34 Weeks - 3 Days

I feel so accomplished today! Not because of anything I have done, but our countertop and sink were installed today! Praise! Everything had to sit for 24 hours but as we speak my dad is working on getting the sink hooked up. Woo hoo! I want to take a picture and post it but you can't tell the magnificence of the granite countertop because there are no doors on the cabinets and only the bottom cabinets are installed so I will be patient for a few more days.

There has been no change in baby's position or amount of contractions. 

I am just "resting" which is a joke because I can't sleep. I took 2 Tylenol PM's last night and got about 4-5 hours of sleep. Poor Bryan isn't sleeping either. We even slept separate last night, but he is just as restless and worried as I am. 

I finished one knit hat for a birthday party that Micah and I were supposed to go to on Saturday that we won't be attending :( Now I am working on Micah's winter hat. If I finish his hat, I guess I will start on a green newborn hat. 

Bryan and I made a very difficult decision to send Micah to Bryan's parents. After prayer and a lot of pro/con conversation we realized that it was the best decision for everyone, especially the new baby. Bryan's dad, sister, and brother have off on Friday and offered to take him for a few days so that hopefully we can rest. Of course I cried as I said bye but I know that it is best for everyone. Micah has been asking for "Namaw" and they will keep him very busy with the beach and family. The greatest thing to come out of this trial is how much Micah has gravitated to his grandparents. He asks for "Nammy" (Grammy) and Papa and now Bryan's parents. He didn't call my mom or bryan's parents by name until last weekend. It warms my heart to see him loved so deeply. After Bryan and I lived in Oregon we knew that the most important thing to us were our families, especially starting a family of our own. The decision to come home has never been second guessed since having Micah!

One thing that I really wanted were some fall/maternity family pictures before having this baby. We set up a mini photo shoot for next Thursday so I hope this baby stays put!!!

At least I have this little gem! As I was cooking dinner, Micah kept pulling up my shirt and I asked if he wanted to kiss the baby and asked Bryan to grab the camera :)

Day 4 - 34 weeks 2 days

34 weeks 1 day

Heartburn. That is all I have to say. 

I have had extremely bad heartburn this pregnancy which could be because the baby's head is pushing on my stomach. I started to research a lot last night and discovered that the medicine that they had me on to "stop" contractions causes heartburn and headaches. The not so funny part of the whole thing is that I am supposed to be laying down. Have you ever tried laying down with ridiculously bad heartburn/reflux? miserable...

Last night baby G did.not.stop.moving. Even this morning in the waiting room at the doctor's office a woman was watching my belly as it moved all over the place. This child has a lot of energy or is really trying to turn!!!

Doctor "C" confirmed today that this is what my baby looks like in the womb. Usually baby G puts his/her head on my left side too making my belly very lopsided and my body pretty uncomfortable. 

Dr "C" also explained that if I make it to 36 weeks they will schedule an "external version" and that Dr. "U" has the best outcomes so request her. I am REALLY starting to LOVE my doctors' office. There has been a lot of complaining in the Salisbury area about the options for pregnancy care and birth but after this weekend I can honestly say that I would trust TLC with my life. The doctors have a ton of experience, I have been able to request to see a midwife/doctor depending on the day and my questions, and Dr C spent almost 45 minutes with me yesterday giving me statistics, drawing graphs, and really setting my mind at ease about what could possibly happen with this baby. 

We decided to stop the Procardia yesterday and use it more as an emergency medicine. She said that doctors use the medication to keep visits to L&D down and calls to the office. The medicine is not proven to stop labor but to keep you have from having braxton hicks. I don't care about braxton hicks and the medicine is making me sick so she recommended using it as a test or for emergencies. She explained that if I start questioning whether I am in labor because of consistent contractions, take 1 pill every 15-20 minutes for an hour. If the contractions stop, it isn't labor. So that is my plan! 

So between stopping the Procardia and increasing my Zantac dosage, I have been resting and sleeping!! 

I am still on bed rest- no shopping, cooking, cleaning...which sounds incredible but it isn't when nesting is in overdrive. I can't lift Micah at all which makes life very interesting. So far my mom has been around to put Micah into the crib for nap time. Micah also actually lets Bryan put him to bed now without me in the room since climbing the stairs a lot isn't a good idea. 

My mom has been reminding me a lot about Ecclesiastes 3:2 that there is "A time to be born" and I am so thankful that at this point if this baby came, we would most likely be facing minor health concerns, nothing major. Plenty of babies have been born at 34 weeks and have gone home a week later. But our prayer is not to need the NICU at all! 

