32 Weeks

My first milestone of this latest adventure...32 weeks! I have been so bad about posting, but thanks to the wonderful Wootton family -- I have the internet again! So, I will hopefully be a lot better about getting these posts out. Last week was a tough week, but we made it and we are feeling much better. I think all of my tests "spiked" at the same time and this momma was not feeling so good, but we are troopers and stuck it out and each day is another day that sweet pea grows in my belly. We are feeling much better this week -- so much so, that we got to move rooms!

Okay, I will back up...when I arrived at the hospital, two weeks ago, my protein urine count was at 451 (mild) on the 25th it spiked to 700 (severe) and as of the 2nd it was back down to 500! My lab work (they draw and test my blood everyday to make sure my organs ((kidney and liver and a slew of other things)) are still functioning well) seems to be going down a little bit each day too! I am happy to report that Shrek legs are no longer and have been replaced by chicken legs! Woo-hoo! I about cried when I saw my ankles for the first time in a good few months. It is funny when a nurse I haven't seen before comes in and says my swelling doesn't look "that bad" and I laugh and say "let me tell you something about not bad!". They also do a Non-Stress test on the baby (started out 24 hours a day, went down to 3 times a day, down to once a day, and back up to twice a day) to make sure he/she looks good. The strips have been reassuring but not reactive, so we are keeping close eye on the little one to make sure my placenta is not acting up and taking away all of the baby's amniotic fluid. WHEW! I am tired from writing all that! The nurse said they typically do not see patients as sick as I was when I got here end up looking this good and still pregnant two weeks out! So, I was very proud of us and we are just going to keep on trucking as long as we can. Our next goal is to get us to 34 weeks and if the baby and I look good after that we can keep on going to 37 weeks! I don't think the doctors quite know what to do with me -- they said they would conference on me once we hit 34 weeks. But, hopefully we will be doing so great that we won't have to induce and we can sail on to our 37th week!

The strict bed rest (I can only get up to go to the bathroom and take a bath) seems to agree with me and the doctor said I could plan on addressing my Christmas cards from the hospital. I have noticed that the less noise and stimulation I have the better, so I do a lot of looking out the window and snoozing. On the 29th we were able to move from the Labor and Delivery side of the hospital to the Mom/Baby side. We have a bigger bed and a wonderful view (we enjoyed watching the snow fall all day today and we fall asleep looking at the Christmas star), so no complaints! Upon arriving over at Mom/Baby we were given a tour of the NICU (I cried, but I am getting used to the idea that we are most likely going to have a preemie baby and it is okay) and if this baby is going to come early, this is the place to do it. The NICU is amazing, we would have our private room (that apparently we wouldn't have to leave until the baby does because it is so expensive to stay -- thanks insurance!) as would the baby. The baby would be right off of our room and the nurses' would have a door and we would have a door, so it is an ideal situation if sweet pea has to stay in the hospital.

I think that is about all I have for this update! I had an ultrasound today and we got a little picture! I think it is a picture only Bj and I will love -- the baby looks kind of terrified! The shadows the beams picks up around the face look a little scary, but I think it is the most beautiful baby out there! I am having Bj scan it at work tomorrow, so I will fill you all in on those details then!