The EDD arrives...and passes

First off I'd like to acknowledge the fact that I've slacked off in the blogging department, I know. Honestly I don't know how time flew by so fast. The end of the school year always has made me crazy busy and that paired with getting ready for Sebastian, and my hard drive crashing contributed to my blog fail. But, here I am and I'll try to catch people up in a timely manner.

Work

Well, the school year is over and so is my time at JSS, possibly even my teaching career as I'm not sure I will go back to teaching. I was so sad to have to leave and am still feeling really bitter over my layoff. My principal never made any reference to me leaving at the end which pissed me off but I figure she was just covering for her guilt.

I had to tell the 4th graders I wasn't coming back during move up day. Some of them knew I wasn't coming back but assumed it was because of the baby. I decided to tell them the truth because I think it's important that the school families know that it wasn't my decision. They were pretty disappointed, mainly because some of them had been waiting for me to be their teacher for many years. I would have taught them in second grade but I was moved to fifth grade that year.

Then I had to tell my class and damn those pregnancy hormones, I cried. It didn't help that I had some of my students cry as well. One of the girls wouldn't stop she was so upset. That sort of thing just breaks your heart.

Anyway, I have most of my stuff packed up and waiting for me to give birth and Alex to break down the garage office so we can store the boxes before our big move.

Moving

We are moving to Canada. When exactly, I'm not sure. I'm guessing around the end of August. Alex will be driving our stuff in a U-Haul across the country and Sebastian and I will follow by plane.

Moving is scary and makes me extremely sad. I've never lived anywhere else and don't know anything else. The thought of leaving my mother and my grandmother is...well...I can't even describe the feelings. My mom is trying to take the news the best she can but I know the thought of me being so far away is terrible for both of them. In all honesty, I think we are in denial that it will be happening soon.

What can I do though, you know? I need to go where my family leads and I'm not going to leave my husband in order to continue struggling here.

Baby

Sadly, my hard drive crashed so bad it took all of my pics with it :( So I can't update with a lot of pics. I will need o take a 40w belly pic tomorrow and I'll post that later.

I can't believe I have arrived at my due date. First off I can't believe it because everybody and their brother thought I would go early. Secondly, I can't believe it because this pregnancy has gone so fast. I never felt the time drag. Well, let me take that back. Waiting for labor is dragging, but more on that in a second.

Alex and I completed our Bradley childbirth classes a couple weeks ago. It was worth every penny and every hour. Our instructor, Sarah, was fantastic. We learned so much from her. Alex especially loved the classes. He has said that he didn't truly feel involved in the births of his older kids. He was just sort of there in the background. He feels that this time will be different, and he feels great knowing that I will be depending on him.

I feel great about his involvement too as he really has been so supportive through the classes and through all of my doctor appointments, doing the lion's share of the housework so I can be busy "growing a baby". He's really excited now and can't wait to meet his little boy.

Our appointments have gone well. I passed the GBS test, something I was freaked out about because IVs bother me so bad I would practically gnaw my arm off if I had one in. I followed my midwives' and our Bradley instructors advice to try and combat the GBS test. They encouraged me to take probiotics, vitamin c, and echinacea. I don't know if it worked but I do know that I passed. No IV or heplock for me. Woot!

That same appointment I had my first internal. Originally I was going to wave internals but curiosity got the best of me and I've had one ever since. A girl has got to know...

So my stats are as follows:

37w: 1cm dilated, 70% effaced, 0 station
38w: 1.5 cm dilated, 80% effaced, 0 station
39w: no change
40w: 3 cm dilated, 80% effaced, 0 station

I ended up losing my mucus plug twice. Twice people! Way to fake a girl out. The first time was a few days after my first internal and the second was at 39w2d after Alex and I went geocaching.

Yes, I went geocaching 9 months pregnant but I was bound and determined to get things going. I actually was able to log a FTF (First to Find) which is pretty awesome.

I've tried almost every natural induction method on the books, save for castor oil. There is no way I'm doing that. I've taken EPO since 36w, drank red raspberry leaf tea, walked tons, had sex (ouch!), ate pineapple, ate supper spicy food, bounced on my birthing ball, and had a foot massage.

Nothing has seemed to work except for my membranes being swept and walking. Those things have caused me to have mild contractions that are timeable for about an hour or so, occurring every six minutes but then they stop right when I start to think they might turn into something. It's such a huge fake-out and so disappointing and frustrating.

The only good thing I can say for the contractions is that they obviously are doing a little bit of something since I went from 1.5 to 3cm in a week. I also have had some bloody show two days in a row. Leora, one of my midwives says that it's a really good thing because some women go into labor with absolutely no dilation and I know she's right. Getting to 3 or 4cm in a fairly painless way is good and I need to be thankful for that.

Anyway, that's where I am currently. No Canada Day baby for me. Come on out Sebastian, we are ready for you!