Bed Rest

Day 3 of bed rest:

Micah has handled all of these changes better than expected and I am so thankful. My family and friends have offered anything I could need, but yet I am still struggling to stay horizontal. I keep questioning whether bed rest is really necessary but then I realize that as soon as I start moving around, I start having contractions... and whether it is "necessary" or not, it is worth it! Anyone that has had a premature baby has encouraged me in that.

Before Sunday nothing was ready for a new baby, but now I feel more ready.

Bryan packed the hospital bag.

I have neutral, girl, and boys clothes picked out for the first few weeks.

We have yet to pull the bassinet from the attic, but figured we have some time...I am hoping we have more time!

I go back to the doctor tomorrow morning and am hoping for good news or maybe just no news :)

33 weeks and 5 days

Saturday morning, I woke up at 1:30 am to a lot of pressure and contractions. I changed positions but continued to have the kind of contractions that wrap about your back.

I decided to go downstairs grab water and my phone, and start timing them. I grew quickly concerned when I realized they were 7 minutes apart, lasting 45 seconds, and growing in intensity. This is where I kick myself. Instead of doing what all the books and your doctor says to do, I waited. I kept telling myself "this isn't labor". I switched positions, laid on my side, chugged water, and to my dismay they started coming every 6 minutes.

I went upstairs, and asked Bryan to rub my back to get my body to calm down. I thought I had control over the situation. I kept telling myself, "If I can only get my body to relax, these contractions will stop." After about 10 minutes of intense pressure I got up and drove myself to the hospital. In hindsight, I should have called the doula to meet me at the hospital to have some encouragement and had Bryan call my parents right away so he could meet me. But no- I thought I will just wait to see what they say and then make a decision. BAD IDEA.

So Bryan got a hysterical call saying I am 3 cm and he needs to get to the hospital. I had no bag packed. The car seat and bassinet is still up in the attic. No baby clothes are washed. NOTHING is ready for a baby. But then it dawns on me that if I had a baby this weekend, it wouldn't matter anyway. The baby would stay in the NICU and I would be discharged without my baby.

But thankfully that didn't happen!

I had to wait 45 minutes to see if my pre-term labor test (FFN) was positive and it was. More tears...

They put me into a labor and delivery room and as soon as I saw the pediatric table and newborn diaper I absolutely lost it. This baby is not ready to come out and I will do everything I can to keep him/her inside longer.

They started me on Procardia which stop contractions and I got my first steroid shot for the baby's lung to develop.

Then came the biggest disappointment. They did an ultrasound to check the baby's position and the baby is breech still. Both the doctor and nurse encouraged me that if we can keep labor at bay, the baby still has time to turn. So that is my prayer!!! I REALLY don't want a c-section...

Now it is Sunday morning and I am still here. I got my 2nd shot this morning and still getting Procardia every 6 hours and will continue to until labor can't be held off anymore. I am just waiting for the doctor to come in and ensure that I haven't had anymore change and if not- home free!

Though not free...I will be sent to bed/couch until baby is ready. My prayer is to make it to 37 weeks so that is 3 weeks on bed rest. Worse things have happened and women have been on bed rest for much longer.

Please join me in praying for these things:
1. Healthy full term baby
2. Baby's position
3. For Micah. That he will still feel loved by mommy even though we can't go on walks, go to the park, etc.
4. That I will not feel obligated to DO. My list is never-ending of the things that I wanted to accomplish for a new baby.
5. That I will accept help. We still don't have a fully working kitchen so I need help. The doctor gave strict orders- no laundry, dishes, etc. Get up to shower, go to the bathroom, get a drink. This is going to be very difficult for me but I have to be a good patient for the health of my baby.

Thanks for reading and the thoughts and prayers.

31 Weeks and no kitchen

It's true...we ripped out everything in our kitchen this past weekend. And by "we" I mean my dad and Bryan.

We are doing a complete remodel - electric, appliances, drywall, cabinets, countertop, lights, and flooring. The flooring is not being done by us (thank goodness!) because wow is our floor sloped. What else would you expect in a house built in 1933. Yet I love the charm and potential for our house and soon it will be SO much closer to how I pictured it from a DIY standpoint! 

30 weeks

Still feeling great- gained 4 pounds in 2 weeks...whoops! 

thankful

I'm thankful for waking up to fresh coffee, pancakes that I didn't make, and a cool morning breeze through the windows.

But most of all I am thankful for the morning snuggles on the couch under a blanket!

oh and Micah finding the top of a medicine dispenser to teeth on :)

Drool Monster!