Three Weeks at Home! T-minus 2 months until D-Day!

Saturday, June 29th
Three weeks on bedrest, two months until due date (31w2d)

Well, today was only mildly interesting because it was excessively hot outside and it's all most people can think about.  Kids got up this morning (8:30ish), and I sort of laid in bed while Daniel picked out whatever he wanted to watch.  Yeah, I was tired...I haven't been terribly tired since the whole bedrest thing began, but this week I have been moreso, for whatever reason.  I even fell asleep watching TV (which is typically like me anyway, but I haven't fallen asleep unintentionally in the middle of a show).

Anyway, because it was so hot, we figured the pool would be good, and going earlier rather than later would be a wise choice as well.  So we went out...and the pavement was REALLY hot, and it was just warm in the pool in general, although it did cool us off.  After that came showers/baths and lunch, then settling in to more hanging out around the house.

I'm really trying hard to stay as hydrated as possible, and Mike bought these water bottles with a built in filter to use (I have a really big 1L/32oz-ish cup from the hospital that I use too).  Of course, Daniel likes to drink whenever and whatever I am, so he was using the bathroom a lot.  So was I, but he really was.  In any case, despite good hydration (I like to try and take that out of the equation), my belly has been just kind of sore and tight.  I probably had one solid contraction an hour that I managed to note since about 1pm.  By solid, I mean lasting 30-45 seconds, and tightening my whole belly.  I still get some lower back cramps, but I didn't keep track of those today.

So, the heat is getting to me, even if I'm hanging out indoors 99% of the time.

In any case, with today being the 29th, that means it's two months until baby's due date!  When you look at things in terms of how many months pregnant you are, it distorts it a little bit.  Most people, when they ask how far along you are, they give you a weird look when you give the weeks though.  It's the presumption that a month lasts 4 weeks (which, unless we're talking February in a non-leap year, it's more than 4 weeks).  Also the weird thing that pregnancy lasts 40 weeks, but technically the first two weeks the baby hasn't been conceived.  Lastly, pregnancy isn't exactly 9 months, yet I've heard plenty of parents mention how they are 9 months pregnant in those last couple of weeks.  So, my point being, I don't like saying that I'm "7 months pregnant" or anything like that.  But it is still technically 2 months until the baby's due date...

That was an odd tangent, but I'll end this with another ticker!

Days 20 and 21 at Home

I'm getting into the habit of slacking off a bit and doing these "one post, two days" type entries...it's like I'm losing steam or something here and pretty soon it might just be a "one post, one week" entry.  Let's hope not!

Anyway, here's the past two days, pre-weekend.

Thursday, June 27th
Day 20 on bedrest - 31 weeks!

I should have taken the time to do this entry yesterday...since it's another big milestone, but I didn't.  I was seriously, SERIOUSLY tired, and it actually got me into trouble (D'OH!)...well, not in the way you think.

So I decided to try an experiment yesterday, and keep a running list of all of my aches and pains and what not, no matter how insignificant, even noting things like baby movement just to have handy.  I didn't actually get this started until about 11am, and I was actually doing OK around that time.  Most of the notes I made were pretty lame, and a bunch of them were just noting where I was feeling the baby move.

I had sent an email off to my boss (asking for job related advice) and was just waiting to hear back.  I closed my eyes, and that was it...I was out.  Yup, I was tired.  So I doze in and out, checking my screen every once in a while when I hear the odd beep or something.  I see a note or two from Mike...and then it dawns on me to check my phone (which was sitting right by me).  I've been hugely diligent up until this point to make sure my phone is near me and plugged in, and the days that Mike's in the office, he's said that if I don't answer the phone after x amount of time that he's coming home, for fear that something is wrong.  And well...too late...he was on his way home.

I.feel.like.ass.  Seriously, how did I not realize he was calling like 6 times?  And I'm freaking him out because I'm not answering an email/text that he sent.  Major.fail.

Anyway, that little fail kind of put me into guilt overload.  Doesn't really do a whole lot for my desire to just fall asleep and stay that way (which, obviously, I can't).

Now for a completely different stress inducing thing.  Back to Tuesday (I think), I get a call from someone in hospital billing at around 3:20pm.  I didn't answer it, but I got the voice message...the jist of it is that she mentioned having a balance on my account from my last hospital visit (they make it sound like being a patient in the hospital is like a trip to the Bahamas or something when they word it that way!)...and she wondered if I wanted to take care of that over the phone before it got sent to a COLLECTION AGENCY.  What?!  Huh?! I haven't even as so much gotten a bill from them (I have looked up the explanation of benefits online from the insurance company, which lists how much they are processing and what my share is with deductible and so on) and not to mention it hasn't even been three weeks since I got out of the hospital and they are threatening collections?!  I try calling them back, but of course the person who called is only there until 3:30pm.  Once again, I try way before 3:30pm, but only get voice mail.  Now it's way past that, coming into the weekend...and it's stressing me out!

