Today has been equal parts rough and flippin’ amazing. Weird how that works, eh?

First, the rough part: I was sent to the hospital by my midwife today for some observations. I had called her this morning because my contractions had inexplicably stopped for almost 5 hours between late last night and early this morning! I also wanted to find out that they were for SURE inducing me on Monday if Marco hadn’t made his debut this weekend. I’m simply too miserable to make it much further, and I’ll be 39 weeks then. Anyway, during the NST and ultrasound, they said everything with Marco looks good, but they don’t know why my contractions had slowed down. They are DEFINITELY stronger, and are measuring in the triple digits on their tension monitor; but they are nowhere near as close together as they have been in the past month. I was also told that I hadn’t dilated or effaced anymore than I was on Wednesday (1 cm and 50%), but Marco is dropping. Because I’m not dilating, they don’t want to do a full-on inducement, and they don’t think he’ll come in the next few days. On Wednesday I’d been told just the opposite! It certaintly made things difficult, and I kind of broke down in the hospital.

I talked to my doctor, and we’re embarking on a middle-ground approach. On Monday I will be going into the hospital and given a pill (I don’t remember the name of it, but it’s less harsh than Pitocin). I will then be monitored for 4 hours to see if it brings about the contractions, hopefully 4-5 minutes apart, which will then ripen my cervix. If this works, then I could be a day or two from delivery. If, after the 4 hour period, it has not done its job, I will go home, rest, and come back on Wednesday to try again. This approach is less stressful on my body, and will not require me to stay the night at the hospital unless I am actually in labor. I hope that it works; I know that with Pitocin there is a higher chance of C-section, which I would like to avoid (if possible).

On the amazing side, we have the fact that it’s my 5 year wedding anniversary! Yay for Mr. & Mrs. Timothy Dickson. Tim always gives me the best cards, and writes things that make my heart ache; I love receiving cards from him. This year, however, he also did something so awesome and lover-ly that I can’t stop smiling:

UMM YEAH. This ring is the most beautiful ring in the entire world. Tim and I had talked about a ring upgrade for the future, and this ring and wedding band set is exactly the way I’d always imagined my ring to look: a little art-deco and vintage-y. We’d looked at it several times in the past at Napa Valley Jewelers, and I’d half-jokingly mentioned he should get it for me for a ‘push present’. We hadn’t talked about it since things started to get crazy with my pregnancy, so I was definitely surprised! Last night, before we went to sleep he told me that he got it for me; tonight, he made a beautiful dessert presentation (complete with flowers and a fruit tart)! I am truly the luckiest wife in the world, to have such a wonderful and loving husband.