Well, I suppose it’s only fair that I have my turn at a really uncomfortable pregnancy. I was too lucky with the last two. I said I didn’t want this baby to come early because Danica is still so little but now I just can’t wait! I had a doctor's appointment last Wednesday that was really lame and after I waited over an hour they didn't have time to do anything really so I had another one on Monday that fortunately went really well.  My stomach size measured wrong again, smaller than it measured at the Wednesday appointment (probably because the doctor on Wednesday was just in a rush) so the doctor brought in the ultrasound machine to check everything out.  Fortunately things looked great. There was plenty of fluid so that is good.  He wanted to make sure there were no inconsistencies in the head to stomach ratio indicating the baby wasn't being nourished but it looked great, the bladder was good and according to the ultrasound measurement she weighed 6 lbs. 3 oz.  Babies are supposed to gain about an ounce a day at this point so that is great.  Also, she was perfectly head down still.  Hooray!!!
Since Monday night the number of contractions I have been having has seriously increased but they still aren't hard at all.  I got nervous at one point on Monday because I had 4 in an hour but they went a way and they are just sporadic again.  Overall, though I am extremely uncomfortable, I feel nausea and light headed a lot during the hours between breakfast and lunch and overall just exhausted!  I got a horrible leg cramp yesterday morning because I didn't stretch before getting out of bed and ended up on the floor screaming in pain, it still hurts really bad.  I kind of feel like I am falling apart.  This didn't happen with the last two pregnancies but I figure there are a lot of factors for that (like this being the third, chasing a toddler and needing to keep up with summer activities instead of winter laziness.)  I am definitely ready for this baby to come and would go out walking every evening to hurry it along if I could!  However, it could still be 2-3 weeks away, I have another appointment next Monday.  I took a tour of the hospital yesterday and am getting the bags packed today so now that I am ready (other than picking a name) I am sure she won't come early.  That would only happen if I weren't prepared!  With Hayden I started having contractions on a Friday night, had them all weekend about 10 minutes apart...by Sunday night they 4-5 minutes apart and we went to the hospital but I wasn't dialating fast enough and they sent me home... by Monday there was no denying they were getting intense and I was at 5 cm by the time I checked in.  This hospital will take you if you are at 4cm with regular contractions.  Anyway, my point is, second babies tend to go faster but I will think I'll have some warning.
Just to make things tricky, next week Tom starts an intense two week Oral Surgery rotation at the hospital that is very involved, includes longer hours and more work... perfect timing.  So, he wants me to have the baby this week or wait until the 18th, my actual due date. But since we can’t pick his commander has said is that they will just do what they can to give him some time off.  So I am hoping that between him, the generous offers of my friends here and my lovely sister-in-law we can keep things covered until my parents come. They are hoping to arrive two days after she is born (one days warning, and one day driving). I am sure it will all work out somehow, it always does!

Now our last stress is to come up with a name... hopefully I can think of one soon that I either love or that Tom at least agrees with. As for a middle name I would really like to choose a family name and am open to suggestions. I obviously don’t know all the family history on this side of the family and would love to hear some names and stories of people that she would like to be named after if anyone as an idea.

Oh Danica, just woke up, I better go. We’ve loved the pictures and accounts of everything, keep them coming!!