Getting anxious for her debut

I had my weekly doctor’s appointment yesterday afternoon and was surprised to find out that I am already going through the stages of pre-labor. Baby Amys has not dropped yet, but I am close to three-centimeters dilated. So, what does that mean? According to my doctor, it just means we are getting a head-start on delivery and that it is very normal for women to dilate in the weeks leading up to birth. More importantly, he stressed, it doesn't mean that I will be going into labor any sooner than expected and that we are still looking at the 14th as my due date. According to the manic, compulsive voice in my head, it means that this weekend we are going to be finishing the nursery, packing the hospital bags and charging our camera batteries. This baby-thing is really going to happen, and I need to stop wasting my free-time reading tabloid magazines and get ready for her debut. Last night I read and re-read every birth book in the house and, of course, they all echoed my doctor. They also mentioned something called the nesting phase, which details a strong desire to complete all baby preparations before the baby arrives. Sounds familiar.

The doctor also mentioned that my blood pressure spiked a bit this week. Nothing to be alarmed about, especially since I pigged-out on 12 Bones barbeque a few hours before the appointment, but it was higher than it has been throughout the entire pregnancy. I was given a slight slap on the wrist and told to cut back on salty foods, which is going to be a lot harder than it sounds. You would think, considering my pre-pregnancy cravings, I would be a slave to the cocoa bean and ice cream while preggers. Not so much. I have been loving on pickles, chips, crackers, dry-roasted nuts and anything thing else salty. Not anymore. So long, Fritos and Pringles… We had a good run. I promise this is not goodbye forever.