Well, we made it back home and contractions are stronger but about the same duration. Ashley is getting some well-deserved rest and I’ll try to join her soon. We’re expecting a long night so every little bit of sleep will help. More updates as they occur…

I am so in labor. It started at exactly 7:38pm last ngiht when I decided to began keeping track of the "cramping" I was having. For the next couple hours I had contraction every 8-10 minutes…but they were really short, like fifteen to thirty seconds. I slept from eleven or so until just after midnight, when I awoke and announced to Tony "I don’t think I’ll be getting much more sleep." From then the contractions seemed to space out but get longer and more intense. I played Tetris off and on for a few hours, had a snack, was pissed my internet wasn’t working, tried to lay down but my mind was racing, you know normal early labor stuff. I finally fell asleep again around four and woke up at six-fiftenn VERY happy to have slept and feeling pretty refreshed. I dozed for the next hour or so.

About seven-thirty I got up and had half of my normal two slices of peanut butter toast, milk and tea breakfast (one piece of toast with half a glass of milk). I sat in the bath for awhile. Made some phone calls (not in the bath). Tony and I went on a walk around ten or ten-thirty. We were supposed to have a doctor’s appt. at eleven, but I called and asked if we could just skip it and go into L&D when we were ready, which they said was fine. After our walk, we sat in the backyard for awhile, cooling our feet in the pool and watching all the bird-drama we have around here. Then we came in and I had a sandwich for lunch. I didn’t even think I was hungry, then realized I was starving! This whole time I’m having really varied contractions…sometimes six minutesd apart, sometimes twenty. They seemed shorter and less intense then the ones I’d had overnight. After lunch we watched some bonus features on the Project Runway DVD. I played more Tetris (seriously, it’s the perfect game to pass time and engage you enough to stop thinking!) while Tony called his Grandma Swalla for help filling out Ali’s baby book. While we were sitting there I was have forty-five second to minute-long contractions every six to seven minutes.

Then we went on another walk, this time to get some bubble tea. It’s really hot out today. It was supposed to be just over seventy, the coolest of this week but I’m sure it’s eighty plus. By this point Tony has me keeping track of my contractions, as well as the time elapsing between, on his ipod’s stopwatch. Unlike our previous walk, I maintained contractions while walking around. We then lounged in the pool again and read through the mail. Now it’s coming up on four o-clock and about twenty hours of consistent labor. We’re thinking we may go to the hospital within the next couple of hours….hopefully this stopwatch gives us the go ahead. Niether of us want to jump the gun.

I’m am so excited that Ali could be here tonight or maybe tomorrow morning (please, hopefully by then)! 

The first thing I hear this morning is "I just got two hours of sleep and they were great." I guess I should get used to that. Ashley was up most the night with intensifying and lengthening contractions. She just had one which timed about a minute and was variable in intensity. We’re firm subscribers to the 411 rule, so the immediate future is going to involve final packing and me trying to throw cookies together for the nurses. Exciting!

Well, tonight brought on some very short (<15 second) contractions spaced almost exactly 8 minutes apart. They persisted for a few hours until Ashley fell asleep. Certainly nothing major, but pretty exciting nonetheless and certainly a step in the right direction. Could this be the start of our adventure? We shall see. In keeping with the advice of our favorite birth instructor (Hi Emily!), we’re trying to keep in our normal routines through these first little contractions. Tonight that meant watching the end of Project Runway (Go Chloe!) and a pretty disappointing Next Food Network Star, even despite the addition of my boy Alton Brown. Somewhere in there I made a quick run for some pregnancy fuel and a full tank of automobile fuel, which is one less thing I’ve got to think about in the coming days. It should also be noted that Ashley informed me July 2 is Lindsay Lohan’s birthday. Maybe stay in there until the 3rd, Ali?

On a more serious note, I’d like to take a second to thank everyone who reads this and has given us reams of love and support over the past nine months (and beyond, I suppose). It’s pretty awesome that you all keep coming back to see what we have to say. We love to get everyone’s comments and poll votes and page views. It’s wonderful to know that we’re not alone in our excitement and anticipation of Alizabeth. Thank you all. We love you and treasure you.

