Waiting on baby...

Life has been kind of slow for the past few weeks.  Some days are more comfortable than others, but some are much harder.  I really don't think this baby wants to come out.  

During my waiting period, my awesome ward threw me a fantastic baby shower.  I wish I would have taken pictures, but I have been pretty anti picture lately so that is what I mostly blame, and I was super busy socializing that I kind of forgot about pictures.  I was so incredibly grateful for my shower.  So many people came and gave me sweet gifts.  I felt so loved.  The decorations were beautiful and one girl in our ward slaved to make over 40 caramel apples (all different flavors)!  They were amazing...rivaling Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory apples.  I just couldn't believe how generous and welcoming the women are here.  I felt so loved and blessed!  My mom was even able to come.  It was perfect.  

cute banner with the babies name.  It was a shower decoration and now its a nursery decoration!

Other than my shower, I really have not been doing much.  I've been working on a few videos for work so that has kept me pretty busy.  Also, I've done a few things with the girls in our ward, but that's about all to my exciting life.  

I have tried almost everything to induce my labor though.  Brody has an extremely important recruiting trip that he has to go on, and if not he has a next to zero chance of getting the internship that he wants and needs to pursue his career goals.  The only problem is that this trip is on the 24th of October and this baby does not seem to want to come out on her own.  I've been so stressed, because he and I obviously don't want him to miss the birth, but he really needs to go on this trip.  We've already had enough employment drama to last us a lifetime, so I don't want him to miss this trip.  

So I've been eating pineapple, walking a ton, doing squats, rubbing pressure points, etc.  Yesterday, I got the closest yet to labor.  I started contractions at 5 p.m. they went on until 10 p.m. when they got really intense and regular.  At that point I didn't think they were painful enough, so I took my mom's advice and took a shower and tried to relax.  Well, they stopped about an hour later and I fell asleep.  At 1 a.m. I woke up to excruciating pain.  I thought, "wow, this is it"  I had regular contractions every 5 minutes for 45 minutes. My whole body was shaking like crazy and I couldn't relax.  I was kinda worried about that and figured I should call the hospital because of my pain and regularity.  Well the nurse told me to wait for 2 more hours and if my contractions were still regular and as intense to then come in.  I thought for sure they would stay and I would have the baby!  But shortly after I got off the phone the contractions eased and I ended up falling asleep.  I woke up a few more times with contractions, but they weren't bad.  I was very disappointed to wake in the morning with no more contractions.

Brody and I had an impromptu photo shoot.  I refused to show my face, but look at the belly.  I'm going to frame one like this for baby M so she can see how huge her mom once was!

  Today, I had my doctors apt and I complained to her about the whole situation again.  I am more dilated than last week (1 cm last week and now 2-3) and my cervix is now softened (50-70%). She agreed to strip my membranes. (unfortunately that hasn't put me into labor yet either)  And also put me on the schedule to be induced on Saturday night.  I really do not want to be induced for many reasons, but it is what it is and Brody will be able to go to New York now.  In the meantime, I am desperately praying that she comes on her own before then!