1 Centimeter, 50% Effaced

I had my first weekly prenatal appointment today. I say this every five minutes, but I can't believe I'm already nearing the end of my pregnancy. It seems like just last month that I was praying for nausea, wondering if I'd ever conceive. And wasn't it just last week when we learned we were pregnant? I still cry when I think about that day. That moment when I turned around and read the word, "Pregnant." And now here I am, just weeks away from holding my very own child in my arms. I just can't believe it. It's a miracle. A miracle.

We listened to her heartbeat today, like we always do. I remember when I was so anxious to hear her heart beating, back before I could feel her movements. Now, when we listen for the heartbeat, I know with confidence we will find it, because I feel my daughter moving constantly, and I know that she is alive and well. Today, her heart was beating 130 beautiful beats per minute.

After the heartbeat, my doctor measured my baby bump, as she's been doing for some time now. Once again, she said I was measuring perfectly, and I didn't bother to ask exactly how many inches or centimeters "perfectly" was. Her assurance was enough. I did, however, want to know if we were progressing toward labor. I wasn't expecting much, but the doctor said that I'm 1 centimeter dilated, and 50% effaced. I wasn't even sure what "effaced" meant, but I knew 50% had to be better than 0%. She also said that the baby has dropped, that she's very low, and she estimates that she'll weigh "a high six pounds" at birth. And the best part? She's scheduled an ultrasound for next week, because she couldn't positively confirm that baby is head down. She said she couldn't feel the soft spot of the head to be sure, and so next Wednesday, John and I will get to see our little munchkin one more time before her birth. I pray of course that her head is in fact, down, but I'm just thrilled for the opportunity to see her again. And then I hope it won't be too much longer before I see her face-to-face.