A lightbulb goes off...

in the doctor's head.

At today's OB visit, I think he finally realized that I've got a ripping case of "white coat syndrome" when I go to his office. He admitted that I'm baffling him. He said he's reviewed all of my normal BP readings from the peri's office, seen that all of my labs have been normal, and that I have no other symptoms.

Considering these things, he agreed to let me keep coasting on for a few more weeks, asking me to have the nurse at the peri's office call him personally at each of my remaining NSTs to report my BP.

He then mentioned that he's on call this weekend at the big hospital and asked if I wanted to come down and "dance," i.e., be induced. I said I wasn't entirely comfortable with that since I think she stills needs a few more weeks to cook, but I did reiterate that the mister and I really wanted him to deliver me again.

Doc reconfirmed when I'd be 37 weeks (Jan. 27th) and said he was on call at my local hospital that weekend so he could admit me at 36w6d saying I was having high BP readings (he then said he hoped I could pull that off as he didn't want to end up looking like a horse's ass if I showed up there with normal BP) and I'd be induced the following day.

A came with me to the dr's appt and later told me he didn't think I'd have trouble pulling off the high BP readings the day before induction--just knowing I'd be going into the hospital the next day to deliver should put enough fear into me to elevate my BP nicely without any extra effort. Plus, I'm wound pretty tight as it is, regardless of being pg.

Oh, and today I was the lucky recipient of A) the strep swab, and B) a surpise internal check (1 cm dilated, 50% effaced). Luckily, I actually showered before this morning's visit (and had A 'trim my undercarriage' this past weekend); thank goodness for small miracles.

So it looks like, if all continues along as it currently is, we'll be welcoming 2.0 sometime around Jan. 27th or so. Crossing everything I can at such a bold proclamation.

Gulp. Despite the fact that I've gone through L&D before, I'm terrified of what's to come...a certain fear of the unknown in the known.