mean, I can't remember what because I'm pregnant, and I threw hangers at him. I tried to get Isaac to throw a hanger, but he just walked around with it and hit the walls. :)

Nothing else matters, nothing else goes through your head, except for the thought of, "When will I have this baby?"

Meanwhile the baby is settling down in the lowest possible parts of your stomach area. Content to be warm and cozy. No thoughts of coming out. Just thoughts of growing.

Seriously Eve, you had to eat that fruit?!