3:57pm -- Shannon is at an 8/9. I guess she gets up to 9cm during contractions, but backs off to more like an 8 when the contraction ends. Things are getting a bit bloodier, so I don't look much. (Don't worry folks, I stay firmly planted on the couch they have for me.)

The doctor was just in here to check on things. Whatever hand/elbow/whatever might have been up by her head earlier is no longer there. The doctor said that her cervix may have torn slightly, but that doesn't seem to be a big deal. (Of course, I've never heard him talk like anything was a big deal.) Shannon is now on oxygen. The baby isn't quite facing the right direction yet, so they pitched Shannon up on her side to try to get her to rotate a bit more. (Her head is down, don't worry folks. But we want her facing backwards, not sideways or something weird.)

I still have a very hard time fathoming 10cm of dilation. At work we make wafers that are very precisely 10cm in diameter, so I have a very good idea of just what size that is. Wow.

We appreciate all the comments and good thoughts from everybody.