It's Time!!! (a.k.a. 40-weeks,-but-who-cares-it-doesn't-matter-anymore)

It's time! *Said in the best "Steel Magnolias" rendition I can do.*

I had my 40-week appointment today (even though I'm not officially 40 weeks until tomorrow).  It started out with an ultrasound to see about how big he is.  According to their measurements, he's about 7.5 pounds.  But she said she had a really hard time getting measurements because he's SO low.  The ultrasound was actually pretty uncomfortable because she kept pressing really hard and really low.  And I couldn't tell what anything was on the screen.  She said he's so cramped in there and doesn't have much room to move.

Then we went to a back room with a recliner and couch for the non-stress test.  I was hooked up to monitors for about 25 minutes to measure contractions and his heartbeat.  Nothing to report, just that everything looked good.

THEN I had my exam.  I'm not gonna lie, it hurt so )(#&T%(* bad!  :P  It felt like the worst cramp in my life.  Holy cow.  Omg.  I'm still in pain, lol.  She said I'm 2 cm now (yay progress!).  She said nothing about effacement or station, which I couldn't focus to even ask because I forgot.  She went right into the details from my two previous fiascos from the morning...

"Non-stress test looks great!  Nothing of concern there.  Now..." She sat down on the stool in front of me and was looking through papers.  "Your amniotic fluid levels are pretty low.  Right now it should be about 15, but yours is about half that...yours is at 7.  And your placenta is starting to age.  Basically, there's not a whole lot left for baby to thrive on.  So I think it's best we get him out as soon as we can.  No rush, of course, but I don't want to wait.  It's better to get this done now rather than later.  I'm thinking Wednesday.  So you go ahead and get dressed and I will go call Labor & Delivery to see what their schedule looks like."

!?!?!?!?!  Ok!  At that point I think I was just in shock because it was starting to hit me that this is REAL!  She came back in and handed me, what she called, my "golden ticket".  It's a gold piece of cardstock with my instructions.  I have to call tomorrow at 6 p.m. to make sure there's a bed open, and I'm scheduled to be there at 8 p.m. to start my induction.  She said they'll start me on pitocin and that I should expect to deliver sometime Wednesday morning.  So that told me that L&D had a slight scheduling conflict, which is why I'm going in tomorrow night.  I will be SO bummed if they get an influx of people and I have to wait!  But it shouldn't be an issue.

So Baby Kirby's ETA is Wednesday, June 15th, 2011!!!  The doctor left the room and I started crying.  Kyle and I are down to 24 hours by ourselves!!!! :( It really is sad to me.  Yes, I'm excited to meet our little guy and I'm sure I won't look back (at least for a while...I'll be pretty mesmerized for a while!), but our lives are about to change.  In 24 hours.  My parents are coming over this evening to help us clean, repair, do last minute things.  Then my husband and I are having a little date night!  It'll be our last one, just the two of us, being able to do what we want and come and go as we please.  I'm not gonna lie, I'm FREAKING OUT.  Like, scared to death!  I don't handle pain well, I hate needles, and I'm a big whimp.  Oh yeah, and I woke up at 3 a.m. today and worked on lessons for next year.  So I'm tired and overwhelmed.  I think that means it's time for a nap!

I will take my computer, but it's dumb and I probably won't be able to update from the hospital.  You better believe I'm going to try, though!  ;)  If you don't hear from me from the hospital in the middle of the night tomorrow, the next time I post there will be pictures of our son at the end of the week!  Ahhh!!!

Until next time...