Second NST and Checkup

Today, we had another one of those precious communication moments. I received the following text message from Kiersten this afternoon followed by 35 minutes of radio silence:

"I am 1 cm dilated!"

Although I know that this in itself is only a milestone and not an indication that the Big Day was indeed going to start in just hours, I think you can sympathize with my distress -- born of the inability to obtain additional details on the quoted teaser. Playing the role of worried husband as well as any first-time dad-to-be, I called the doctor's office that Kiersten had visited earlier in the day. I thought it prudent to make absolutely sure she had not been whisked of to the hospital and, through some misfortunate mix-up, I had not been notified. (In my world, I should probably be medicated.) The doctor very calmly explained that everything was normal and she was on her way to the hospital for her scheduled NST.

Oh yeah, sure, I knew that.

So the checkup revealed that Kiersten's high BP is still an issue, all other lab tests were normal, and she is 1-2 cm dilated. While this is not a definite indication of an accelerated time table, this is a milestone -- Kiersten's cervix has changed in preparation for the birth (her body's got a checklist something like our baby checklist I suppose) and the baby is sitting low, very low. These are good things that we want to see happening.

The NST went equally well and showed the baby moving and bopping along. Kiersten will have her third NST on Thursday this week. I will accompany Kiersten to the appointment for the first time. It will be blips, bleeps, and charts...but when you are an engineer at heart, what better way is there to experience your unborn kid?

Although Kiersten has her share of problems -- sore muscles, exhausted, be-bopping belly -- she is doing well and I am hanging in there. We cannot wait for the Big Day and are settling into the home stretch.