Practice Run

I didn't want to write this before C was born, because I knew too many people would worry. I do, however, want to record it. For posterity? For history? For whatever reason.
The week before Calvin was born, we had a practice run to the hospital.
You see, this baby I was carrying was "very active". Ever since one of the first ultrasounds. Apparently watching a bean jump is indicative of activity; I mean that bean would eventually become my Calvin, but it was weird then.
I carried "high" throughout my entire pregnancy--which is why everyone thought I was going to have a girl. For 32 weeks Calvin was transverse--it was like he was in a baby hammock on  tropical location (poolside, obviously). Then he snuggled up on the right side, tightly tucked under my rib cage. (So much so that I often put my arms over my head when at bedtime so I could catch my breath.) I put myself on "couch rest" for a week (week 37) so that I could make it through the school year since my doc told me I was 70% effaced and 3 cm dilated--and could go at any time. I wanted to make it through the year, so I stopped doing just about everything at home--and often taught while sitting on a perch at the front of the room. At week 38, in the final days of the school year, I was vacuuming, sweeping, hauling laundry, carrying things up and down the stairs. I was doing everything to get things rolling. Calvin dropped a little every day for three days. And, he was still.
When he was inactive for two days, I called the hospital to see what they wanted to do. They asked if I had counted his movements; I hadn't though I knew they'd probably ask me if I had. I told them I was high risk and that this baby had been super active for the entire pregnancy. They told me to come in just so they could check it out.
We went. We checked in to labor and delivery. They were busy that day and didn't have an assessment room for us, so they had us set up in a delivery room. It was a huge space--larger than our living room--and the bathroom echoed. (It was large enough for a standing shower, a stand alone whirlpool tub for hydrobirths and a separate water closet. Pretty sure it was large enough for an aerobics class to meet.)  I would say we were both a little spooked. I tried to remain calm as I changed into a gown and climbed into the bed. Dan wandered around the room (rather nervously). We fiddled with the bed, we poked around in the closets, and we punched the buttons on the remote to manipulate the TV.
The nurse asked us a battery of questions. Some of those questions might have raised my blood pressure, but I was doing my best to tell all of my body to remain calm. When the nurse put the tocometer on my belly and we heard the thunder of horse feet, she said--in practically a whisper--"there's your baby." I have to admit that I breathed a sigh of relief.
Because of all sorts of issues happening on that floor in the hospital, we spent almost three hours there. Almost long enough to enjoy "Just Go With It" (perfect mantra for our situation); we finished watching the final scenes one week later.
In the end, the practice run was good for us. We were able to get a feel for where we would be and how things would work. It made our birthing experience a much more calming experience. It also inspired us to finish packing our hospital bag!