It all started a year ago today....

One year ago today, Nov. 16th, 2009 I wrote:

Still here, still pregnant. 39 weeks, 3 days.... but on Friday I had progressed from a fingertip (1/2 cm on Monday) to ONE FULL CENTIMETER. wahoo. (sarcasm, people -I could stay that way for weeks). We'll see if all the old wives' tales of Mexican food, eggplant, sex, pineapple, walking and yardwork did anything at today's appointment.

I know I'm not overdue, and she really could just be cozy in there until Dec. 2. I just don't want to wait to meet her! As scared, nervous and anxious as we are, we are just ready. I think we both hit that point this weekend... we want her to be here so badly, to hold her, to kiss her, to smell her and to just stare at her. We are already so in love with this baby we've never met --- and we just want her to be here already! So, fingers crossed for more progress today...

This was before noon. (For some reason the time on this blog is screwed up and I have no idea what timezone it shoes up in) I wrote this in the morning, went out to lunch at noon, got a pedicure, came back to work, and at 2:30 pm, my water broke. Yes, at work. It was just about as awesome as you might expect.

I ran (ok, I waddled this weird, hoppy, twisty kind of wobbly walk/run. I'm sure I looked graceful and awesome) to the private single bathroom in the hallway instead of the main one with several stalls, and just sat there. I was freaking out and super excited and nervous and elated and scared and ready all at the same time. I wrapped up with TP and paper towels as good as I could, waddled back to the office and I called my OB first (sorry, C), and told the nurse. I had just been there on Friday, and they told me it could be a while, so they were just as surprised as I was. I said I was at work, but could drive myself. They said they'd rather have someone drive me.

So I walked into my dad's office...

My water just broke.

WHAT? (Simultaneous panic and giant grin spread across his face)

My water just broke, Dad. I'm going to call Chris and then it's time to go. Can you drive me? They won't let me drive myself. We just have to go to the doctor's office, not the hospital.

I went back to my desk and started straightening up, shutting down my computer, and dialing the phone.  We had a code word that I had been waiting to use - Guatemala. I have no idea why, but that's what it was. If he wasn't at his desk, I was to have him paged and somehow incorporate that word. Luckily he answered.

Babe, you want to go to Guatemala? I was thinking we should go to Guatemala on vacation.

Shut up. Are you fucking kidding me? (we are so classy.)

No, I'm not fucking kidding you. My water just broke! (she says, at work, in a cubicle, with her dad now standing 3 feet away....again, classy lady here.) It's time to go. Dad is going to drive me to Dr. B's office -can you meet us there?

Yes. I'm leaving now. Oh my God. Really?

Yes, honey. We're going to go now, I'll talk to you soon.

And we hung up. Dad got his stuff ready to go and came back over to me. He had *just* bought a car the Friday before (this was Monday -  so his car was a whopping 3 days old) and he, ever so eloquent and tactful says:

What are you going to sit on?

I have paper towels and a reusable canvas shopping bag. Your poor car, Dad. Really? That's what you're thinking about?!

We still have a good laugh about it to this day. Hysterical!

Down we went to his car, and up we drove to the doctor's office. They got me right in (I was soaked at this point. So comfortable), weighed me, and got me into a room. Dad waited in the waiting room for Chris to arrive, and all the while I could hear him talking to whoever was out there that his daughter was in labor and he was about to meet his first grandchild. He's a talker. When he's nervous he talks - and he was giddy as a school girl.

C finally got there (I guess there was NO parking - of course) and we exchanged a big smile, a huge hug, and a nervous 'holy shit' look. The doc came in, did the litmus test, confirmed that it was in fact my water (gee, thanks for the vote of confidence...but considering I had just been in on Friday with what I *thought* was a waterbreak, I guess I could have been wrong this time. But I knew I wasn't. There was no denying or mistaking what was going on). I was still leaking, but I had to have an NST, a non-stress test to make sure the baby's heartbeat was ok during contractions. Turned out I wasn't contracting that much - or they weren't very strong, anyways.

So, together with the doctor, we made the decision to go home, see how much I could progress on my own, shower, eat dinner, and call her about 8pm.

We went home and I called my mom and asked her to bring over Classico 4 cheese sauce and shady brook farms turkey meatballs. I wanted my 'last meal' to be pasta. How I-Ti of me. We took a picture right before we walked out the door to leave to capture the moment - our excitement, fear, my belly... I don't have access to it right now, but I will post it when I can.

Shower, cleaning & food later, I still wasn't really contracting. Doc said come in, we'll do a dose of something that should get things started. I thought I could labor at home a little longer, but the risk of infection goes up after the water breaks, so in we went. What an exhilarating and scary car ride that was. We parked, went into the ER entrance since it was so late (around 9 or so), and they brought us upstairs to the 3rd floor maternity wing. I refused the wheel chair at first, but C talked some sense into me.  In the ER, we saw my dad's cousin. Totally random. I have no idea what she was doing there.

I was admitted, checked out, and Dr. B came by a short time later to say hi. Nothing else really happened that night..... So that was my Monday, November 16, 2009.

Don't panic..and I have a genius baby.

First - Seriously, I have the smartest, cutest kid in the world. I know every parent thinks that, but sorry, suckers. Alexandra wins. All the sudden, she points, claps, looks for Jethro everywhere and says Duh Do - clearly a genius, already either saying Jethro or Doggie. Just because we don't know exactly what it is that she's saying doesn't mean she is not advanced and special. Plus all you have to say is clap, and she claps. Ask her how the doggie breathes, and she pants. Genius, I tell ya.  And I'm not biased at all.

Now if she can learn to sleep...that would be miraculous. Last night she woke up at 2 and decided that was it. If this friggin tooth doesn't come through soon I'm going to lose my mind. She screamed, ate 10 oz of formula, kicked, writhed in pain, pooped, screamed some more, ate 4 more oz and FINALLY fell asleep again at about 5:30am. Unreal.

I'm really productive today, I swear.

As for the don't panic. I hate medical tests. Hate them. People want instant gratification in answers, not a "we'll do this next test, then see how that comes out, then the next test after that, then. then. then. Medical science needs to catch up. That is all.

Houston, we have a walker!

I can't even believe I'm writing this, but A WALKED last night. Not one step and boom, not holding on to anything...but all by herself, from the dog's chair to me in the middle of the room like 5 steps and into my arms! Insta-tears from both C and I - SO proud. 10.5 months and she walks. Insanity. I *HAVE* to get a video of it, it was so friggin cute.

In other my baby is too cute for words news, she went to her first Durham Fair, her hair is long enough for pony- and pig-tails, she had her first school pictures yesterday and looked adorable, she slept for 11 hours last night, and we had her follow-up at the ENT on Monday and her ears are perfect - tubes in the right place, no infection even though she has a cold.... we are good to go!

Baby doll is growing up, and WAY too quickly for my liking!