The next chapter

So, I am home now. No more work. For 3 1/2 months. That's a whole quarter. Wow. Feels wierd.

Feels wonderful.

I am so glad that I have had a couple days here to decompress and relax before Eden comes. If there are more days, that's great -- but if she comes tomorrow, it's been enough for me to settle. Realign my perspective. Calm down from the normal hustle and bustle.

We had a trial run Monday night - regular contractions every 10 minutes for about 4 hours. I washed my hair, Nate packed, we tidied the house, did the dishes, fed the cats, and went to sleep to get some rest while we could. Woke up the next morning fit as a fiddle without any contractions. It was pretty exciting while it lasted - and helped me get 50% effaced. But not much activity since.

What surprised me most about the whole thing was how interesting it was. It hurt, yes, (although relaxing did help, more than I thought it would) but it was just so interesting how your body just does what it needs to do. Nate and I can't wait for actual labor; we're so excited to see what happens, and go through this whole new experience together. To discover what it is like to work together to bring a brand new little person into the world. To turn the page and start the next chapter of our lives together.

But the interlude is wonderful, too.