34 weeks

Bed Rest: One week down and two weeks to go. Yay! (okay, not really! Can you sense my sarcasm??) :)
Today Casey and I made our way to Boulder, again, for my appointment. I had a vaginal ultrasound done, and then I saw the doctor. The purpose of the u/s was to see how my cervix length had changed in the last week. The numbers we got today were .6 to .8 or .9 and with fundal presssure, the magic number was .5. Also I am beginning to funnel, which means that things are opening up at the top of my cervix too. Things have changed over this past week! After talking with the doctor, she decided that I won't need an ultrasound next week because we don't know if this change occurred before or after I was contracting every 3-4 minutes on Wednesday, and since it's safe to assume that I will just continue to change, she doesn't think it's extremely important to get the numbers.
My BP was down, which is good, to 110/60 and I weighed in at 139.9, which is up from the 138 that I was at when I left the hospital on Sunday (using the manual scale as opposed to the digital one at the office), but still down from my 142 last week on Wednesday when I went in with the contractions.
My internal check showed no change.... still at 2 cm and 80%, so I haven't changed over the week. Hold on for just a little bit longer baby!
They want me back in next week for just a regular appointment since I have moved from "Antepartum, Brief" to "High Risk OB" in their books.

Home Sweet Home!

I finally got to leave the walls of Room 326!!!! My doctor came in this afternoon, and we talked about things, and she said I could go home. I am on the Procardia every 4 hours and am to be on bed rest. I am currently sitting at the computer, but will find my way back to the couch in a little bit and then up to bed this evening. I can go up and down the stairs one time a day, so either I will stay up for the day or come down in the morning and stay down until I am ready to go up.
I did get the okay to go to my Day Care class on Saturday. It is 6 hours long, but Dr. Shimoda said that as long as I have a good week at home, and pay attention to my body during class, I can go.
My nurse told us that I am having about 4 contractions an hour, but I am not feeling them unless it is about time for the Procardia, and I do sometimes feel tightening, but other than that, they are kind of non-existent to me. She wrote on my discharge papers that I am to call the office if I feel more than 4-6 in an hour, and Casey kind of questioned that, but I told him that I will do that if they are painful.
After Casey and I left, we stopped to pick up Jacqueline from a friend's house. They go to the same church as we do (well, the girls and I, Casey doesn't go to church), and this was Jacqueline's first day of Sunday School, so I thought she needed to go. She then had a play date at their house. My friend said that she wants to plan to do this until I am going back to church because she agrees that Jacqueline needs to go to Sunday School and the girls had so much fun playing together, it is good for both to get together. My friend also gave me a book on learning to knit, along with the needles and some yarn. I'm kind of excited to tackle the book tomorrow and see what I can do. :)
We also stopped at the library and picked up the next two books in my series, as I finished my second one this morning in the hospital, so I will have something else to keep me busy while on bed rest.
The girls were super happy to see me, and I was super happy to see them. It is so good to be home! They are having a hard time understanding that I can't be up getting them food and giving them baths (Leah is throwing a huge fit for my mom as we speak), but it is something they are going to have to learn to deal with.

My twin sister Monica has called me three times today. She had a dream last night that I had baby Tina, so she keeps checking on me. :) Nope, no baby yet! However, I am fairly sure I lost my mucus plug a little before 7 this evening, so who knows... it could be hours, days or weeks!
Tomorrow is 34 weeks. I have an appointment in the office for an ultrasound to check cervical length and then an appointment with the doctor. Hopefully things will not have changed, so I will post when that is over. As for me, I'm off to the couch again, and I'm hoping that Leah settles down soon!

