Last night I dreamt that McDreamy was the OB delivering my baby (and he was very polite and friendly!). I was so nervous until a nurse gave me a quick pep talk and then I rolled over to my left side and started to deliver that way. He was crowning - and there was absolutely no pain at all. Just the sensation of my body doing what it's made to do. And then everything stopped; I was so shocked that it was so easy and so painless that I froze in disbelief. McDreamy then started talking to me and the baby, gently saying, "Come on, you can do it, quickly now" and there was a sense of calm urgency in the room. I knew I had to relax totally and work with my baby in order for him to come out naturally. I looked up at the wall calendar and it was January 27 (which is my due date). Then I woke up.

Hmmmm.

I'm not sleeping again. I get about 3 or 4 hours a night, then wake up for 3, then sleep again for 3 or so. I think I'm nervous about labor and delivery. Not so much for the actual birth as much as just the whole experience. I mean, I've never done it before. I have no point of reference (which I quite like. I'm much better at things when I don't know what I'm getting into.) and I know that each person's experience is different, so even when people are telling me what they went through I know that mine will be different. It will be my own. Which I love as well! And I'll be in a weird place, physically, that I'm not familiar with: the hospital. Full of people I don't know in scrubs and uniforms. I just want to make sure I can be as comfortable as I want to be. Make my room "my own" so to speak. I'll have to fill it with "Stephi energy" to be comfortable - but that's easy enough I suppose. I have this thing where I want everyone else to be ok and I put myself last. I never want to step on anyone's toes (Come on... who wants to piss off somebody that will be poking around your vagina for the better part of their day?!).

I'll just have to focus on putting myself first - after all, it's about the healthy delivery of my little guy and my own safety and joyful experience as well!

Also, he's just so active that he keeps me awake. Seriously, like an alien is inside of me, poking and prodding me from the inside. It's the most bizarre feeling. I love it! And yet it's still very bizarre to have a little creature inside of you living it's own little life right now. It won't be long until I get to see those movements up close and in person! Which brings me to....

...early signs of labour. What are they? My OB said that I'd definitely know, and I'm sure I will, but what are the signs? (Besides water breaking.) Let me know if I'm on the right track here. Knowing me I'll want to be alone and go somewhere by myself (must tell Donald to be aware of that, because in the midst of it all I probably won't realize it!).

• Contractions that are regular and last for "x"- seconds instead of just here and there, and getting longer and stronger and closer together.

That's the only one I know of as a sure sign of labor. Anyone have any other tips for me?

As for my body getting ready to give birth, I've been told and/or have experienced a few of the following:

• More frequent bowel movement(s)/diarrhea
• Increased vaginal discharge - which is already happening
• Baby slows down movements
• Baby has "dropped" (but will I notice this? I hear that alot of the breathlessness will be gone (finally!), but other than that, will I know that he has dropped lower into my pelvis (or wherever they drop to?) Will I feel it? How can you not feel a baby pushing against your cervix, or wherever he lands...even if it is just the tip of his head!)
• Increase in boob size? Or is this after birth and when your milk is coming in?
• Wanting to nest. Yes, this has is happening too. I just want to stay at home with my husband and enjoy time with him.

So much stuff on the go! I'm so loving this whole experience. My pregnancy has been a dream, just so easy and uncomplicated. I'm so grateful for that. I've only got a few more weeks to go, let's focus on it staying that way!

All for now.

s.

This... is keeping me up at night:

She's such a little brat! First it was my husband, now it's Chicken. Argh.

So last night I fell asleep around midnight and woke up at 2am (because of Chicken). Wide awake. So me and Donald watched last week's Grey's Anatomy and then I read for a while and watched Breakfast Television (still awake at 6am!) and fell asleep around 8am until phone rang at 9. Not a good sleep. But with Chicken, when I lock her out of the room, she makes more of a racket crying to get it!

So annoying.

But on the plus side, me and Don got to hang out together and cuddle and chat for a while.

During commercial breaks.

S.