Still Pregnant

I am getting call after call, email after email, all wondering...are you still pregnant?
Well, the answer is YES, I am. Surprisingly so, since I have been having regular contractions since Saturday night.
So for all of you dying to know, I'll give you an update.
{For those of you who are tired of reading about pregnancy and nothing else on this blog, sorry. It's pretty much all that's on my mind these days!}
I did make it through our friend's wedding, and Jason was able to perform the beautiful ceremony which I cried through. I could blame pregnancy hormones, but lets face it, I would have cried through it pregnant or not.
I'd been having sporadic contractions throughout the day and after the reception I started experiencing more regular contractions. I awoke Sunday morning to contractions that were 5 to 7 minutes apart, so we decided to go into the hospital.
They did all the preliminary checks, hooked me up to the baby heart monitor and contraction monitor, and checked my cervix. I was 4 and a half centimeters dilated. I was then told to walk the halls for an hour and a half, and then they'd check my cervix again for progress. Unfortunately, the walking yielded no results, as I was still at 4 and a half centimeters an hour and a half later. I was then told since no progress was made, I was going to be sent home.
This was of course frustrating, as it's not easy to get everything ready for three children to be taken care of while I'm in the hospital, and now it will have to be done all over again. But even more frustrating was what the nurse told us. If I had been 39 weeks pregnant, they would have just kept me and broken my water since I am already 4 and a half cm dilated. But since I was 38 weeks and 5 days {2 days short of 39 weeks,} I was being sent home. Also, if my primary doctor would have been on call, the nurse was sure he would have ok'd my stay, but he wasn't on call of course.
They gave me discharge papers which outlined some criteria to follow. This included a list of symptoms. I was told if I'm having one or more symptoms on the list, I should come back in. The funny thing is, the nurse says, "But you're already having regular contractions and bloody show, so just ignore the first two symptoms."
Hmmm. Makes sense, doesn't it?
So here I am, at home having contractions and waiting it out.
I do fear that since I don't want to go in and be told to go home again, that I may wait too long and experience my first home birth. Jason is fearful of this as well, and has actually studied up on how to deliver a baby at home. Scary, huh?!? I caught him on the computer last night reading about delivery procedures, after which he got his head lamp and the baby nasal suction tool ready. I suppose we're now prepared for anything, although I really do not want my baby delivered by Jason wearing a head lamp.
I have my next doctors appointment on Wednesday, where he will induce if I haven't had the baby on my own. It's only two days away, but we're getting very anxious. Even Jason is anxious, and he rarely gets worked up about anything.
But at the same time, we keep praying for God to give us patience and strength to endure. It's only a few more days, and we'll be holding our little guy in our arms. I continue to pray that I will be able to get through this labor without pitocin to regulate the contractions, but in the back of my mind, I'm prepared for if I do have to have pitocin. It's painful, but I've done it before and can do it again.
Thank you again for all your prayers. Soon enough the pregnancy talk will be over and the newborn photos will begin.
I am so excited!