Boring Day

Last night I was woken up every 4 hours for my Procardia. I made it through the night with no Ambien, which will be good since I am going home tomorrow. I did wake up at 5:30, half an hour after I should have had the Procardia, with some pains. I laid in bed until I could read the clock and when I saw Karen was 30 minutes late, I called for it. It really does help me to feel better.
My contractions aren't painful, and the doctor and nurses call it more of "irritability" than contractions. I can feel the tightening, occasionally, and I have started feeling some pressure from Tina. The pressure is not as piercing as it was on Monday when I first started feeling it, but it is definitely a feeling I'm not fond of.
I did say something to Karen last night that I was kind of toying with the idea of a c-section only because then I don't have to feel the stinging pain of the baby's crowning before the final push. However, the recovery from a c-section is much worse, so maybe the burning would be worth it. Well, she said something to my doctor so when she came in today we talked about it. She said she is in the same boat as me (she has three kids - first was vaginal, then a c-section with #2, and the third was a VBAC). She said that I can definitely ward off the burning sensation with an epidural, so I guess that is something to think about. Monica also told me that her recovery from Keegan's birth was better than Laura's (both natural), so I guess I'll wait and see what happens when it's time for Tina to grace us with her presence. If I'm having the back labor I've had in the past, I have a feeling I will go with an epidural, but as always, you never really know until it's time.
I did have an internal check today. I was sitting in the rocking chair and had the pressure down below my belly. It was happening quite often, so my nurse, Jen, decided to have my doctor come in and do an internal check to see if things have changed since I came in Wednesday. I am still at 1-2 cm and 80% effaced, so that makes them happy. I was really skeptical about my internal check, but Jen helped me to relax so much that this was the most pleasant check I have ever had. That really made me feel good, and I made sure to tell her how good it went and that it was all due to her. Now I will have to remember her tips in the future.
Monica asked me last night on the phone when they would actually let Tina come if she wanted to come early. I didn't ask my doctor about it, but I did ask my night nurse Karen, last night and she said that if I came in with my water broken they would let her come. Also, they would let her come if I was having regular, strong contractions and/or dilating regularly.
Karen also told me about a lady who came in at 29 weeks with her water broken, and she spent 5 weeks in the same room I am in. I was really confused because I had heard that if your water breaks, the baby needs to come out in 24 hours. Apparently, that is only the case when your water breaks for a term baby. If the baby is pre-term, they will keep you at bay as long as they can.
Well, today has been really boring. Casey took both girls to swimming lessons, actually swimming with Leah. Yay! That was really exciting for me because we have paid for the lessons, and since I can't be there anymore, he will take her to her next two lessons as well. Jacqueline told me on the phone that she went underwater today, and she was so proud of herself. I really hope we continue to take her because even though she won't be ready to move on (she will probably be at this level for a couple years), she is having a great experience and learning more. Leah, however, probably won't take anymore classes after this session until I am able to take her again.
Casey stayed home today and worked at home. He will come and get me tomorrow, but since nothing exciting has been going on, he decided to stay home and get work done around the house.
I took a nap this afternoon, which was really nice, and I also got to take a bath in the jetted tub in my room and then I took a shower and got all washed up. I just feel so clean and it helps lift my spirits as well.
I had a yummy supper of a chicken sandwich and fresh fruit, and have read most of my book. I have been free of cables most of the day, but am currently hooked up to the contraction monitor and Lisa (my nurse) is running an NST (Non Stress Test) on Tina, who is always doing a great job of keeping her heart rate up and also it goes up and down and doesn't just continually have the same heart rate. She seems to be much more active when she is on the monitor and I can feel her moving so much more.
Part of me just wants her to come now so I can meet her. I'm getting anxious after all that has been happening. We are now in a waiting game.....