And a public note to Ashley, who quite literally makes this child possible… Over the past nine months, you have constantly been putting our daughter’s (and often my) needs ahead of your own. Every day I am amazed at your persistence and steadfastness in the face of an ever-expanding figure and the intermittent losses in mental capacity (pregnant brain!). You are an amazing woman to have tackled this pregnancy head-on and not only nurtured a healthy baby, but reinvented and improved yourself (and me) in the process. I am forever thankful for your tenacity during the past nine months. I consider myself blessed to have you as a part of my life. I am in awe of what you have accomplished and am very much looking forward to what we will do in the future. I love you.

We now return to your regularly scheduled waiting….

Well, this morning was possibly my favorite doctor’s visit yet, albeit quite uncomfortable for Ash and her ripened cervix. The nurse was a new one to us and was quite chipper and let us listen to Ali’s beating heart for a few minutes. Then our boy came in and did his thing which gets more and more painful to watch by the week. After a quick feel, he asks the nurse a question and then says he wants to "strip the membranes".  This is something we were sort of hoping for and very happy that he seemed willing and able. He said everything is fantastic and Ashley is a solid 2 cm dilated. The procedure looked extremely, umm, uncomfortable. The stripping isn’t proven to help much at all, but theoretically it increases some labor hormones and often results in action within 48 hours. We shall see.

On a related note, we wanted to put some hospital information up here for those of you nearby or who just need to waste a bit of time on the internet. So, we’ll be staying/birthing at the lovely Providence Medical Center in scenic downtown Everett. The quickest way there is I-5 north to exit 193 (Pacific Ave) and head west until you see the place on your left. We’ll be on the third or fourth floor of the Pavilion for Women and Children.

Also, we’re hoping to liveblog this labor/birth as best we can, so if you haven’t already, you may want to set an rss feed for this site in the feed reader of your choice to keep yourself in the know. If you have no idea what that means or just don’t care, so be it.

Lastly, my guess for birth has come and passed. My sister Georgia is up next with tomorrow night around 10:30 pm. Right now we’re hoping she nailed it.

We are home for the weekend. Sadly, regrettably, and yet, probably wisely. I’ve been having a lot of cramping still, especially last night (Tony said I moaned and groaned pretty throughout) but no definite contractions, no discernable mucous plug or "bloody show." She seems to be dropping every day and I think even she’s to the point where she wants out. Sometimes it seems likeshe spends hours at a time trying to beat/spin/finagle her way out. Which is uncomfortable to say the least. The days have reached a delicate balancing act of doing enough "strenuous" exercise (lol, which includes dishes, laundry, walking, washing the car, etc.) and keeping my feet up so the left one, in particular, doesn’t swell right off me! Today we spent a good chunk of time gathering/organizing addresses so we could send out birth announcements. Now we just have to get a move on designing them!

A side note on cravings: while I haven’t had a ton throughout, the last week and a half or so I cannot stop thinking about Taro flavored Bubble Tea. I’ve been having them, like, every other day. There’s a teryaki shop that sells them five or so blocks from us and it’s a good excuse for a walk! Plus, they’re made with milk and, if you only get a third or half the normal amount of tapioca pearls, not too damaging calorically.

I want to congratulate Cynthia and Joel [and Shayla] on their wedding tomorrow! Know that we are there in spirit and soooooo happy for you guys.

Alright, this post is a little belated. Chalk that up to travelling this late in the game and my finishing the term yesterday. Sunday I came home and put my feet up for probably four or five hours. Seriously, they were that bad. They looked like balloons and I could no longer flex them. I’m sure a consequence of long car rides and fast food three times in as many days. Monday we went to the doc early. He did his thing and I spent the rest of the day more or less recovering. Maybe I am such a weenie? I don’t know but I’m not a fan of the effects of his sticking his whole hand up there. Apparently some progression, he can fit a fingertip in now, whereas last week he couldn’t even tell if she was head down. I’ve also been plowing my way through the second season of Grey’s Anatomy, a great incentive to spend a day "resting."

So, Friday we drove done to my parents’ in the morning. Friday afternoon and evening we mostly just hung around the house playing Jordan’s new Wii (I was sore until Tuesday!) and observing all the comings and goings and drama that seems to be the norm there. It always makes us appreciate the quiet that our house is! We also made a quick run to the mall because I wanted something to wear for the baby shower the next morning.

This is Reshma, my cousin. She was the amazing hostess (thanks again Resh!). The next picture is my mom with my great Aunt Karen (my dad’s aunt), who so graciously allowed us all into her beautiful home. The third is the dress I found at Motherhood.

