OK, NOW I'M READY!

Read on at your own risk, this post is mainly for me so I can remember the week before my baby was born! :)

Over the past two weeks my kids had been getting fevers on and off. After Mark started coughing pretty bad and his fever came back the third time, I decided to take him to the doctor to make sure nothing was horribly wrong, as I am due to have the baby any day! The doctor said he had "walking" pneumonia! It's very contagious and must be treated. I headed straight to the pharmacy and got him on an antibiotic. The next morning Darci got a fever again. . .no other symptoms, but since she's been around Mark. . .I take her to the doctor that morning. She's diagnosed with the same. This time they give her a dose of steroid and prescribe the antibiotic. So, off to the pharmacy again for her meds. That day Elizabeth, her cousin (who she'd been hanging out with) got a fever and I knew that Kyra had had a fever the week before, so Rachel and I took both of them into the doctor that afternoon to be checked. Elizabeth had pneumonia. Kyra's wasn't for sure, but since she had been sick and she had a bad ear infection that they had to treat with an antibiotic anyway, they prescribed the same antibiotic for them both. So, off to the pharmacy AGAIN! Sheesh, I wanted everyone healthy as fast as possible as I could have my baby anytime! The next day, Friday, I woke up feeling great--which has been the norm. I knew I had a dr. apt. that afternoon and thought there was a small chance she'd check me and tell me I had to have the baby right then! :) Since I wanted the yard work to be done for at least the first week of having the baby, I mowed the front and back, weed whipped and edged the front, and did a little weeding. When I saw my doctor she said I was dilated to 5 or 6 cm and effaced about 85%. She offered to strip my membranes and put me into labor right there, then send me home and she'd wait to hear from the hospital. I chose not to do it because the kids were still on their antibiotics for 3 more days and could possibly be contagious for another day or two. I definitely wanted everyone to be healthy when the baby was born if I had any say in the matter! I had contractions pretty regularly throughout the day and evening, I'm sure it was due to being checked and to the yard work I had done, so I didn't think much of it. Well, I went out with some friends that night and had a great time. But, after I got home I started feeling really yucky. My stomach hurt and I couldn't sleep at all! I tossed and turned ALL night. I wondered if I felt so bad because I was in labor?! Saturday morning I couldn't seem to get out of bed, I was SO tired, and I felt nauseus. It was hard to tell the difference between my stomach ache and the contractions. I continued to feel horrible all day and to have regular contractions. I started to worry that I was going to have the baby while I was feeling so terrible. I knew that if I went to the hospital they wouldn't send me home because I'm already dilated so far. . .but I really didn't want to go in when I was feeling so bad. So, I slept and laid around all day. I wasn't able to eat or drink much. Finally around 8:00 pm I threw-up. Sorry, I know that's possibly TMI, but I felt SO much better after! My stomach still hurt and I was really tired, but I was able to sleep through the night! I woke up Sunday morning feeling pretty good. A little tired, but hungry. I ate a little throughout the morning and was able to keep everything down. As the day went on, my contractions slowed down and I felt better and better. I assume now that I was having so many contractions because I was dehydrated and had a fever. Anyway, by yesterday evening I was feeling wonderful again. I know it was Sunday, but I couldn't stop myself from cleaning EVERYTHING! It felt so good to be feeling good again. :) I went to bed a bit early and slept pretty well, therefore I woke up early this morning and I feel GREAT! It's beautiful outside, my kids are finally done with their antibiotics and feeling great, the house is clean, it's going to be hot enough to go to the pool, AND I'm ready to have the baby any time he feels like coming! Whew.