Off the Mag, Test out the Procardia

This morning was kind of the same as yesterday morning. I woke up around 5 and then took a little while to go back to sleep. Karen came in and told me that she would try to get me again tonight, and a few minutes later she was followed by Carla, who is the nurse who gave me the bath yesterday. It's nice to see a familiar face! I did fall asleep again, and slept for a while. Breakfast came late, but that's how it is.
At 9 Dr. Shimoda came in. She said they could take me off the Mag, yay! It took a while to feel better, but it all depends on the person when it comes to how fast it wears off. My day was brightened a lot when Jacqueline walked in!! Then Casey and Leah came in behind. They were so cute. Jacqueline kept asking what everything was and why I was in bed, so I did my best to explain to her in her terms what was going on. Leah was super cute too, and was carried in my Casey with her purse. I asked her what was in it and she told me wipes. It turns out Casey had packed her a diaper and wipe in her purse and had her carry it herself. :) They weren't here for an extremely long time, but long enough to make my day and let them see where I have been since I'm not at home.
I also talked to Stacy after Casey dropped off the girls and I was so happy to hear that Leah didn't cry when she was dropped off! She walked in and put her arms up to Stacy and was as happy as can be. Jacqueline walked right in and made herself comfortable on the couch. I'm so glad Jacqueline is so easy going and that Leah has finally warmed up and is happy being away from Casey and me. I don't know if this will just be with Stacy, or if she will go through the separation thing again.
For a while I still had the blurry/double vision, but it did okay. At about 3, Carla had me get out of bed and sit in a chair. I sat for a little bit, and also walked some on my own, and then I laid back on the bed. Carla took out my catheter, which came out without a hassle and didn't even hurt like she said it probably would. I sat in the chair again for a while and read my book, but then I started feeling tired, so I laid in bed and did fall asleep for about an hour and a half. I woke up hot, clammy, and having to pee, so I got up and soon felt much better. I sat in the chair for a little bit, but then I started getting some low belly pain, so Carla had me move back to the bed. :( As much as I am tired of sitting in bed, it is the best position so baby isn't encouraged to put pressure on me.
I had a really good appetite at supper tonight, and remembered to take my Flagyl, and I also got another Colace (stool softener). Carla was so funny! She came in and I told her that I had a bowel movement. She smiled, said "yay!" and clapped a little. It is a big step, as it has been 2 days, but she made me smile. :)
I needed to pee again a while after supper, so I called to see if I could get up on my own. The lady who answered said she would send my nurse in and I was super excited when Karen walked in. I introduced her to Casey, and then she told me I could get up on my own without help and showed me how to hook up my contraction monitor when I came back - not really rocket science, a lot like a computer in that the cords are all color coded with the slot they go in. She let me get up on my own, and then said she would be back later because she had to go help transition a baby that was just born, so that means 4 more today - 2 throughout the day, and 2 right around shift change time.
Casey left just minutes before Dr. Shimoda came in. She asked if my irritability had stopped, and I said yes, and she said she wants me to stay until Sunday just so I can be under observation for an entire day on the Procardia before they send me home. I called Casey while he was on his way to pick up the girls from Stacy's and told him. He is taking Jacqueline, and maybe Leah, to swimming tomorrow, and then Jacqueline has a play date with a friend. Not sure if he will come in since it will be just a quiet day, so we will see. Jacqueline also has a play date after church on Sunday (she is going to church with some friends of ours who go to the same church so she can go to her first day of Sunday School). Then on Monday Casey will be going back to work, I will be on bed rest at home, and my mom will take care of the girls, the house, and bring me anything I need. Casey has 12 days of vacation left, so that means that he is going to have to work as much as he can until Tina comes, and then probably only take a week off so he can also have vacation time to go home for Christmas. He is also working on getting more money put on our flex spending account because he only put $600 on it this year, because we weren't expecting a baby and we had a lot left over last year. You can add more money by working with the company the flex spending is through, and the HR at his work, because we do have a life changing event occurring in our life. We still have two months to pay for at the clinic, and 2 dentist appointments for the girls, plus the Rx I got on Sunday, and all the extra hospital costs that will come up, and we don't have much left on our account.
At one point today I was thinking they can just do a C-section and get this over with, but the recovery is much harder, so I will be preparing to push this little cutie out when she is ready. Not sure if I will go with an epidural, but really, as of right now, it is sounding good. I'll just have to wait and see how things go and if I want to be able to get up and walk during labor. I just don't want the burning sensation when she comes out! :-/
I'm thinking I will try to sleep without the Ambien tonight in prep for going home, and hopefully tomorrow I will spend most of the day out of bed, as my butt is really starting to hurt from sitting in the same position most of the day.

