Baby almost....

All in the all the last few weeks of my pregnancy went by quick and physically painless. At my 36 week checkup I was already dilated to a 3 or 4 and 85% effaced. My doctor informed me that this baby was gonna come early and I should have a fast labor---I was hoping she didn't jinx me! I tried to keep my feet up when I could and to take it easy those last couple of weeks-Cooper still needed to cook a bit longer. During this time as most of you know-July 4th weekend to be exact-my mom became very ill and we both were in and out of the hospital. But we are focusing on the BEST part of 09 now.
Each week I would enter the doctors office nervous about my progress-kind of wanting to be ready-but also scared about the unknown. At week 38 I was dialted to a 4 and 95% effaced-at some point I must have been having contractions-I just didn't know it! Well on Monday Aug. 17th I went for my last checkup-at that time we schedule my inducement for that Friday-since my due date was Saturday the 21st. My doctor bless her heart was doing everything she could to get Cooper here safely and quickly in order for my mom to have as much time with him as possible. I decided I didn't need to be checked at that appointment and went home knowing that Tuesday was my last day of work and then I could really relax! That evening Justin coaxed me into a walk around the neighborhood-boy was that silly-I made it about a mile and was ready for a break. My mother in-law came in town to stay with us since my mom had her first oncologist appointment for Wednesday morning. I was worried something would happen and I would not have been able to take her-so Janet was there just in case-Boy was I glad she was there!
Tuesday morning I woke up and got ready for work as usual. Work was slow-no surprise there-I went to lunch with some co-workers, Italian (my favorite) and during lunch my back started to feel "different" I describe it this way because it wasn't painful-just different. I had had Braxton Hicks contractions throughout my pregnancy and so I was used to feeling those in the front of my belly but this was different. I thought I was just sore from the walk the night before-brushed it off. I got home that night around 6:30. My mom was in need of a pedicure from being in the hospital-her feet were BAD-so I sat cross legged in front of my mom and washed her feet- (as I type I realize the significance of this last statement-wow) I did my best to make her feet and nails look and feel great-at this time still feeling a little back discomfort-which I contributed to the fact that I was sitting on the floor crossed legged at 39 weeks. After making sure my mom was set-Janet and I rummaged around the nursery still putting things away-she told me I was in hyper nesting mode! Justin came in to see Janet and I using the vacuum to suck the air out of those damn space saving bags-total waste of money mind you. I complained a bit about my back discomfort and he rested his hand on my belly and said "You're having contractions!" I was not in pain-so this couldn't be labor or contractions-The classes we had taken and the books we had read said you would be in pain-and lots of it. Justin ran back into the living room check the clock and told me to tell him when I felt more discomfort. This was around 8pm. Well, Justin decided my contractions were around 5 minutes apart-again I didn't think I was having contractions. So I brushed him off and decided to get ready for bed.
At around 10:00pm after my nightly ritual of soaking in coco butter bubble bath-lathering myself up with lotion I was in bed reading all my books again on what to look for when you are in labor. Nothing I was experiencing was described in the books-I mean I had had no symptoms of pre labor-I was pacing around and calling my cousin to ask her advice-should I call my doctor? She stayed on the phone long enough to time the back discomfort and tell me I probably needed to call my doctor and inform her what was going on. Again, I brushed her off and told Justin to rub my back and maybe I would get relaxed enough to fall asleep. Thing again! As soon as a rolled over a sudden POP! noise startled me and my water broke. I don't want to be too graphic but it wasn't the "normal" trickle you read or hear about-it was like the flood gates had opened at Hoover Dam! Justin finished throwing things in my hospital bag and was yelling get in the car! I spoke briefly to Janet about how to use her camera-and woke my mom to tell her my water had broken and I was going to the hospital. It was about 10:45 once we got in the car headed to the hospital 20 minutes away-Justin had called my doctor and so I was expecting her to welcome us at the ER with open arms saying, " Let's have this baby!" Yeah right-----