Tough couple weeks

Okay well I guess I am thankful Alex and I are okay, but I don't think it is going to be much better from now on...so I decided to start this on a positive note.

I have had 2 great showers and have a couple more to go. It is so cool to see all the people who care about me and my family and about Alex, a little boy they haven't even met yet. He got so many cute outfits! I can't wait to dress him up. I will be honest that part of me was a little disappointed that I wasn't having a girl for only like a second only b/c you don't think that you can play dress up with a boy. Though I can't put a smocked seersucker dress on him I can dress him very well and you can get little smocked clothes for boys too! I am actually enjoying all the little man outfits he is getting. I can't wait to have this boy!

Half the little things he received have his little name on it....Chris says that he will know what is his before he can spell anything else!

I may not write on this for a while b/c I have to write like 100 thank yous as of today and I haven't even had all my showers.

Okay I know having 2 showers doesn't sound so bad...that was the highlight of my last couple weeks.

Last Thursday I got to work after getting up really early to catch breakfast at the river market. I wasn't feeling good from the beginning and when Richard, my trusty helper, got there, I mentioned that I had a stomach ache and that i get nervous about them b/c I had not Idea what contractions feel like. Well by 10:30am or so I clearly had the stomach flu so I drove myself home. Soon after, I began to really have contractions that have been set off by dehydration. I called the doctor and my parents, husband (who is in Toronto Canada on business) and my brother. Soon after, I would say like at 11:45 the nurse calls me back and in pain, she can clearly tell, I explain what is happening. She says to me " Can you find a ride? If not, i know where you live, I can pick you up to take you to the clinic? " I told her I can call my dad, and she said she would call me back with some other instructions. I called my dad who dropped everything at work and started heading my way. When the nurse calls back I told her my dad was on his way,a bout 15-20 away, I asked about who I would see when I got to the clinic and the Nurse said to me: "Oh no honey, you are going straight to labor and delivery, pack a bag and have a bowl and towel ready to when your dad gets there!" I was freaked out. But I knew that what I was feeling was more than just stomach cramps!

I think my contractions were frequent but they weren't very high on the scale, but they hurt enough to put me on my knees!

the nurses in the hospital where awesome! they really took great care of me. We got the contractions controlled that night and my illness under control by Friday morning.

All night I had to watch pool Alex's little heart race b/c of the fever I was trying to fight off.

The best birth control in the entire world could be to have someone spend the night in labor and delivery on a busy night. I could her pushes and baby cries...that was great, but at like 1 or 2 am for at least half an hour to 45 minutes, this woman in labor (natural labor I am taking it!) SCREAMED at the top of her lungs!!! I mean primal scream. The kind in movies that the victim screams when the monster is after her. Continuously!!!! for a long time! I am getting an epidural as soon as I arrive the next time!!!!!

I haven't been 100% since then. I went to the doctor Tuesday with I would say are mixed results.

I gained like 5 lbs in 2 weeks...despite the stomach flu...but I blame the 13 gallons of fluids they pumped me full of last week, and the tremendous swelling I have endured from over the weekend, my feet look like Fred Flintstones!

My blood pressure was up! Don't get me wrong, it isn't as bad as it could be, but for me it is high. the highest I have ever had is 120/ 72 and today it was like 140/80.

When the doc arrived, he finally acknowledged a soon due date of April 14 not april 18 (yea!!!), but after he checked Alex's strong heartbeat he measured me. I am measuring 2 weeks ahead!!!! 36 weeks not 34! That freaked me out! I could have a full term baby like really soon like any time now! He also said that i had to begin one week appointments now! He may do a fetal weight estimate in the next couple weeks to see Alex's weight!

I freaked out today and have started to really take this seriously. After today Chris and I have to assume he is coming at anytime now! No more waiting...Alex could be here sooner than we thought!

Cynthia