early labor??

If you had asked me last night (or very early this morning, rather) around 2am.....I would have said yes....I think I am in early labor.  Now?  Meh.

Around 9:30ish last night my lower back started hurting pretty good.  I thought maybe it was just the couch cushion (mine's getting pretty worn out and smooched in and probably needs to be switched out/rotated).  I was so uncomfortable I just felt like I had to get up and move around...sitting made it worse.

I ended up getting into bed around 10:30...lower back still hurting...some Braxton-Hicks...but nothing too significant because I'm pretty sure I fell asleep very soon after my head hit the pillow.

2am rolls around.  It's raining.  Or I think that's what that noise was.  I was a little confused because I didn't know it was supposed to rain.  No thunder.  But there was rain I'm pretty sure.  Anyway......

I get up and use the restroom.  Lay back down.  Lower back is hurting pretty good now.  I cannot get comfortable at all.  And I think I'm having some contractions, too.

I finally decide to just get up.  So I surf the internet and am experiencing quite a bit of pain, but not really able to time my contractions because they aren't very regular.  But even in the absence of the contractions......I feel the lower back pain and still a tightness and pressure in my abdomen.

Around 5am I am completely bored and uncomfortable and just ready to sleep.  Still debating if I should tell Geoff right then or just wait it out.  You see- although this is my 3rd pregnancy...I've never really actually gone into labor and not sure exactly what to expect or feel.  I decide to wait it out and lay down.

5:15 am rolls around and who should come out of their room, but Grace.  Oh sweet Grace.  I decided to rock her in the recliner in the living room for a bit thinking that this could possibly be the last night I'll rock her as my baby.  I thought she'd fall right to sleep.  Well...no.  She did not.  You see- I have no room on my lap and so neither one of us could really get comfortable.  At one point I must have been rubbing on her feet pretty good because she said out of the blue in a sweet whisper, "Momma....don't do that to my feet anymore."  I wasn't even aware of what I was doing because my thoughts were just racing.

I put her back in bed only for her to get back out of bed again.  This time I put her in bed with me and I think we both fell asleep around 6:00.  Parker was up at 7:30 and we scurried to be ready for school (we were on time!).  I pretty much took Parker to school wearing sweats and a tee and a sweater.  I looked really good.  :)

Anyway- the day went on.  Lower back pain still persists.  I'm having contractions, but still irregularly. I'm still pretty uncomfortable.  And I don't just mean "I'm uncomfortable because I-am-9-months-pregnant-uncomfortable."  I'm uncomfortable due to the lower back pain and the contractions.

I did call the doctor to see when he would want me to come in just so I'd know...and he said when they are 4-5 minutes apart lasting around 45 seconds.  Well- I'm not there yet.  I do have an appointment tomorrow that was already scheduled so it'll be good to just go in and see where we're at.

I don't think I've mentioned it on here....but I've said to several people that I wouldn't mind going into labor a little early on my own.  I'd still end up with the c-section...but to have that little element of surprise of not knowing the exact time and date would be kind of fun.  So I don't know if I was willing all of this to be labor or not.  But I did read my devotional this morning....and it was all about waiting on God's perfect timing.  In Exodus 12:41- it talks about how the Israelites waited 430 years to the DAY to be freed from Egypt.  How the people waited and waited.  And they were delivered all in His timing.  I had to kind of laugh when I opened up the email.  I acknowledged, "Ok, Lord...I'm waiting on You.  I hear you loud and clear!!"

You see- above all I've been praying for a healthy baby and safe delivery.  And then my selfish heart has still wanted to go into labor on my own even just a few days before the scheduled date just because.  But today I really have a peace about it all.  Still excited and anxious to meet our baby.  Wondering if this is a true labor pain or just a tease.  ;)   His timing is perfect and I'm just going to try to enjoy the ride.