10 days

For those of you that have been following this blog for awhile know that my bed rest season is coming to a close.  I am not as free as I would like to be at this point but I am trying to be patient.  I will be 36 weeks on Monday.  Many of you also know that I have this lovely cerclage and we have scheduled the removal for Monday, January 2nd.  At the hospital.  Does that tell you what my doctor thinks is going to happen?  :)  I am so much farther along than I was with Audra at this point so it feels like it could be any day. Thank you for checking back regularly.  When we have news we will post.  My Christmas comes on Monday January 2nd.  Merry Christmas!

Oh Freedom

Today marks 34 weeks and one day!  A milestone that we thought we would never be near.  As of today I have some new freedoms that I am in desperate need of before I go insane.  I can begin to sit up more, go to the grocery store for one item not 100, and leave the house a couple times this week.  Woo-hoo.  With the passing of 34 weeks I can also deliver at our local hospital if the need arises.  No more UVA, no more magnesium drip, no more fear of early delivery.  It is a strange and bittersweet new freedom.  With this new freedom comes a strange feeling of melancholy.  In the past 10 and half weeks, I have been out of the house 10 times.  4 of those times consisted of visits to the hospital.  Weeks of functioning on anxiety, fear and imminent delivery is impossible to forget in one week.  To embrace the freedom and peace feels wrong.  To put into words the heavy burden of weeks of silence, waiting and anticipation seems impossible.  I am once again am in awe of this second journey of bed rest and the question of how and why is only added to the list of someday questions.  For now, I embrace this new found freedom with both arms and continue to find shelter in the grace we have been given once again.  May you be covered with grace this Christmas season.      

Great appointment but a not so silent night

Another appointment down this week with another stable report.  Starting next week I will be 34 weeks and I have been told I can sit up to eat my meals.  If all goes well I will be able to do more the next week.  I hope all goes well.

On another note, we had an exciting early morning today.  At 4:50 this morning I awoke with a start.  I laid there for awhile contemplating why I was awake.  After a moment I heard it.  The slam of a pantry door and the pounding of feet.  This was no Santa and eight tiny reindeer.  This was an intruder!  My eyes popped open and I sprang out of the bed.  I crept out to the hall and grabbed the closest weapon: a lamp.  I silently slipped down the stairs to see who or what was in the house.  As I rounded the corner I clutched the lamp close.  I know what you are thinking- why would she think a lamp will save her?  The better question you should ask yourself is-why is this eight month pregnant woman defending her household?  Do you really think a pregnant woman on bed rest should or would leap out of bed to defend her home?  There is no leaping going on with this girl!  Let's start again.  At 4:50 this morning I awoke with a start.  I laid there for awhile contemplating why I was awake.  After a moment I heard it.  The slam of a pantry door and the pounding of feet.  I jabbed Paul beside me and startled him awake.  "I think Audra's downstairs!"  Paul shot out of bed and I do mean shot out of bed and was half way down the stairs before he fully comprehended what he was even doing.  That is the funny thing about Paul. When he is asleep, he is asleep.  So he often ends up a comical mess before really coming awake if he is startled from a deep sleep.  He rounded the laundry corner to find Audra sitting beside our dog Skye reading a book.  Skye listened intently while Audra read with gusto from her book.  Once again she had found her way from her bed to another location.  Needless to say we will be putting the gate back up at the top of the stairs to keep Audra from walking down the stairs in her sleep. 

And the Search Begins . . .

Yesterday I had yet another appointment.  Is it sad that my week is defined by my one outing a week?  :)  Everything was stable again.  My doctor has not taken away my restrictions yet but I have been given permission to start sitting up to eat a few meals.  This will be heaven. 

My family is here for the weekend to celebrate Christmas.  I am sending my brother along with Paul to pick out the Christmas tree.  If you were reading this blog last year, you will remember well the Christmas fiasco.  Feel free to go back and read what happened last year and it what is in store for my poor brother- Sucker.  :) 

32 Weeks vs The Long Car Ride

Wow- what a huge day.  Again.  As we continue to travel the last few weeks I am often in awe again of the many meals, prayers and visits we receive.  Again thank you for walking with us.  At this point all is well and it looks like some of my restrictions will be lifted as of 34 weeks.  We do still ask for your prayers as the last couple of weeks have brought a new sort of issue up.  Because I am so closely monitored, my doctor started to notice that my amniotic fluid level was on the low end.  After a few weeks of monitoring, the fluid appears to be stable.  However, if it were to continue to decrease that would bring a whole new set of issues that we really don't want to face.