Here's to hoping for a very uneventful night and day tomorrow! Thanks for all the thoughts and prayers! They really are helping. :)

A day to unwind

I am so glad Stacy took the girls overnight and Casey was able to spend the night. Even though I had a really nice nurse, it was nice not have to call him every time I needed something and Casey was able to help me change positions, get drinks, and just help me to be more comfortable in general.
Today has been better than yesterday. They lowered my Mag from 3.5 g/hr to 2 g/hr. I still felt dizzy and was having double vision/blurred vision, but overall I felt better. My first nurse was Jeannie, whom I had yesterday, and then a little later Kathy came in. She was a familiar face, as she was my nurse when Leah was born! It was nice to actually recognize a face and feel like we had a connection. Casey had brought my camera back with him yesterday so I was able to show her pictures of the girls. Casey was also going home to shower, eat, go in to work for a bit, and stop and see the girls, so I asked him if he would print off the picture of Kathy and Leah from the day she was born.
At about 11:15, I got my second shot of steroids, so tomorrow morning they will take me off the Mag, which means by afternoon I should be out of bed.
I got a bed bath, which felt great, and Karla changed my sheets too, so I felt like a new woman! After she was done, she put lotion on my upper back and on my legs and feet, so it was like a mini massage. I was in heaven, and just overall felt better for the day because I was clean and on clean sheets. It's amazing what those two little things can do to lift your spirits when you are stuck in bed all day with only a few choice positions and really only one view. I am lucky enough to have one of the three rooms facing the mountains, so I do have a beautiful view out my window. Yesterday evening I saw some storm clouds roll in, which were really pretty and this morning I saw a small rainbow in the clouds.
I talked to Stacy, and the girls did well overnight. They slept with her in her bed because Jacqueline thought the guest bed was too high. Neither of them stayed on their pillows through the night (this didn't surprise me) and ended up with their heads in her back by morning. Leah had taken the yogurt container with her to bed!!!! She is my crazy girl! It makes me laugh just thinking about it! She cried a little for me in the morning, but once the day got going, she was fine. She cried a little when Casey stopped by, but then she fell asleep and slept for a good while. My sweet baby girl! She has a hard time adjusting to new things and being away from Casey and me.
My mom is coming tonight on AMTRAK and will be here in the morning. It's nice that she is coming because we will no longer have to rely on friends to watch the girls. Everyone is more than willing to help out, but I don't want to over stay our welcome. It is frustrating that she didn't ask before she booked it because we have care set up through the weekend, but she can be at the house cleaning and doing laundry since I can't do those things.
My night nurse is Karen. She seems really young, but is so sweet! Just like the rest, she is super helpful, but I just feel a nice connection with her. Tonight is her first night back after getting married in Mexico on Friday, and she is a little out of it. We talked for like 45 minutes, which was really fun. I haven't really gotten to chat with someone in person like this since I've been here. She is from Michigan and we both agreed that we really miss the all night thunderstorms of the Midwest. :)
The doctor on-call today is Kerry O'Shea, whom I had not met before. She is really nice, and knows what's going on, which is nice. She didn't really have too much to tell me, as today was kind of just the waiting day to let the steroids kick in so if Tina does decide to come, we will be as ready as we can. She didn't do an internal check, and I'm not sure if I will have one done tomorrow because they don't really want to stir anything up.
I've been drinking a lot of juice, not really much water, but between the fluids going in and what is coming out, I'm doing a good job and staying pretty consistent each hour.
I'm on my own tonight. The girls ate supper at Stacy's and Casey picked them up around 7:30. They called to say goodnight, which made me smile, and it's pretty weird how young Jacqueline sounds on the phone!
I'm getting Ambien again tonight, so hopefully I will sleep well!

**So far, 11 babies have been born since I've been here! (4 babies yesterday, 4 babies overnight, and 3 babies today.)

Oh, what a night. Late December back in '63...

Okay, well, maybe I should say "Oh what a day, late September here in 2010...." :)

