could it be?

so it's 5:35 a.m., and i have yet to fall asleep.

well, maybe i've dozed off a few times -- BETWEEN CONTRACTIONS.

i don't know how far off it is, but i have a feeling we're going to meet ellie today.

i've been having contractions since about 1:30 a.m. when i started getting these mild pains that just felt like period cramps.

i went to bed, and, even after two tylenol p.m., laid wide awake as the period-like pain and pressure "down there" came in weird-feeling waves.

about 2, i got up to google whether contractions could feel like period cramps. thanks to the world wide web, i found out that's actually how a lot of women experience labor, especially early labor.

being that it was 2 a.m., and i'm determined not to have another false alarm, i have been really waiting these out.

i stayed online until around 2:30, then went and laid in bed until 3:30. i snoozed a little between contractions, knowing that if this is going to be a long process, i'm going to be exhausted.

i always woke up for the contractions though -- they are getting more intense.

at 3:30 i decided to get into the bath since i know warm bath water stops contractions when they're false labor.

nope, had three or four contractions in the tub.

i got back in bed around 3:45, and decided if i still had contractions at 4:15, i'd wake landon up to tell him.

well, that happened.

i woke landon up, and he said, "are you serious? how do you know you didn't work yourself into them like the other times?" --very groggily, i might add.

i told him, "because i've been laying still, drifting to sleep, walking some, taking a bath, etc. etc. and they're still coming."

he said, "ok." and began snoring.

i moaned a little through a couple more contractions, and he said, "why don't you go get on the couch."

i said, "why? so you can sleep?"

he said, "maybe."

i sat there for a few minutes, trying to decide if my feelings were hurt, and he said, "take your pillows and your blanket."

so now i'm here. i put ellie's carseat and diaper bag full of necessities by the door, and laid on the couch for awhile. dozed in and out, and decided at 5:30ish to start legitimately timing these things to see how far apart they are.

i've been timing since 5:23, and have had three contractions. two were five minutes apart. one was seven minutes apart.

wait... just had to stop for another. that one came four minutes from the last one.

anyway, if we go a fairly stable average of five minutes between contractions until 6:23, i'm calling the doctor.

i'm sure she'll tell me to come in. and landon better get ready.

i think i'll definitely get an epidural so that i can sleep some because staying up all night for early labor (or whatever this stage is called) is probably going to make the hard part later in the day close to impossible without drugs and/or sleep.

so... there you have it folks.

i think we're meeting ellie today.

by the time several of you read this, i will have already called you.

if we aren't meeting her today, it's going to take everything within me to not delete this post and save myself the humiliation.

come on ellie, we're ready.

way ready.