3:30 am - finally started timing contractions. Since 3:04 have been about 5 min apart. Matthew has gotten dressed and is running on adrenaline. I've texted M & T and Mom and Dad. My guess is that no one has seen the txts though. I will probably call the midwives soon to see what they think. It is a tricky balance between too early and too late since I need the antibiotics. My bloody show has gone from brown to pink. I just ate a pancake and some cheese b/c I was hungry too. Both boys have been pottied so they'll be ready to go when we make the final call.

1:40 am - been contracting since about 11 or so. I vacuumed the floor and did the dishes. I discovered that moving through them is really helpful for tolerating them. I laid down in bed about 12:30 and then they seem to come in quicker intervals. It is all cervix so some of them have been really sharp. I didn't think that much time had passed, but was surprised to see it was 1:30 when I looked at the clock. I decided to go to the bathroom and make sure I stay hydrated. I even feel a bit hungry. More obvious bloody show/plug came out.

Now that I am not laying down the pains aren't as sharp. It may be a long night. My biggest concern is timing for getting the boys to where they need to be and me to the hospital. It is still too early to take them, but I wonder if I should even put M & T on notice.

6:40 pm - just went to the bathroom and I think I have lost a good part of my plug. Still not a lot of contractions, but just an overall feeling of crampiness,

I am excited!! This baby is going to come this week!!

The other night I slept poorly b/c I was feeling crampy all night. I think that was Thurs or Friday.

Friday night I walked and walked b/c I didn't want to stop but finally had to after 45 minutes b/c I had to go to the bathroom. It took about 30 minutes before I had my first contraction. That night I started feeling more pressure on my cervix from the baby's movements, but I am pretty sure he still hasn't changed position. I am resigning myself to the fact I may have a back labor kind of experience though I will continue to try and get him to flip over. I am really hoping that he'll move in labor if he doesn't before then.

Yesterday Aaron and I spent about 2 hours walking around the Tracy Aviary. I felt pretty good afterwards, but I was tired by 10:30. This morning I got up to potty around 4 and when I got back in bed I started having contractions. They weren't close together but they were through my back and baby would get really active. I decided to try going hands and knees through them and while he was active to see if it would make a difference. I couldn't really tell. Finally about 7 I fell back into a restful sleep. When I got up at 9 to shower and get ready for church I had my first sign of bloody show!! WOOHOO!! I think the discomfort this morning was actually productive! I've been seeing cm, but it has been clear. This was just a little bit brown. It certainly wasn't my plug in its entirety, but my guess is that if I hadn't been dilating before I am a little bit now.

I can feel I am getting closer. This morning I feel crampy though no actual contractions. Yesterday I put our bags in the car just in case something happened while we were on our outing. I need to grab some essentials, but the bags are pretty much ready. We'll see what happens as the day progresses.

Matthew came home from work today with the news that he may be deployed to Kuwait next month for a year.

We've been going on a walk in the evenings every day now since Thurs or Friday. It is nice to be active again. Matthew is really hoping it kicks me into labor b/c he's tired of going to work. I do end up with some contractions in the process, but nothing big. Sunday I was having a lot of the menstrual type cramping and thought maybe it would turn into labor by the middle of the night but once I laid down my body calmed down. I think I may have woken up this morning from a contraction but once I got up and went to the bathroom I went back to sleep with no problem.

Yesterday I woke up about 6:30 and couldn't go back to sleep so I got up and showered then worked around the house for the rest of the morning. It was nice that Jared was up too so we were able to hit a 10:30 showing of Rio 2. We actually had a decent schedule kind of day. We were able to have dinner about 6 and then headed up to Sugarhouse for Yogurtland and a trip to Liberty Park. I didn't do as much walking as we have been b/c the boys spent a bit of time on the playground. By the time we were headed to the car my body decided it was contraction time but they petered out by the end of the evening.