I woke up this morning with lots of contractions. Right about 7 I asked Casey to go downstairs and get a Terb for me, and after I took it, I laid in bed for another hour and continued to contract. I called the doctor's office asking to talk to a doctor or nurse. The receptionist asked if my call was urgent and she transferred me right away to Nurse Sharon, who told me to come in right away. I stood up to get dressed and they pretty much stopped. My first thought was, "Should I call them back and tell them that the contractions stopped? I'm supposed to be in bed, so standing up probably shouldn't be the cure." So, I decided against calling back - I got dressed, went downstairs, ate breakfast, and then we left.
The plan for today was that Meryt was going to come up from Aurora with her girls and hang out at the house with me and the girls. Well, since I had to go to the clinic, she stayed in Aurora until Jacqueline was done with preschool and she picked her up and took her back to our house for the rest of the day. Leah was originally going to Stacy's and I never called to tell her about Meryt, so we took Leah there, and then on to Boulder. We got right in to see the doc right away, after Casey dropped me off at the entrance, sit down on a bench, and then after he parked and came in, he took me up in a wheelchair. The nurse took us back, I weighed in at 142.5 and my BP was 110/56, then I peed in a cup. I undressed from the waist down and soon Dr. Price came in. My contractions had started again in the car, mostly in the back, and by the time we got to the office, they were in the front and back. I was dilated to about 2 cm and 80% effaced. Since I have had so much activity in 4 days, she was thinking she wanted me to get the steroid shots that help to mature the baby's lungs. Studies have shown that if the shots are administered after 34 weeks, they aren't affective in a premature baby, so she wanted to get them in me, just in case Tina comes early. So, I was admitted to Labor/Delivery and was told to expect to be here at least 2 nights because the shots have to be administered in the butt 24 hours apart. I got my first one today at 11 am, after they got my contraction monitor and baby monitor in place. Tina was good, but my contractions were coming 3-4 minutes apart. Around 12 I got a Procardia (stronger than the Terb), but it wasn't working, so around 1:30 or 2 they gave me an IV with Magnesium Sulfate (which is the strongest thing they give). I have to be on the Mag for about 48 hours, at least 24 hours after shot number 2 because they need that long to get the shot in place, just in case Tina decides to come soon.
My IV went into my left arm, same place it went in on Sunday, but this time it was really hurting. The Mag is very painful going in, but it was more than that and I couldn't even lift my arm more than 1-2 inches up without it hurting really really bad. I also had to get a catheter because they don't want you up on the Mag because it can make you so disoriented, dizzy, and it can also give you blurry vision or double vision. The catheter was really painful too, and I was just miserable most of the day. I was hot, another side affect, and just out of it. It was a very rough day! They took me all the way up to 3.5 g per hour, which is almost up to the 4 g/hr limit that they have for Mag. By night I was down to about 10 contractions per hour, but I was still in a lot of pain. They moved my IV to my right arm, and it started out hurting as well. I asked for an ice pack because heat wasn't helping, and Jack (my nurse - who I think was our nurse for Jacqueline) asked another nurse to come check it out. Her two recommendations, before she even came in, were ice and upping the gatorade-like substance (minus sugar and flavor) that is also going in, because the Mag is so strong and the other dilutes it some. It was a huge change! My catheter was still really hurting and Jack actually called down to Peds to get a smaller one for me, but we never put it in.
Casey went home for lunch, and when he came back, a nurse practitioner from the NICU came over to talk to us about what goes on over there, just in case Tina comes before 35 weeks. Their rules are that every baby that comes before 35 weeks, even at 34 weeks 6 days, is admitted to the NICU. If she comes before 35 weeks, she is automatically put on a feeding tube because baby's born before 35 weeks haven't learned to nurse, swallow, and breathe at the same time. We would start her on donor milk (my choice - no formula) and then once I was pumping enough, she would get my milk. She might be on oxygen, all sorts of different ways, but they will play it all by ear. Our NICU is different than some in that it has a room for mom and bathroom (a little suite for mom and baby) attached together. Once I am discharged, if she is still there, Casey and I can stay for free as long as she is there free of charge. So that is kind of the low-down on that, but hopefully she will wait another week and a half before she comes.
I feel like I whined and complained a lot, but heat (Jack brought me a fan), the IV pain I had all day, the catheter, the headache, blurry and double vision, just made me miserable. It really sucks, and the nurses know this, and they told me I was actually doing a lot better than many women do.
Casey stayed here on the couch because I have been so miserable and the girls stayed the night at Stacy's. Last I heard they were doing well. Jacqueline took a baby and Leah took a yogurt container with her. What a goof! :)
By bed time, I was on Ambien, which eventually helped me sleep. Hopefully I will feel better in the morning.

Midnight Terb

I was having contractions a little before midnight (late Tuesday/early Wednesday), so I called the doctor on call and talked to Dr. Jamroz. She asked if I had a salty supper, and I said yes (Casey and the girls had gone grocery shopping, so we had a frozen skillet dinner on rice). She told me to take another terb, even though I had just taken one around 10 pm and it had been 2 hours. She also wanted me to drink a liter of water. If I was still having contractions, she wanted me to call back, but I was fine, and was able to go back to sleep.

