Yesterday was an exciting day...for a while. My birthday aside, which I truly just didn't think too much about (although thank you for all the calls and emails and FB wishes and for the flowers GTB and LT), some interesting things happened pregnancy-wise. Starting pretty soon after I got up I began having a lot of lower abdominal cramping.
At first I didn't pay too much attention but as each hour crept by the cramps returned and intensified, my whole abdomen tightening up with each one. After a while I began reading detailed descriptions of contractions online (which mine definitely seemed to be) and I even spoke on the phone twice with my doula, who told me just to relax and rest and keep her updated. By noon I had decided not to risk driving the 30 minutes north to work, just in case something was really happening. I even watered all the plants and tidied up the house, just in case we were in for a weekend at the hospital.
Greg was working from home as well, so together we put some final touches on the nursery and washed the bassinet sheets and allowed ourselves to get a little bit excited. The cramps went on for almost 6 hours. By 2pm I was pretty convinced that this was really the start of something, that I was likely in early labor and that we were going to be meeting our baby this weekend. But around 4pm the cramps suddenly stopped completely and they haven't returned since.
We are both still a little disappointed. But it was a good lesson in not getting too fired up over these early symptoms. I could have contractions and cramps for weeks and days before I actually go into labor. I'm going to try to simmer my patience level back down now and just enjoy these last few days of it all. (Notice how I'm still reluctant to assign "weeks" to the end of my pregnancy.)
After the cramps subsided Greg and I went for a long walk through the park and then came home to shower and nap before meeting friends for dinner. Unlike a typical birthday dinner, we actually went out with very new friends -- two other couples from our birth class who we are just getting to know. The six of us went for South Indian food up on Devon and had a really fun evening talking about all things pregnant (making sure to especially cover all the really gross stuff) and married. One of the couples was due on Tuesday and the other couple is due a week after me. All three of us ladies are ridiculously pregnant and we're all feeling quite ready to get this show on the road.
It's really fun to spend time with people who are in the same sphere of an experience as you are, and all of us just being weeks and days away from this life-changing event, have a lot to talk about. After dinner we ended up coming back to our place, all six of us at one point crowding into the nursery and turning on the mobile and discussing babies. I had the distinct feeling that there will never be another moment in my life quite like this one again.
So, overall, it was a really nice birthday. Unlike any I've had before -- always a good thing, right? This weekend one of Greg's best friends is coming to town for his bachelor party and Greg, being a groomsmen, will be hosting much of the festivities. We will also be hosting a couple of his friends here at the house as well as a party here for all the guys tomorrow night. And then on Sunday we're having a little Memorial Day cookout on the deck. It's going to be a packed weekend, full of friends and food and unavoidable liveliness.
For now I'm back to being just hugely pregnant. I'm now aiming for next Wednesday as a wishful due date. May 27 is Greg's mom's birthday and also the two-year anniversary of when Greg and I met. Could happen!
For pending labor updates, follow me on Twitter: clairebidwell
