It's the 4th and...

I don't think that I'm having a baby today.

I am, however, having some general discomfort that is likely related to all the pizza that I had for dinner this evening. I was feeling contractions--not sure if they were "real" or not but at least I actually felt them--as frequently as every 7 minutes for a little while, but I made it a point to go to sleep at 10:15 or so. That way, if they were the beginning of real labor, I'd have gotten some sleep.

I got up at 1:15 feeling like I had to get up and sit out in the chair, and of course The Boy would not stand for it. Then Musical Daddy wanted to bring him out to me. It really bothered me for some reason, probably because I'm not feeling all that well and didn't particularly want to be touched. He ended up keeping him inside and turning on some TV. It is nice to be so needed but I guess I wish he'd be more content with Daddy. I wouldn't change a thing about the way that we've dealt with him in general in terms of responding to his needs, because he is still a baby in many ways and a sick one at that, but it does make it difficult. Leaving him with anyone other than my mother makes me nervous because whomever else is caring for him is likely not going to know him as well. Typical parent concern, really, magnified by our situation and the fact that he really doesn't spend much time away from either us or my mother.

The Boy's evening was spent being somewhat agitated, even though in general he did have a decent day. This morning he managed to catch his lip in a toy. No reason that he should have had his mouth near the toy in the first place. It took him awhile to stop bleeding from that because his platelets are low. Good times. Not that he doesn't do stuff to himself when his platelets aren't low, but I tend to notice it more when they are---falling off the chair at the treatment center and biting his lip; deciding to flip himself off the hospital bed; running into more stuff in general. But, he is a toddler. And a boy. I can't exactly put him in a bubble.

We had a nice family nap late morning into the afternoon. We had lunch--it was "meat" for lunch and he ate an entire hamburger patty! We did some good playing and we had friends over. Just two close friends, as The Boy's counts are low and we weren't about to do any major socializing. We talked, we played outside, we played inside, we had pizza and other yummy things, we played Trivial Pursuit on their Xbox (The Boy fell asleep in my lap at that point, which isn't necessarily a great thing to happen at 7 PM), got some help switching some furniture, and after they left it was about time for The Boy to go to bed. We chatted with Grandma and Aunt W first, and then it was bedtime.

The Boy was playful throughout most of this visit although he was cranky at a few different points, especially after getting both of his shots. His lip, just inside in the center, is visibly cut. Even with low platelets, little guys heal quickly, but I'm sure that it's no fun for him.

It took him awhile to fall asleep during our usual bedtime songs despite the fact that he was clearly tired. He isn't warm or feverish, so we gave Tylenol to help alleviate whatever was bothering him. I'm wondering if it isn't that last molar coming in that is causing him to be cranky. The bottom two of the second set of molars came in during the ICU hospitalization for blood pressure, and one of the other ones came in a little bit ago, but I noticed that the last one wasn't quite there; maybe it is on its way now.

Grandpa is at the Barbershop Harmony Society contest out in Anaheim and just sent a message about shocking results in the chorus contest. I'm sure it was a bit less shocking for those who actually saw the performances, but WOW.

Anyhow, I've been awake and out here writing for about 20 minutes and don't really feel like anything is going on in the labor/baby department. I will probably be getting phone calls and messages all day. The baby is exactly where he was the last time you asked--still in. You know that I'll update the blog and Facebook when we go to the hospital and even while we're there, most likely. I will be fine with keeping him in for another week or two if that's what he prefers. Drugs are also NOT an essential part of childbirth, so don't ask me about them, either. Unless something goes horribly wrong, I will not be needing pain relief. Birth is not a major medical catastrophe, nor is it surgery (unless it is a surgical birth in which case it is surgery, obviously); it is something that is supposed to just happen, and giving birth with fewer interventions will allow me to heal more easily.

Now I have The Boy with me. He is awake. Once I feel a bit better I'll bring him back in. Or, if he falls asleep in the chair, I will probably do the same.