Numbers numbers

I have my 40-week appointment tomorrow. I am so curious if I have dilated any this week. If I haven't, it won't mean that labor isn't still going to commence on its own. However, it will be a bit discouraging. 

Sometimes I wonder just how useful it is to know any numbers before 40 weeks. If the pregnancy is healthy, most of those figures really mean nothing if you aren't in active labor.  Most of the time, they only serve to falsely encourage or discourage you. Yet still I want to know. 

Tim is going to the appointment with me tomorrow so we can both hear what the doctor will do if I haven't gone into labor by the following week. We're not induction-minded, but we want to understand all of the options and possibilities. 

Elliott's 18-month appointment went well. He grew two inches over the past three months and made a jump from the 50th to 70th percentile for height. He stayed in the 25 percentile for weight. 

We had a house cleaner come today. I am more and more convinced that the best shower gifts for an expecting mother - especially if this isn't her first baby - would be services such as meal preparation, house cleaning, a spa day, baby sitting, gift cards for shopping post-baby. 

So this baby thing ... it's actually going to happen

I spent much of yesterday wondering if I was going into early labor. I just felt strange - sick to my stomach, a little crampy, slowed fetal movement. Around dinnertime, I even felt a few light contractions. When Tim came home he wanted me to call the doctor just to share what had been happening. Dr. Wood actually suggested that I might be going into labor last night. I said "Oh Lord!" and he said "What? Is this a bad time?" 

Me: "Is there ever a good time to go into labor?"

After resting for a while, all of the symptoms went away. The baby, who had until yesterday been moving at a frenetic pace, finally picked back up a little movement.  

So I am certain that I felt contractions. But they must have been Braxton Hicks. This morning I feel fine - actually more energized than in several days. (I hope this isn't "nesting.")

I'm only 37 weeks. I'm perfectly fine with having three more weeks of sleep before William joins us.

But yesterday did jolt me into understanding that this baby could come anytime. I should be prepared.

Ahhhhhggggggggg ....