Watched pot. . .

You know about the ol' saying, "A watched pot never boils?" Well, that's what I feel like - a watched pot. How do you avoid that at this point, though? I'm looking for and checking off every possible symptom of impending labor. I have made progress on the dilation/effacement front, but you can progress and then sit for days or weeks where you are. Every time I call a family member, they make sure to answer or call me right back because I might be calling to say, "It's time!" Alas, it is not time. I'm now ready for it to be time, and so is Thomas. Sure, there are still a few things to be done, but nothing terribly imperative. I guess the most pressing task is to finish my thank you notes for the showers, but I'm getting close on that. I'd like to have them all behind me when Samuel arrives, but at this point, I'd really rather be meeting our son. Ah well, I guess this is a struggle for every woman who is 39 weeks pregnant.

With all our modern medical technology, one would think we could predict the approximate time labor will begin with a smaller range than 2-3 weeks. At my doctor's appointment on Wednesday, Dr. Yang let me know that she is on call all week and expects to see some of her patients deliver because several of us seem to be ready. That encouraging statement was followed by a mention of deciding on an "end date" (i.e. when we will induce) if I go past my due date. She confirmed that she will not let me go past 42 weeks, so for better or for worse, Samuel WILL be here by May 15th. I hope he comes on his own and sooner than that; Thomas has to go to Atlanta for three days the evening of May 17th through the 20th. When his boss scheduled him for this Audi school, Thomas said, "You know that means my wife will deliver two weeks late, don't you?" Here's hoping that prediction doesn't come to fruition!