As for the last two weeks-  have you ever been on a really long car ride?  Being from Iowa, I have made the 16 hour drive more times than I care to count.  The first 15 hours tend to fly by but the last hour is INSANE.  The kind of poke your eyes out insane.  Everything about the people in the car with you annoys you.  The way they chew their gum, the music they listen to, the speed they are driving or the fact that they aren't driving.  Everyone is grumpy, tired and sore.  Adding children to the mix only increases the insanity level.  The last hour feels unbearable.  As the car creeps closer and closer to home, the passengers in the car seems to mentally nudge the gas pedal to the floor.  It is time to be home.  Once the car pulls into the driveway, everyone literally spills out of the car not wanting to think of the unpacking that is before them.  I am at the last hour.  The one of insanity.  The urge to nudge the pedal faster.  I feel like the Train Engine that Could repeating, "I think I can, I think I can." So close yet so far.    "I CAN do this, "I Can do this."

All-Star Weekend

Wow, talk about an all-star weekend.  On Friday Paul informed me a surprise would be coming that night or the next morning.  Since I was getting so many packages in the mail, I figured it would involve the UPS or FedEx truck.  You can imagine my surprise when my friend from Iowa walked through the door.  I screamed and stood up.  Yep stood up and gave her hug right on the spot.  What an amazing surprise.  I have never ever been fully surprised, despite what my husband may say.  Annika- thank you for leaving your family to come and care for me and mine.  What a gift.  The endless conversation with no time constraint was a blessing.  Thank you, thank you, thank you!

The weekend did not end with Monday morning.  The fun continued as Annika left for her flight back to Iowa, my friend Sherri was getting in her mini van and driving from Pennsylvania to spend the day with me.  Some of you know that Pa isn't all that far away from Virginia but what is impressive is the fact that she flew all the way from Canada to Pa first.  A couple of days later she then got in her car and drove 3 1/2 hours to see me for 3 hours and then drive back 3 1/2 hours back to Pa all in one day.  Is your brain whirling?  Imagine how Sherri's felt.  :)  Thank  you dear friend for driving a total of 7 hours to be with me for three.  That is true dedication and was such a blessing!   

So Annika receives the best surprise award and Sherri receives the a best bed rest visitor as she came all the way from Canada both times that I have been on bed rest!   

So many of you have blessed in us in many ways with meals, visits, day-care, gift cards and much much more.  Thank you for loving us so fully as we continue this journey of bed rest.  May you be blessed in return. 

Sugar, Sugar, Sugar

Another week down and another great report from the doctor.   We are now at 30 weeks and 3 days so we are breathing much easier than our UVA fiasco five weeks ago.  Today I also had the privilege of   completing a three hour glucose test.  This test basically consists of a wicked orange drink that taste like flat orange soda with  three cups of sugar added to it.  Bleck!  It was nasty.  I am sure my middle school students would have loved it. 

On another note- your prayers would be welcomed for my friend Megan.  She is currently pregnant  as well and due in March. Her daughter recently contracted the virus 5th disease, which is not lethal to toddlers,  but is extremely dangerous for a fetus.  Megan tested positive today for the virus and is being closely monitored by doctors.  She goes in weekly to check and make sure the baby is not anemic.  If this were to happen she would have to receive blood transfusions.  She and her family would welcome your prayers. 

30 Weeks and a New View?

Yesterday marks the 30th week of this pregnancy! Yeah. Only four more weeks of strict bed rest- hopefully. While four weeks seems reasonable, I had a brief moment of insanity this weekend. I needed something new and four more weeks seemed overwhelming to me. So Paul decided I needed a new view on life. Literally. Thus began a 2 hour ordeal of rearranging the living room. Ready for the new room?

Old Room

New Room

Wait for it . . .

Wait for it . . .

Still there?  

 New Room! 

Yep, two hours of grueling agony only to put the room back exactly as it was before my moment of insanity.  Now you may be thinking that I am a cold-hearted woman to make my darling husband move every piece of furniture around, but in my defense I did warn him that I would probably not like it.  There just isn't another way to arrange this room with the furniture we have.  So for now, I will gladly stare at the same corner that needs a straight paint line and the same cobweb on the ceiling. 

Thurday

Another week down with a stable report again. It is hard to believe it has been six weeks since I started bed rest.I say that with a small amount of sarcasm as the six weeks have begun to wear on me. The good news is I get to watch Regis and Kelly everyday as Regis counts down to his final show. I know- SO EXCITING. Ha. Here is to one more month on bed rest!

stable for another week

Another week has come and gone with another stable report. It is nice to settle into a routine. I only have five more weeks to go for strict bed rest. They will lighten my restrictions at week 34. Five weeks doesn't feel so bad, right?