Home in bed

Today I spent the day in bed. I didn't even go downstairs and I only left the room once, which was a couple minutes ago to talk to Casey. I got to take a bath this morning, because Casey decided I shouldn't stand in the shower because of dr's orders, and I also got a yummy breakfast in bed of Belgian waffles, eggs, and apple juice. I had to prop the plate on my boobs/belly/under my chin as I ate laying down, and we don't have a bed tray. If I'm on bed rest much longer, we are going to have to buy a tray for me. :)
Casey went into work for a couple hours, so he put Sesame Street on for the girls, and then when they were done there, they came up and played and read books with me. Overall, they were really good. An hour and a half or so after he left, Leah had a poopy diaper, and she was getting grumpy, so I called Casey and let him know. He came home about 3o minutes later and worked from home the rest of the day. Leah didn't take another nap, so by the end of the day, she was a little grumpy, but Jacqueline slept for 2 hours and was happy the rest of the afternoon and evening.
I took one Terbutaline in the evening, but overall it was a good day.

33 week appointment - follow-up to hospital admittance

I called the doctor's office this morning, told them I needed to set up an appointment to see Dr. Price (who I saw yesterday), and they asked me what it was in regards to, and I told her I was admitted yesterday for pre-term labor. She asked me my last name, I told her Reynolds, and she stopped for a second and said, "Oh, are you Miranda?" And I told her I was, and she said that they had a note at the desk from Dr. Price that I would be calling, and that I needed to have an ultrasound set up and then I would be seeing Katherine, the nurse practitioner. I was unsure as to why I was going to need an ultrasound, but doctor knows best, so we set up my ultrasound for 1:45, with the appointment afterward.
I spent most of the morning in the computer chair trying to catch up on things. I was supposed to have one of my day care kids, but since I was on bed rest, I had to cancel. Casey took Leah back to Stacy's house (she does in-home day care) and he took Jacqueline to preschool. Bill came to finish the texturing on 3 ceilings and in 1 closet, so now we can paint the basement room and move the guest room down. YAY!
Casey had a meeting at 11, so I took him the Audi, and then got the Highlander and picked up Jacqueline. I talked with her teacher about being on bed rest, and she said that if I was allowed to drive in the future, they could walk her up to the car so I wouldn't have to walk inside.
So Jacqueline and I went home and I made her lunch, met with the alarm guy, which I had to walk all the way downstairs to show him where the main box was, and I ended up on my feet more than I should have been.
After Casey came home and ate, he, Jacqueline, and I loaded in and headed for Boulder. We ended up having Tina as our ultrasound technician, the same one we had at 20 weeks. Once we got in the room she said to me, "So, I really have no idea why we are doing an ultrasound." I responded that I really have no idea either, so we chatted about yesterday and she knew what they wanted. She said they wanted a vaginal ultrasound, so I needed to undress from the waste down and empty my bladder. As I was going into the bathroom I told Jacqueline that this was Tina and she was the same lady who did our ultrasound the last time we had one. Tina remembered us! She said she remembered wondering if we were going to name the baby Tina when she saw that it was a girl. :)
So, with the vaginal ultrasound, she was checking the length of my cervix. Her measurements came back as 1.9 cm and 1.6 cm. and when she put fundal pressure on my belly (pushing on the top to imitate Tina's pressure) she got a reading of .6 cm. We really had no idea what this meant, so when we saw the nurse practitioner she told us that at 20 weeks, my cervix was measuring 3.5 cm. This means that my cervix has shortened a lot, which means that it is opening, and this is not what they want. Oh yeah! I peed in a cup, my weight was 142.5 lbs., and my BP was 110/56. Katherine told me to go home and lay down. I was to lay flat and only get up to go pee. Oh fun times!
After we were done, we were at the desk scheduling an ultrasound to go with my appointment next Monday at 34 weeks, and I remembered that I forgot to ask Katherine a question. She was sitting behind me in the hall, so I asked her what the burning poke of pressure was that was down in my business... something completely new to me and it had just started while sitting in the clinic waiting room. It's Tina putting pressure on me, which is why she wants me at home on my back - in a position that would not encourage her to push on me. She might push anyway, but at least I'm not standing or sitting to give her gravity to help.
Casey took Jacqueline and me home, and he went to work for a couple more hours before picking up Leah for the night. I spent the evening on the couch, but when I sat in a chair for dinner, it hurt, so I ate quickly and then went upstairs and laid in bed the rest of the night.

