38 Week OB Appt.

I sauntered into the OB office late this afternoon praying for some progress. We've been feeling kind of distraught the last 10 days thinking that this baby will wait until the last possible minute to arrive, and that Matt won't get to spend any of his saved vacation time with her the next two weeks. I was pleasantly surprised to experience a string of events that made me feel more hopeful....

-BP--126/60

-Weight gain--None! Actually, I lost 1/2 lb. (Consider this event #1--this feels significant to me because I lost weight in the days before I had Jillian)

-Baby heart rate good (no  numbers given)

-80% effaced (event #2! Was only labeled as "soft" last week)

-Head way down, "much change from last week" (event #3!). I was not surprised to learn this because on Sunday I experienced some pains/sensations that led me to believe she dropped over the weekend. I've felt as though I have more room in my upper abdomen this week.

-2 cm dilated (event #4). Last week I heard, "maybe a 1..."

Dr. J. said these changes were quite dramatic compared to my exam last week, and that they typically don't happen until a few days before delivery in subsequent pregnancies. He isn't sure I'll be needing my appt on Wed of next week (June 22), and certainly doesn't think I'll need one after that, so told me not to even bother scheduling.
I left the appt feeling excited, anxious, and in a bit of a panic. I've been telling myself we have all this time before she arrives, and that may not be the case. I am praying that Dr J's predictions are right, but if not, his words at least sparked the motivation I've been lacking to finish our preparations. The fire has been lit!