But...on the good side of things...we made it to 31 weeks!

And here we go onto today...

Friday, June 28th
Day 21 on bedrest at home

Before I start typing things out about how my day is going, I sometimes make a list of things that I could mention and how I'd categorize them.  This week the category is definitely something along the lines of "things that have stressed me out or caused worry".  A lot of it just has to do with my own reaction to these things, all of the pregnancy hormones rushing through my system and what not (yeah, blame it on the hormones...that is the best excuse ever!).  So today, while not a huge stress, does sort of weigh on me a bit.

Furniture.  Forget if I've mentioned, but my parents have sold their house and are moving out of state in the coming weeks.  Yes, it's fast.  Yes, it's stressing me out, for a multitude of reasons.  Back when they were in the "planning" stages, way before their house ever went up on the market, they'd said that they planned on ditching much of the furniture that they had and trying to be as minimalist as possible when they moved.  So we knew we were due to acquire a few things like couches, the dresser from my bedroom, a treadmill, a desk and so on.  Fast forward to today...it arrived!  In the span of under two hours, movers quickly popped everything into a truck at my parents house, took the quick drive over here and unloaded even more quickly.

Anyway, reasons this gets to me are many, many fold.  First of all, it means that my parents are REALLY moving away.  Faster and sooner than I thought.  Second, with me not being able to really go anywhere, I'm probably not ever going to step foot in that house again, which bums me out (add that to an as-yet-to-be-written potential blog post of "Things I am Missing Out On").  Third, and somewhat minor, is just having to re-organize the new home for all of the stuff we've acquired.  It really does take everything within me to not just go over and start trying to move things, just because I want them in a place.

Well, I always seem to end these posts, or try to, on a good note.  I got a call from the doctor's office today and the fetal fibronectin test came back...NEGATIVE!  Call me happily surprised!  But, it doesn't really change a whole lot right now since I'm still 3cm dilated with a pretty darn short cervix.  Today was kind of an uncomfortable way, even though I wasn't really having a ton of contractions.  Or maybe I just try to ignore them, who knows.

And with that...time for the weekend!

Days 18 and 19 at Home

I skipped out on yesterday, so today is a double-header!  Heeeeeere we go!

Tuesday, June 25th
Day 18 of bedrest at home

Today was OK...yes, that's pretty much the "average" of things.  I kind of had an up and down day, mood wise, and felt like not doing a whole lot except for napping.  Mike was at work in the office, so I was left to my own devices (it's nice to have him at home working...I'm spoiled...), which is fine.  Caught up a little bit of TV and that was pretty much that.

Physically, with letting little things get to me emotionally, I felt like I was having a few more contractions still.  I say it often enough, but it really is hard to tell what is going on...I'm tempted to get a piece of paper and write down everything (where something is tight/hurts, length of time, time it starts, time it stops and so on).  I figure I can decipher it later whether it was because of the baby moving around or otherwise.

In any case, I'll cut off Tuesday's summary right there and get to Wednesday!

Wednesday, June 26th
Day 19 of bedrest, doctor's appointment - 30w6d!

So once again, Wednesday comes and it's time for my now-weekly appointment.  I was feeling some contractions kicking up again this morning (was having Mike feel, just to give him a gauge as to what I was counting as a contraction and what I wasn't).  Even waiting in the doctor's office there were a few.  And a few non-contractiony cramps.

Ultrasound was at 1pm, and we get to see the baby's cute little mug again...best part of the appointment.  The tech was mentioning that I looked a bit more relaxed than in previous weeks, but I'm not sure that I'm more relaxed, or just dealing with the baby thing better than I'm dealing with other things going on in life.  Or perhaps that I'm just so thrilled to be out of the house on Wednesdays that I exude that much more happiness.  In any case, baby is still head down, and her fluid levels were pretty good (higher than last week...around 18cm I think is what the measurement was).

Then to wait for the regular appointment.  I dislike afternoon appointments, just because it means that it's more likely for everyone to be running late.  I'd much rather be one of the first ones in the morning.  In any case, the spacing on the appointments was a bit wacky, with ultrasound being at 1, doctor's appointment at 2.  It didn't seem like too terribly long until we were called back (right at 2, or just a minute or two after).  And we waited...and waited.  I'm probably more patient than Mike, and at least we were there to chit chat and keep each other company.  Dr. Pottorff, the one I saw 3 weeks ago and who had sent me to the hospital then, was who I was seeing again today.