Pre-term labor

I woke up this morning with contractions. Not really a fun feeling, and something fairly new to me. I laid in bed for a while hoping that they would go away but they didn't, so I got up to get Jacqueline some breakfast. I went downstairs and ate my own breakfast as well, and they still didn't go away, so I decided to try a shower. Back in March when my friend Kari was having contractions before her baby was born, Monica told me that if you take a shower and they go away, they are just Braxton Hicks. So, I showered and in the 25 minutes I was in the bathroom doing my thing, I had 4-5 contractions. They were real! I called the doctor on call and talked with Dr. Price. While on the phone with her, I had to stop talking due to a contraction. She said she was on her way to the hospital, and that she wanted me to come in for observation as well. I shared the news with Casey and he got up to shower. I called my friend Stacy to see if she could watch the girls for us. We all got ready and headed out the door.
As usual, Leah had a hard time with drop-off, but it had to be done, so off Casey and I went to the hospital. I got in to bed and on the monitors, and yes, I was having real contractions. After a vaginal swab and an internal check, I had a sample sent off to the lab for a test (I'll get back to that in a minute), a sample on a screen for microscope viewing, and the check revealed that was 1 cm dilated and 50% effaced.
I was then given an IV drip to help hydrate me and I got a shot of Trebutaline, which is a muscle relaxer that is supposed to stop contractions. I ended up getting a second shot a little later, and sent home with a prescription to use no closer than every 4-6 hours or as needed.
The sample on the film revealed that I have a vaginal infection and they put me on Flagyl, to be taken twice a day for 7 days with food.
The sample sent to the lab was for a Fetal Fibronectin, which gives an idea of whether a woman will go into labor in the next two weeks. If it comes back negative, accuracy is 97% and if it comes back positive, it's 68%. Mine came back negative.
After about 4 hours, they sent me home with my two prescriptions, and orders of bed rest. I can get up every now and then to change rooms, positions, make myself a sandwich, but can not be on my feet for long... no dishes, no laundry, no supper. Before we picked up the girls, Casey ran into the library and got me a couple books... a girl can only watch so much tv when she's used to taking care of kids and a household. :) I was also told to call the office Monday morning and set up an appointment for early week - by Wednesday at the latest.
I've spent most of the evening on the couch with my book and the occasional visitor laying next to me.

Swimming lessons, last outside supper and an evening walk

Today was the first day of swimming lessons for the girl!. Casey was planning to go with us, but then decided he needed to work on something at home (or someone was coming over to work on something), so he ended up not going with us. Therefore, there are no pictures of me in the water with Leah, but I got a bunch of Jacqueline "swimming." She is in the Preschool Advanced class because there was no more room in the Preschool class. She can do all that they do in the Preschool class, so the lady I registered with said she'd do fine. Hopefully she'll catch on fast. She's the youngest in the class.
I'm going to miss next week's class (on the 18th) because of a day care class I am taking, so Casey will be taking Jacqueline to class. He doesn't want to get in the water with Leah, so she will be missing next week's class and her class on Oct. 2. Hopefully we will continue Jacqueline with lessons, but Leah will have to wait at least a couple more months because we never know when "Tina" will grace us with her presence, and I don't want to pay for Leah and not be able to take her.

Miss Sarah getting to know the kids.

Leah in her suit and towel during Jac's lesson. She loved her lesson too!

Just before they went under water!

And they came up!

Playing with Miss Sarah.

Hanging out on the steps while the other kids have their turns.

Practicing the back float.

Flutter kick with the kick board.

Back float with the kick board.

Reading a good book!

She's all smiles!

Casey found a caterpillar! Jacqueline had a lot of fun with it, but Leah wanted nothing to do with it!

Leah fell asleep in her highchair after lunch. :)

The girls eating dinner outside. Jacqueline wanted to eat outside, so I said sure, but it was chilly! So we may not be having anymore suppers outside. (At least not me!)
We took an evening walk as a family. Hopefully the first of many to help "Tina" find a good position for a good labor and delivery. I hear walking is a good thing, so maybe she'll come early and I won't have to worry about birthdays close together.

