Tenth Letter

Dearest Jamie,

I think the time if finally here ...

This morning, I woke up to a slight pain in my belly and saw that I had started to leak a bit of blood and mucus (I know it sounds gross but it's a good sign). We went to the hospital for my scheduled NST (fetal monitoring) and it showed that you were very active but there were little to no contractions yet. My nurse, Diane, thought it would be a good idea to have me go for an ultrasound just to make sure. During the ultrasound, it showed I had a huge decrease in fluids in my belly. My last fluid check was at 11 (I don't know the unit of measurement) but today I was at 5.1. They notified my doctor who asked me to go home and rest (it was around 11:30 AM). We were asked to return at 7 PM and they would begin to induce my labor.

Jojo and I drove home. We were both excited (to see you) and a bit scared (about what to expect). We were in good spirits though and texted the rest of the family to share the news. When we got home, we decided to invite Auntie Joy and Grandma Judy for lunch. It will be some time before I can go out to eat ... I couldn't really decide what to eat. They kept asking what I wanted for my "last meal" before you arrive and I totally drew a blank. We finally decided to go to Island Burgers. This will be a new family tradition. When Grandma Judy was pregnant with me, she also went to the hospital the morning she thought I was coming. Turns out she was also sent home to wait a few more hours. To kill time, my mom went out to lunch and treated herself to a meal of hamburgers! So that's what I wanted to do today too.

After a delish meal of Mushroom burgers, we headed home where I tried to rest and nap. Woke up around 5 PM to mild contractions. At first, I thought it was just a stomachache. But it came and went - maybe every 20-25 minutes and lasted maybe 10-15 seconds. Nothing earth shattering but I could definitely feel each one. It's kinda sorta like strong tummy cramps. I was a bit scared but mom and my mom-in-law assured me it's all good that I am contracting on my own. Maybe it means my induction tonight won't be as long or as intense as we fear. Either way, it's good to know you are on your way!

My dear, Jamie, the long wait is almost over. Hopefully at this time tomorrow (give or take a few hours), you will be with us and we will be holding you in our arms. I am so happy, excited and just giddy with anticipation!

I pray for both of us (and your dad too). I think we have a long night and day ahead of us - it may get painful and scary and intense at times. But I know it will be worth it in the end.

Love you, Beanie. Looking forward to that first hour after birth when our little family of three will be given our "Golden Hour" together.

See you soon, Little Angel.