I realized as I was getting ready for bed I couldn't remember the last time Baby had moved. This morning he is kicking me in my left ribs and has hiccups so I think he is ok in there. I think I was just busy and didn't notice his movement - plus the contractions kind of overshadow him.

Tomorrow is my dr's appt. I plan on calling someone from church to see if she can watch the boys for me in case the midwife wants to do a check. I am kind of curious myself if I am dialated and by how much.

I think my body is gearing up. I've had more contractions today than I have the past week - not to say that is even very many, but yesterday I started feeling a little different. I'm feeling more wet and today even wetter and more mucus is coming out. I think my plug is working its way out. I am hoping that means I am dilating and won't be spending a lot of time in early labor with a broken water sac. Baby is still in the same position though so he hasn't decided to actually go anywhere yet. I feel like I need to make sure all my ducks really are in a row though, so I txted M & T to make sure they were still willing to take the boys. I haven't heard back yet.

Matthew has been talking all week about taking me to the hospital this weekend, but wanted to teach his Sunday School lesson too so I was to either have the baby early enough in the weekend he could leave me and teach or wait until the lesson was done and then take me. On one hand I feel like we could go tonight and on the other I feel like it could still be another week. ALL of my pregnancies have ended on the weekend, so if I go on a weekday, that would be just weird. I have two different friends in town this week too, so I would love to be able to see them at least.

Over the last week I have felt ready. Ready to face the labor and delivery, which is totally opposite of how I've felt over the last couple of months. I have tried to channel the feelings of calm and 'down to business' when I've miscarried. I am hoping that will enable my body to work quicker and more efficiently. We shall see though.

I feel pretty good for being this far along (39 wks today). In fact, over the last week I have been more active than I have for awhile. I've ridden Matthew's bike a couple of days in a row and then we've gone on walks as a family in the evening. Perhaps that has something to do with feeling more crampy and wet today, but I don't know.

All of my projects are done. The only thing left is to wrap gifts for all the boys.

Oh yes, the subject of names came up again yesterday and I felt the timing was right to take the opportunity to mention using my maiden name as a middle name. Matthew surprised me by saying he was ok with that. End of discussion. So, I think we have a name!

Normally on Sundays both Matthew and I crash. We tried hard not to today though and ended up spending most of the afternoon/evening playing with the bean bags I made for the boys. In fact, we spent HOURS doing it before we called it quits. I think it has been a really good way to spend our last day as a family of four if that is how it turns out.

Weight went down a notch (203.2 vs 203.6) and my blood pressure went up (120 vs 100). Got a quick ultrasound since the boys were there and a cervix check would have been a bit awkward. Kind of a nice bonus for having to wait about 45 minutes for the midwife, but I kind of would have liked a cervix check to see if I've dilated at all at this point. Oh well. Baby is head down, but sunnyside up. I am betting the rolling I felt last week after I thought I'd dropped was him flipping over :/ He needs to turn back over, though delivering this way is better than breech. I was hoping that since I'll be on antibiotics anyway that I could go longer between water break and induction, but turns out it will be shorter. *crossing my fingers* my pattern changes with this one and my water doesn't break until I'm in later labor so I don't have to be put on the clock and sitting at the hospital waiting for my body to kick into gear.

I really haven't had much in the way of contractions this week. I did finally feel one this morning, but that's pretty much it. I am wondering if the way he's laying has anything to do with it. I can't quite figure out how his butt can be sticking up and his face at the same time. *shrug* He was pursing his lips in the u/s. Cute. Aaron got to hold the doppler while we listened to the heartbeat and read off the numbers. He was in the 126 - 133 range. My heart rate was up and his was down...

This weekend has felt like "the" weekend, but if it doesn't, I think it will be July. I think he is too cozy up there. I don't mind either way. I finally have some energy and drive to be out and active with the boys and not focused on 'projects' that I am enjoying this time right now. I don't feel in a rush except for the wonder of when.

