So It Begins...!

Big news from my doctor's appt this morning: I'm dilated 1 and a half centimeters! I told the doc this morning about the early labor, and he says that could go on for a month. I could stay at this dilation for weeks, and deliver on time, or I could go any time. He is comfortable with the baby's development now and if it comes it would not be "premature." He says at full term it will be about 8 pounds, and at the last ultrasound it was 6 and a half pounds, and in the 75th percentile for size. I didn't get the height, I will call them.

The baby has dropped but is not engaged, and likely won't entirely engage until full labor starts, as it often goes for second pregnancies. I am not yet effaced, he says the cervix is still "pretty thick." That will take time. But I must say, you know, it takes a lot of work to get rid of those centimeters. Any little bit I accomplish now, I think to myself, "yes! alright!"

Ben and I are very nervous and excited. I need to ramp up cleaning up my desk at work and getting the house ready for baby. 'Course I'm not sure what else to do, especially since I can't lift anything anymore! And solstice/x-mas presents are certainly not done, the cards aren't done! Get this: the doc is going on vacation over the holidays! Oh, no! But he'll be back the week of the 7th, my due date. So we're going to try to hold out until then. But you know, you never know!

I got a beautiful quilt from Ben's Aunt Agnes for the baby. It has beautiful Classic Pooh peices and two other fabric patterns with a floral aspect and very hip and bright colors with pale and muted shades of green and orange and purple and pink. I can't do it justice--it's lovely. Just seeing it got me excited.

I'm working on chrocheting little mittens to go with the bunting I got, so I'd better get cracking on those! They are already pretty cute. They are only half done.