Week 40 and Martini's due date

So last night I woke up at midnight with contractions - um, yeah, they are painful. Like very bad cramps and I usually don't get cramps. AG found my thunder rainstorm CD last night just in time. I wrote in my journal for a bit and turned off the lights to sleep. It took awhile, but somehow, I did fall asleep.

Woke up at 2:30am in bed breathing through more contractions. Finally got up to turn on the rainstorm CD to help me fall back to sleep - after writing more in my journal. Fell asleep again and woke up at 6:15am due to another painful contraction. AG woke up this time and we decided to start tracking them. When I woke up I had a weird dream that I was going through labor in my dream - we were in Paris in the 1930's and soaking in a tub while going through some active labor. The bathroom window was next to the apartment stairwell where people were walking up and down and hanging out - like in Manhattan. There was a stir of activity outside, people were drinking, it was at night. Some homeless woman was trying to climb through our window to hang out inside. I kept trying to shoo her away but she wouldn't go and no one was helping me. I finally located a cop and he chased her off, and that's when I woke up.

The contractions are going 25 minutes lasting over a good minute. By 8:15 they are getting pretty painful - so I decided to get up and walk around and sit on the birthing ball - that helped a lot. Contractions are now going every 15 minutes lasting up to 1 minute but they aren't as painful as I'm moving my body. Just took a shower, called our doula, Sasha and our parents to inform them of the activity. We still aren't sure whether this is the real thing - but it sure feels like it - especially with the bloody show and all. Walking is even better - the pain is less intense. So now I'm starving and we are getting dressed to get food and pack our hospital bag. Haven't yet decided to send emails to friends just yet since I'm not sure where the contractions are heading. Some of the women in my birthing class have had contractions for 5 days now - the contractions start at night and subside during the day. So I don't want to alarm anyone.

More updates when I return from our little food walk.