Jacqueline's an amateur photographer!

She took this picture this evening of a rainbow behind the house. I was sending her to the garden area with some compost, and she saw this and had a take a picture before she left.

Preschool Open House

I can't believe my baby is already going to preschool! Today we had an Open House, and she starts on Monday. She is definitely ready and can't wait to go on her own. She didn't want us to stay today. :)

Jacqueline is playing with "floam." I've never heard of it, but it really is cool stuff! Leah thought no one would be able to see her if she was wearing her glasses. It was so cute! She was attached to me, and I even had to put her in time out towards the end. I wonder what she will be like when it's her turn? She'll probably be the screaming child who doesn't want momma to leave.

Designing her train car to add to the preschool train.

She found the musical instruments! She had a lot of fun and played really well with one of her classmates.

They had a really yummy and very fun snack to make. They got to hammer! They smashed graham crackers and then added yogurt and frozen fruit. Definitely an idea I brought home with me!

And then the sensory table! Wow, did she have fun! She even went as far as asking her teacher what type of sand it was and where she got it. :)

And Spike.... the class bunny. He's cute and loves to have the kids pet him.

I know she is going to have a great time and learn a lot. I just don't know if I am ready for her to go! Good thing it's only 2 days a week for 2 1/2 hours, and I still have Leah to keep me company! :)

Today's feelings/grievances

My boobs itch really bad.
My belly hurt most of the night. Not sure if it was contracting hurt, or just pain from cuddling up close with Casey. I eventually had to move/turn over so my belly was free just in case it was squished.
I'm tired. All I want to do is rest, but with 2 girls, and 2 day care kids, that isn't possible.
I miss Cody more than words can say. I would do anything to give him back to Casey.
My belly itches.
Casey has dealt with the loss really well on the surface, I just wish I knew what was going on inside. He won't talk about it.
I know Cody is in a better place, but it's hard to imagine that it's the best place because he should be with his best friend. His daddy.
I know it isn't healthy, but I keep thinking about what I should have done differently to prevent Cody's death. I should have called him up onto the porch, gone down and stood with him in the grass.... something different than letting him move out of the way on his own. I'm so sorry Cody!!!

Cody

Today our beloved Cody passed away. He was 9 years old, and the best dog anyone could ask for. He was Casey's best friend. The way one ear stood up and the other laid down made him who he was. He was kind and gentle, sweet and loving, and the protector of us all. He loved to cuddle and be close, something Casey instilled in him early on. We bought him a dog bed a few months ago so he wouldn't lay against the bed pillows we set on the floor. He used the bed maybe once or twice and spent the rest of the nights in the middle of the floor. I tripped over him many times, and would get annoyed, but now, I would be happy to trip over him every night just to have him back again. Casey and Cody would sleep together at night (until the bed got too crowded for the three of us), and take naps together on the floor. Cody was Casey's baby. When Cody came home from his surgery a few months ago, Casey spent the whole first night laying with him on the family room floor. Years ago, the pads on Cody's paws got all torn up on a hike we took near Boulder, and Casey carried him up to bed, outside to go to the bathroom, and over to his food and water dishes for a few days until he had healed enough. They were a pair never to be matched.
I can honestly say that I have never been too much of a dog person, but Cody had a way with you. He was so special to us all. There are so many things to say about him and I have no idea how to say them. One of my favorite things about him was how he got so excited when Casey came home from work. Over the last few years I became the one who let him out most of the time (even though I often forgot to let him in), fed him, watered him, but he always pledged his allegiance to Casey, no matter what. Casey loved him like no one could love a dog. They had a relationship that I have never seen between a man and his dog.
Cody was great with the kids, although not in the beginning, he grew to love Jacqueline. He didn't like to be climbed on, but he enjoyed being around them. He often visited the day care kids in the basement and would just lay on the floor to be around people.
I can't help but go over what happened and think about what I should have done, but that will do me no good, as I cannot go back and change anything that I happened.

Cody, you will be in our hearts forever and no dog will ever hold a candle to you. You were perfect in every way!