I told her that I was having steadily more contractions each week, even though not a ton still.  I made sure to ask about the ibuprofen (since technically, not supposed to take it beyond 32 weeks).  The plan being that I take it through next week and kind of "wait and see" what happens after that.  I don't know what exactly they'd give me at that point, if anything.

Aside from that, she did another repeat of the fetal fibronectin test (apparently it can go negative after taking ibuprofen) and cervix check.  Drumroll...3cm.  fFN won't come back until tomorrow or so.  Given that I tend to be an early and big dilator, I don't know if I'm all that surprised at being 3cm.  And if the fFN comes back positive again, I don't know what they do then either.  Really the only thing that's keeping me out of the hospital is not having a ton of contractions.

So that's my main update for the week, doctor wise...I just sit and wait, and wait.  And hopefully wait some more until there's a baby.  I lead such an interesting life...ha!

Day 17 at Home - Happy Anniversary!

Monday, June 24th
Two weeks, 2 days at home on bedrest AND our anniversary!

It's that time of year again...our wedding anniversary!  It's like a birthday that Mike and I can both share...sort of... In any case, it's our 7th anniversary, and we've both been reflecting on how it seems like it's been longer, but really not so long either!  In seven years, we've lived in three different houses in two different states.  We've had two awesome little boys born to us, and, of course, one daughter on the way who isn't finished cooking yet (hear that, missy???).  Lots of things have happened, and there's still a whole bunch more to come!

So this morning started out pretty well, Daniel went to speech, then both boys went to daycare for the day.  Before we knew it, it was time for lunch...and nothing says anniversary lunch like a couple of baconators from Wendy's (I know, super healthy, right?).  I took it easy today and tried my hand at a chainmail dragon (still in progress!).  For dinner, Buffalo Wild Wings, which is probably going to put the five pounds that I've lost in the past two weeks right back on.

As for the belly stuff, about the same as yesterday.  Lots of full body stretches from the baby, making things tighten up and give the illusion of a contraction.  It seems like she migrated up a bit today, and the top of my belly was stiffer and hurting more than usual (not super painful, but I could feel her hanging out in there).  A few lower cramps too that shot down my thighs when they came on, but still nothing regular (again, good!).

Well, I guess the fact that I don't have a whole ton to report means that it was a good day overall...no clamoring for the phone to call the doctor's office, no having to go to the hospital for contraction monitoring and so on.  Just another 10 days until the 32 week mark!

Day 16 at Home

Sunday, June 23rd
Two weeks, one day on bedrest at home

At last, the day is over, the kids are being put to bed...it's been a long day for both of us (Mike and myself).  Once again, slept pretty well, with the kids up a little past 9 (well, that's when Mike got up...they were talking in their room for a while before that, and Mike just turned down the baby monitor and let them go at it).

Mike went about a whole bunch of stuff around the house and yard while I entertained the kids in the late morning/early afternoon hours.  And, of course, they suddenly get restless, Jared usually first, but Daniel follows suit sometimes too.  I was probably up and chasing Jared around on a couple of occasions...he had a meltdown when he couldn't find Mike (he was in the bathroom), and no amount of convincing would make it better.  Several times he came into the bedroom, pulling his diaper off and wanting to try and use the potty (which, didn't work as well as it did yesterday).  He didn't want anything to do with a diaper either, which is always fun.

Daniel, on the other hand, was mostly content watching TV, until it got later and he was getting careless with wanting to climb on the bed, knocking things off the bed, and so on.  I called my parents, and after bathtime, Daniel sat still for a while, but then wanted to play hide and seek (while I'm on the phone).  This resulted in clothes being strewn everywhere, and eventually Jared coming in and trying to find Daniel under the clothes.  Every once in a while, they'd get into it with each other, which was fun too (at this point, Mike was on the phone with his parents).

So anyway, it was a rough ending to the day for the kids, but back to our "normal" routine on Monday!    One thing that was good is that I actually finished grading for the week BEFORE the late night crunch...no way!  I might even be done with second week grading by tomorrow (knock on wood), and then I can pat myself on the back and rest a bit until the next round comes in.

As for all things belly related...today was better than yesterday (Saturday was definitely the most crampy and weirdest place crampy that I've had yet), but still maybe not as good as that first week home from the hospital.  Occasional tightening (still nothing consistent, which is good!), and still some lower back pain that wraps around a little and shoots down my thighs sometimes.   Baby was moving about a little more consistently today, and not quite as "hard" as she had in the past few days (no full body flops).  I just keep drinking the water and taking it easy as best I can, in the hopes that it'll mute any of the "false" contractions a bit.

With that...cheers to the end of the week!