Quick update. We just came back from the Dr. and still no signs of effacement or dilation. Tropical Storm Wilma has turned into a category 5 Hurricane overnight and the current forecast puts us in line with a direct hit by late Saturday/early Sunday. Either way we would be forced to ride-out the Hurricane in the crowded Hospital lobby with all the other pregnant women beyond 36 weeks pregnant, as the drop in barometric pressure typically induces labor. Not a fun place to be during a Hurricane. Assuming that we are there and Elena does go into labor, the Hospital will not be in the best condition considering Dr.'s and staff have their own families to look after. So we are looking at a skeleton crew at best and a c-section on back-up generator power. Not at all desirable. Elena and I decided last night that it would probably be best if we started the induction process today in hopes that Emma will come within the next three days. There are no guarantees and once you start induction, and the contractions are kicking, you can't squeeze the paste back in the tube, meaning that if things don't go smoothly, a c-section (though undesirable) may become a reality. Ultimately we have decided that we are going to take as much control of this thing as possible and start induction in an attempt to "persuade" Emma to be born while the Hospital is still standing and the staff is still partially attentive. Things could change, and Wilma could be a non-factor for us in the end, but unfortunately the induction process requires a certain amount of lead-time and once started we will have committed to the birthing process (i.e. there is no stopping it once the wheels are in motion).

We will be checking into the hospital tonight at 6:00PM. The plan is to have the nursing staff administer Cervidil around that time. This will cause Elena's cervix to ripen (that is the effacement part we have been waiting for). At 5:00AM the next morning they will put her on Pitocin to start contractions. If all goes well Emma could be born as soon as tomorrow night. If not, they will begin another round of Cervidil/Pitocin. After another 12-24 hours if things still don't change they will most likely perform a c-section. Elena is nervous because it is crunch time. I will be by her side throughout this whole process. I have already called in to work to let them know that I will be taking personal days until Emma is born and then rolling into FMLA.

There is a lot left for me and Elena to do today to prepare. I will be putting up our hurricane shutters (because I won't have that luxury later). We will do our best to keep the lines of communication open. I will be contacting Elena's Mom and my Mom with updates. We have designated them as our communication line to disseminate updates to the rest of our family and friends. Please don't call Elena or me directly for updates as we will be under a lot of stress and pressure. Nothing can be more frustrating than spending a full night at the hospital with IV's stuck in you, the nurse telling you that your status has not changed, and then explaining that to 30 people every few minutes. We know you guys love us so please be patient and bare with us. As soon as we get through this we will be more than happy to go over every little detail with each and every one of you. Let's just save the play-by-play for later. Thanks for your prayers and understanding.