Not moving so quickly.

Here is our update after our appointment today...

I haven't made too much progress since last week. I'm 1 1/2 cm dilated and more than 70% effaced. The doctor did say my cervix is much softer this week though, which is good. He stripped my membranes (which was not painful at all like I have heard it usually is) but he said he doubts that we'll be at the hospital tonight or anything. The ultrasound looked good. Alyssa looks healthy, and she is not nearly as large as what she was predicted to be at this point. She is measuring 6 pounds 14 ounces, which is a perfect size. I definitely like the idea of having a 7-8 pound baby instead of an 8-9 pound baby!!!

The big news of the day is that my blood pressure is creeping up. It was 130/92, which isn't shockingly bad, but it is high enough that the doctor took me off work. He said don't be surprised if he induces me in the next week or two because of my blood pressure. We are scheduled for appointments every few days from here on out. At each visit, we will have an NST (non-stress test) where they monitor Alyssa's heart rate, her movement, and my contractions for 30 minutes or so to make sure that my blood pressure isn't causing problems for her. Then the doctor will check me out, strip my membranes, and decide whether it's time to induce. Though the high blood pressure isn't good news, we are happy that Alyssa looks healthy and that she will be born soon!