Progress

The report from the doc this week is "progress." As of Tuesday, I was 1.5 centimeters, 50% effaced, and the head was "further down than last week." So basically, she said she still wouldn't expect something in the next week or so, but we're making progress, and that's a good thing. One interesting thing that she said was that with 2nd babies they want us to call when the contractions are about 7-10 minutes apart, rather than 5 with the first, because things tend to move more quickly the 2nd time. Hopefully the hospital will honor that, too, since last time my contractions never got any closer than 5 minutes apart, and I was fully dialated and pushing with these 5 minute breaks in between. No textbook labor here, not that there is such a thing.

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I mentioned before that we are going to a different hospital this time because we are now on Brian's insurance as opposed to mine. We took the tour this week so we could figure out where to park and sign in, etc., and we were surprised to learn one annoying fact: no cell phones are allowed in the rooms, either labor and delivery or post-partum. They suggest bringing a calling card. Huh? At my previous hospital, we were allowed to use cell phones everywhere, and that's how we were in contact with everyone. Since we don't have a land line at all, I don't know anyone's phone numbers and I wouldn't even know where to buy a calling card. Maybe it's just me, but this seems a little...ancient. Those of you who have had babies recently, did you have this restriction?

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In case you noticed our "test" posting the other night, Brian learned a new trick that will hopefully come in handy when New Baby makes his arrival. Thanks to our friend Brett, Brian can now send a text from his cell phone that will post directly to this blog. That means that he will be able to send up-to-the-minute updates when it comes time for the arrival, so everyone can check here to see when we become parents of 2. Of course, now that we know the hospital policy, he'll have to go out to the waiting room to do it, so maybe it won't be as frequent as it would've been before.

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We're supposed to get another snow storm tomorrow. I don't think I could say it any better than Erin.

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Brian and I had a date night tonight, and just in the nick of time. I've been feeling all week as if I am this close to losing it. Just completely at my wits end, emotional, tired, uncomfortable, nervous...you name it, all those things you experience weeks before a new baby. But it's amazing what a night out can do for you. I still feel all of those things, but on a smaller, more manageable scale. Thanks to our friends Kate and Dave for their creative and generous shower gift that gave us a much needed break.