Some of the lovely people in attendence (always from left to right): My aunt Yvonne and aunt Pat (married to my mom’s brothers); Two of my chiquitas, Cassandra and Cynthia; My cousin Ben’s adorable daughter Esther (and Ali’s second cousin) and my cousin Hannah; my cousins Reshma and Heather (to be continued)…

…my cousin Ben’s wife (and Essie’s mother) Katy–possibly our best blog reader, Kari, my cousin Tyler’s wife, my Nana and Ali’s namesake (Shirley); Trista, dutifully taking notes, and my mom; my grandma, Uncle Bill (he and Tony stuck it out together!), his daughter-in-law Anna, and Anna’s girls, Emilie and Gracie.

Some people must have been a little camera shy. Ahem, Alyssa. Also my aunts, Nadine and Pam. Well, there is one picture of them but they’re playing a game and something looks kind of wrong…I think my Aunt Pam was concentrating too hard. Probably why the two of them smoked everyone else! We got so many cute things, useful things, priceless and thoughtful things I can’t begin to show it all but here are some highlights (or just cute pictures):

Cassie made this blanket and, if you can see in some of the white squares, it says "ALI." My family got us this carrier, which my siblings (my being first born, lesser so) apparently lived in.

This was a high chair I really wanted and am so excited to have! Thanks Aunt Pat, Aunt Yvonne, and Grandma. Below, I’m not sure what was just opened but we look cute.

The whole experience was overwhelming! It was weird to be the center of attention like that. I feel so blessed and grateful to have such wonderful people in my life, our life, and Ali’s life. The last picture is of Kari and I. She is about six weeks behind me, carrying Abigail (Abi) Elizabeth Lewis. For anyone counting, this Friday marks two weeks until my due date!

   I don’t know how it’s been so long since I wrote to you. Some days the time seems to just crawl but, ultimately, it flies by. You’re due to come out into the world so soon now - in just 24 days! You and I have grown so big, it seems we spend more time competing for space than happily co-existing. I still wonder what you do all day in there, bopping around and causing trouble. As long as you don’t spend too much time up in my ribs and stay away from my cervix(!), I always get a kick (no pun intended) out of all your bustin’ around.

   I hope you’re going to come early. Everyone is so excited to see you! I have dreams that you’re here all the time. I’ve also been plagued with Braxton Hicks lately and each night that it’s especially bad your daddy swears you’ve dropped a little further. The doctor said last week you’re way up there, head down but not ready at all. Maybe this week will be different, maybe all this hot weather we’ve benn having has got you looking to come out and join the party!

   I can’t wait for you and daddy to meet each other without my belly as a barrier between you. He’s so excited to do everything with you. Primarily, catch you, flip you, and give you a bath (tha’ts become his mantra)! He’s working so hard to make sure we’re going to have everything we need and trying to finagle as much time home as possible.

   Right now I’m in class, my second to last one before you come. Once again I’m waiting for everyone to finish taking a test. Why are they all so slow? I’m sure you’ll be just as smart as your dad and I…and equally intolerable of waiting on those who aren’t! Well, about five minutes until we’re supposed to re-adjourn. Which means I better hit the bathroom  

           Love,

             Mommy

Last week’s gorgeousness has been replaced by gray and overcast drizzle. It’s cooled down a bit but remains pretty muggy. Yuck. The only plus is that outside isn’t calling me today in the least. Which is good because I need to start and finish a term paper by tomorrow afternoon. Probably the reason I’m dawdling around here, here, here, here, here, and everywhere else. Please excuse that blatant linkage.

Last night/this morning I was randomly awake from three to six, then slept ’til quarter past ten. I guess I’m getting into some weird baby schedule? Maybe. The night before I had crazy-making Braxton Hicks for hours. They always seem to come when I’m asleep…or trying to be. They make me moan and groan and whine in my sleep and I feel sorry for Tony.

I can’t really think of anything to write about. Probably I’m distracted by the music playing, tv blaring, homework nagging, etc. No wonder I’m not getting anything done! I’ve been trying to update more lately (more = at least three or so times a week) but I’m notsure I’m doing a very good job. I also struggle to come up with much that’s pregnancy-centered. I dunno, Ali’s growing, I feel like a house, she gets the hiccups a lot, she seems to be dropping more every day, and I have twenty-five days until my due date!

Lastly, please check out the poll I’ve added to the right sidebar.