how do you know?

I have a very long way to drive to get to my doctor and the hospital where I plan to deliver. We have an hour and a half drive (with no traffic) each way. It's nerve wracking! Will I get there in time? Will I get stuck in traffic? Will the baby be born midway between Tampa and Orlando in a red, 2001 Pontiac Sunfire? OR ... Even worse it seems, will I be in false labor and drive all of that way for nothing!?! Will I get up there, and the nurses tell me ... "Nope! You're not ready. Go home, and come back later." Will my doctor be upset if I call him in for a false alarm in the middle of the night? I am in such fear of this that I sit here and type instead of having Billy race me up to Orlando to have a baby. How do I know that I'm really in labor?

Everyone tells me (well ... every woman), "You will know!" But I am wary ... and I know it's because of the distance we have to travel. Tonight as Billy and I were wrapping up an episode of Mad Men, I started to feel contractions. I know they were contractions, because I definitely haven't felt anything like them so far this pregnancy. I remember what little contractions I had with Colton (because he was induced--and 24 hours later, I was put on an epidural) felt like I had my period cramps ... only much worse than my average period. I was feeling the same way ... but very intermittently. So, I went to bed. I woke up two separate times to use the bathroom ... and because I was feeling "sick" or crampy. I was even dreaming about being crampy/having contractions. The third time I woke up to use the bathroom (in two hours), I could not go back to sleep. The cramping happened before I could fall back into a dream state. I would lay there and think .... "Is this it? Should I wake up Billy? I should. I'm going to ... no, no ... I feel better now. I'll just fall asleep and worry about this in the morning." Then not too long later, I would feel it again and have the same thoughts. Finally, I woke up Billy to have him pack and to warn him. Then as I walked around, I started to feel better. So, now I'm thinking, "False labor! I don't want to have Billy take me all of the way up to Orlando for nothing--as I sit here and do my hair without too much pain and agitation." I told Billy that I would wake up my Mom and talk to her about it, and I wanted him to just go back to bed. He has ... he's in bed now. I have since--in the past 45 minutes--been using my contraction counter on my iPhone to count my contractions ... it says, according to my last 5 contractions, that I'm in "active labor". But still ... it's hard for me to believe it! I don't know ... I can't wait too long ... or the worst could happen ... my baby could be born in a car! Yikes! I better get my Mom up and ask her what to do. Then I better get praying pretty hard about all of this, because I can't think of a worse way to start a Tuesday morning than to have to drive 3 hours (round trip) for a false alarm!It's 3:47 a.m.---I wish this felt easier.