ALMOST

Carson has a very cute way of saying almost, it sounds like "ALLLLL most". And he says it ANY time something was a close call. And I couldn't help but saying this in my head yesterday as I was leaving the hospital. Yes leaving. Let me start from the beginning.....

First, my WONDERFUL husband gave me a birthday surprise that only was surpassed by my first car when I was still 15, my best friend Tracy. Wait wait wait, I'll back up...AGAIN...

Wednesday night he told me he had to have dinner with a client. And of course, me being a trusting wife never doubted him. Well, until I noticed him making facebook comments... I was a little confused why he was on FB when he should have been WORKING, but I let it slide, after I texted (TEXT ED?? is that how we say the past tense??) him about it and he claimed the clients were late. So once again I believed. When Josh did get home, he was VERY excited to watch American Idol. I was already in bed in my t-shirt, so I asked him if we could watch it in the bedroom. He kinda jumped up and down and clapped his hands a little and said "NO! Let's watch it in here!" I just thought, "WOW! He is REALLY excited about Idol...Loser." So I literally pulled myself out of bed and went to the living room to find Josh insisting the dog go out. I told Josh I had already let him in for the night, but Josh AGAIN insisted he be let out any way. "Whatever" I thought. THEN someone knocked on my door. First off. I don't really answer my door here. I don't know anyone that comes over. And I certainly don't answer my door without pants OR a bra on. But Josh insisted. Again, I thought, "Whatever" and wrapped a blanket around my waist and went to the door. I opened the door and who popped out? Tracy Dowell.

Well, my reaction was VERY UN-Kendall like. I pretty much started shaking, sweating and crying, while explaining to both of them that it's not nice to surprise a tired, lonely pregnant lady. Then I looked at Josh and thought, "Great. Now he's gonna know how easy it'll be to cheat on me..."

So, that's how my 30th b-day weekend began. Tra and I spent the next few days just hanging out, since we still had to keep C while J worked. We also walked. A lot. Tracy was pretty determined for me to have Lyla while she was here. So we shopped, took walks, shopped and walked.

Friday night Josh had even more surprised. He had told me that we were going to my friend Amanda's house for dinner for my b-day. Of course, he only told me this AFTER I had found an email from Amanda to Josh... OH, and did I mention, Josh flew Tracy down and the day before I found where the money had been spent and thought someone had stolen our credit????

SO. We went to Amanda's for dinner and I saw my friend T-Jay's SUV. I thought, "Well, Josh may have invited T-Jay. After all, he invited TRACY". When we went in I was surprised by not only T-Jay, but our whole small group and all the kiddo's. Josh had ordered fajitas (oh did I mention I walked up on him making those plans while out to dinner one night?) he had brought margarita's, Amanda and T-Jay and Aubrey had made a cake, decorated and brought sides. And while I was VERY surprised, I am proud to say that I did NOT react so, you know, pregnant like... We all enjoyed dinner, drinks, cakes, kids and then headed home about the time we woulda gone out ten years ago. And it was perfect. Tracy had made me walk so much I was ready to sit. So, thank you to all of you who helped out and made turning 30 while giant and miserable a great experience!

Ok, ok. Let me get to the real embarrassing stuff. On Saturday, Tracy and I got to have a "Kendall and Tracy Day". Josh took Carson with some friends to play Frisbee golf and for BBQ and had tickets to the Astro's game for that night. Tracy and I shopped, of course, got pedicures (THANK YOU T!!), had lunch AND got to have a LOT of contractions. Beginning at 1pm, my contractions went from every 20 minutes to every 8 minutes by 3:15 (T took notes, so I may be wrong...) ANYWAY, these 8 minute contractions lasted for several hours, so we called the nurse. Because I am having a VBAC (if I have her before Friday) my doctor said she doesn't want me to labor long at home. And I live about 45 minutes away. So, nurse says come to the hospital. Which, by the way, we found the location of on Wednesday... Since we knew where we were going we loaded the car up and headed into Houston. My contractions getting worse the whole time. When we arrived Josh dropped Tracy and I off at the front door.

I was still saying to everyone that I didn't think this was real labor because Lyla would NOT be so convenient. I mean it was DAY TIME. Josh was off work, Tracy was there to help with Carson, I had slept good the night before. In other words, everything was way off. But back to the hospital...

Tracy and I walked in and I realized I really should have taken one of those hospital tours. All I knew was purple elevators to the third floor. And since the elevators weren't lined up in rainbow order, we had to ask where they were. We found those, pushed three, only to get off and see NO signs for labor and delivery. But we did find a hospital employee leaving a closet, so we asked and we were directed. We roamed around till we finally found where we needed to be. I WAS however, preregistered. I did THAT Wednesday also. PREPARED. (yeah right) So we get into the evaluation room and as the nurse was preparing to hook up the monitor, I had my last contraction of the day... ALLLLL most.

While they monitored me I had to fill out a TON of paperwork, that apparently will have to be done again when I come back. However, I told my doctor that I won't be coming back before Friday unless my water breaks or I can feel the baby's head...And I asked the nurses and resident on call if they wanted to save some time and just go ahead with the c-section, but I guess that's not how things work. So we left. No ballgame for Carson, no baby for Tracy, and I learned that even if you are having regular contractions that hurt, you don't have to go to the hospital because your body may STILL be doing nothing... ALLLLL most.

Today we sent Tracy home on a jet plane, went to small group, cleaned the house so the house cleaner can come, and we began to wait. Most likely till Friday. Because while "natural induction" techniques like walking don't get a baby out, knives DO.