18–Tired

18 Days Until Due Date.  Tired is the word that describes the last few days.  A measure of exhaustion I have not yet encountered.  Though I do have bursts of energy or forced energy.

Confession: I don’t really remember what contractions feel like.  I just remember that labor was WAY harder than I ever expected.  I remember going into it with the attitude that so many woman had done it before me, it would be difficult but not too hard.  When my contractions were a minute a part and were lasting sometimes 90 seconds BEFORE I went into hard labor and BEFORE transitional labor, my viewpoint suddenly changed.  How the heck did they do it?  I wasn’t a screamer.  I just remember at one point wanting to quit.  I was done.  It didn’t have an epidural.  And up until that point, I had no relief from any meds.  They gave me nubaine (spelling?)  at the end and I also remember wondering when the drugs were going to kick in.  I guess it’s meant to take the edge off, but the edge seemed very small in comparison to the pain.

Confession:  Maybe I have been having Braxton Hicks contractions lately and didn’t even know it.  I guess it’s a hardening of the stomach.  My stomach feels pretty firm but it just dawned on me this morning when I was waking up WAY earlier than I wanted, that my stomach has been getting extremely hard off and on.  It doesn’t really have a feeling to me.  Not very noticeable.

Confession:  I woke up today feeling like today could be a day that I went into labor.  Why?  Probably just a fleeting thought.  Things are lining up to be a labor day.  Dave has concocted an illness (I am such a jerk when it comes to sickness – my mom never babied us so I am hard on Dave), I have way less sleep than I wanted, I felt crampy this morning.  But maybe this is a practice run. 

Yesterday:  My wonderful husband who I am not nurturing to when sick did a lot of work around the house like trimming trees and bushes.  He also watched Henry while I went to get a pedicure (Thanks, Dave’s mom!).  It was my first pedicure since Myriah’s wedding which will be 4 years in August.  I am not big on it because my feet are sensitive, I am not into maintaining polish and I just don’t do it.  It was a LUXORIUS treat.  I was praising God the entire time and praying to Him that they would leave me in the massage chair with my feet soaking for a long time.  And they did!  Then I got the nicest Vietnamese woman ever.  The pedicure lasted an hour and I just wanted to sit there for 4 or 5 hours. 

When I got home, Dave and Henry were taking a nap, so I took advantage of the glorious weather and went on a 3 mile walk.  By the time I was done, my hands looked like blown up rubber gloves.

Henry on Friday morning.

Henry and I watched parts of Beauty and the Beast on TV.  That kid is so cute it kills me.  I made us some popcorn with chocolate in it which is one of his favorite treats.  He kept trying to dig the chocolate out without eating the popcorn.   I had to keep reminding him to eat both.  He is so adorable and so much fun to be around.