I've decided that waiting to go into labor is a lot like waiting to find out if your pg, except with that at least you have an end date. Over the last few days/weeks I've felt wet and crampy like right before my period comes but come out dry just like when I am waiting for AF and end up pg. I don't recall feeling this anxious with Jared and certainly not with Aaron. I am only 38 wks so it isn't like I am past due or anything. He is high and tight. I am trying to enjoy this time with just us but I am feeling ready to face labor too.

Yesterday was my 37 wk appt. I clarified some things about being GBS +. If my water breaks in early labor, I will need to go in early again to start antibiotics. If they don't get all the antibiotics in, it isn't a big deal. They will just keep baby an extra day for observation. I asked about checking my iron level now as opposed to in the hospital but she said since I'll be getting an IV anyway, they might as well do it then instead of a poke now and a poke later.

Today is Friday the 13th. I had kind of hoped for a 13th delivery date to match the pattern we have going, but I don't think it will happen. I really haven't had much by way of contractions since ... Monday or so? I think if I'd pushed it with activity maybe something would have come of it. At this point I am thinking we'll have a July baby. We'll see though. In theory I could make it to July 13th. The irony of that is he'd be two wks late and 9 days before Aaron's birthday. Aaron was two(ish) weeks early and is 9 days from Jared.

Monday I ended up not going back to bed until midnight. I thought I would crash and burn but it never happened. I managed to finish the blanket I was working on and then started making fabric blocks. Tuesday I was a little bit tired but felt ready. I did a few more projects for Melissa, but by Wed night I was done. Done. Done. Done. I felt exhausted and little motivation to do anything else. I probably ought to go ahead and pack my fabric away because it does not call to me anymore. If we had a couch I would lay on it and watch tv.

The boys - especially Jared - are happy that I am done with 'projects' because that frees me up for spending time with them. I have been so tired the last few days though that it is a different kind of challenge. We did run errands yesterday though since I had a dr's appt and threw some fun stops in there as well.

Matthew is off today so he took Jared to go climb a mountain as well as run some other errands.

Aaron hasn't been feeling well for a week now, so I managed to get him in to the dr this morning. Turns out he has pneumonia. My guess is that it is left over from when he was sick two weeks ago. We're on a round of antibiotics and hopefully that will take care of it. Though I was surprised at the diagnosis, I am relieved it isn't something contagious. Both he and Matthew were sick at the same time and then got sick again. Matthew's appt isn't until next Wed but he thinks he is at the tail end of it. I just want our house to be a healthy place before baby comes.

It is almost 3:30 am. I've been awake since 2 something. The room was hot. Matthew isn't feeling well and I just couldn't sleep. Yesterday packing bags felt like a really big priority. The boys' are all ready and mine is mostly done. I think my last minute grabs list is as long as my packed items. I was actually having quite a few contractions in the process. One felt like a REAL one - pressure all the way down and not just across the top of me uterus. They all stopped after awhile. I made a list of things I want to get done around the house tomorrow/today. I've debated whether I wanted to work on them now while I am up or sew. Instead I've been on the computer.

Had my 36 wk appt yesterday. I was a little bummed b/c I came out GBS positive :/ Not a great way to start my unmedicated birth. I have to get antibiotics as soon as I go in to labor. *sigh* Oh well. Little boy seems to be doing well though. His heartbeat seemed a little lower yesterday, but still in good range. Last week I weighed 201 and yesterday 202.6. I've eaten a LOT of junk (cake) all week.

My feet have been really swollen since last Thursday. They've gotten so bad my legs and feet tingle. It has been really hot and I've not been drinking enough water. It's gotten a bit uncomfortable. Part of it is because I've been sitting at the sewing machine a lot this week too.

I've been working on a blanket for Melissa's baby. I wanted to use up my fabric but ended up buying some anyway. I'd love to hurry and get it finished, but we'll see how long my motivation runs.

The boys are out of school now. I am trying to channel last summer's fun, but am struggling.