Multitudes on Monday

884. being 29 weeks pregnant (it's a wonder what a good priority shift can do to my opinions on pregnancy ;) )

885. a week of not visiting the hospital!

886. Scott who has not complained ONCE about the extra duties he has picked up

887. being showered with love and friendship at my baby shower

888. the amazing generosity of family and friends

889. tiny baby clothes

890. shades of blue

891. Ella Beth running up to give Porter hugs throughout the day

892. sunshine to warm up the house on cold, windy days

893. making funny home videos of the kiddos and their "performances"

894. hot cups of tea

895. a clean kitchen - that I didn't have to clean

896. prayers for Porter, because Scott and I truly believe it's the prayers keeping us strong

1 Corinthians 15:57, "But thanks be to God! He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ."

28 weeks and counting!

I am 28 weeks pregnant and holding! I can hardly believe I'm in the third trimester, the home stretch! I just got home from the doctor about an hour ago. Things are still the same - measuring "small" and still contracting, but I'm not in labor yet so that's a good thing! I go back on the 24th for an ultrasound and another work-up. Looking forward to seeing my littlest man again.
Heartburn? Yes. I've never had heartburn before, and it's a bit uncomfortable. I know this probably sounds pretty silly, but since I've never had it before...it actually, um, burns. I'm having to think about what I eat b/c I really like spicy foods. Now I am eating Tums with my meals- and reminiscing about my grandparents. ;)
Maternity clothes? Yes. I still have a limited wardrobe, but since I'm rarely allowed out of the house (or off the couch for that matter) it really doesn't bother me to bum around. I am opting for comfort these days!
Weight gain? Kinda. I mean, I've gained weight this pregnancy. Obviously. But I've also lost 3 pounds in the last two weeks. So, no weight gain in the last month.
Swelling? I have started swelling a little bit in my hands and my feet. I definitely swelled more after being in the hospital over the weekend from all of the fluids that I was given, but I don't know if my feet will lose all of the swelling before delivery or not. My hands tend to fluctuate throughout the day.
Cravings? Fruit. I am definitely eating a LOT of fruit with this pregnancy. I've never really been a fruit type of gal; I like my veggies with salt! But, if there is juicy watermelon or pineapple around - or a nice Granny Smith - it doesn't last long. (Those old wives tales about Girls and Fruit have nothing on me!)
Feeling movement? Oh yes! Porter is one active little fella. :) Especially when contractions get him all riled up.

Tired? Oh. My. Word. Why is it that the less I do the more tired I am? Bed rest is definitely restful. And boring. And hard to enjoy. But, I'm trying not to complain. ;)
Favorite pregnancy moment this month? I feel a little guilty because it's been hard to come up with a favorite pregnancy moment this month with everything that has been going on. I am super THANKFUL for doctors and the intelligence they were given, I am THANKFUL for medications to stop pre-term labor and to strengthen my littlest fella's lungs, and our family is THANKFUL for sweet, sweet friends who have been such a blessing to us. But, I guess my favorite moment this month would just be getting prepared. Since we don't know day to day how things are going to go, I went ahead and packed Porter's diaper bag to take to the hospital. It was definitely sweet going through baby things and thinking about using them because it's been a long time since we've had tiny things in this house. I mean, come on, tiny diapers and socks and baby hats are some of the most precious things on the planet. And when I was packing his bag I felt like I was playing!

--
Pictures:

Only one belly shot again this month. Whew, look at that belly!!!



8:07 a.m.

8:07 a.m.

Multitude on Mondays

874. finding a brand new, still sealed in the box, Graco travel system on Craig's List

875. sitting on an exercise ball during painful contractions

876. being less than 20 minutes away from the hospital when I needed to get there quickly

877. nurses who get IVs in on the first stick

878. lab techs who find a vein on the first stick, too

879. being on a fetal heart monitor for hours and hours and listening to Porter's heartbeat

880. my friend, Christina, who can keep me calm with her emails and encouragement

881. Mellow Mushroom pizza - because my mama came to visit and she loves MMP

882. the fact that Ella Beth and Landon have amazing grandparents who are so generous and sacrificing when we need them

883. Scott, because he is such a wonderful man, husband, friend, father, and care taker

Philippians 4:6, "Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God which transcends all understanding will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus."

27 weeks, 5 days...

...and it was back to the hospital I went.

My contractions were very regular Saturday evening, but since that's been the norm I really didn't worry about it. The kiddos and I were home hanging out since Daddy was working late. I had just popped some popcorn, and we were about to cuddle up and watch Peter Pan. But Mama needed to run to the bathroom.

And I was bleeding.

To say that I was overwhelmed and a complete mess is a huge understatement. I called my OB's answering service, and as I was waiting for the nurse to call me back I called my mother-in-law who lives 3 minutes away. I could barely speak through my sobbing, and only managed to get out, "Can you come here right away?"

The nurse called as soon as I hung up with Kathy, and I could barely talk to her either. I did manage to get some deep-ish breaths in, and told her what was going on. She told me to go to the hospital right away. So when Kathy and Cleve (Scott's dad) got here, Kathy and I left.

I get to the hospital, just 7 full days after being there last week, and everything starts again. Of course this time there is bleeding involved, so things are taken extremely seriously. I am also cramping very badly by this point, but they can't do the fetal fibronectin test b/c I am bleeding. They do give me a shot of Terbutaline to make my contractions stop.

(Insert side story - Scott gets pulled over on his way to the hospital. The police officer was taking his sweet time getting out of his squad car, so Scott gets out and starts walking toward him. The officer gets on his loud speaker and orders Scott back into this truck. When the officer gets to Scott's window, he shows him my texts - my room number and all - and the officer says, "Well you had better get going then!" -- Thankful for an understanding officer and no speeding ticket.)

Scott gets to the hospital and gets updated by the nurses, and I am given my first shot of steroids. We finally hit the sack a couple of hours later. But, if you've ever spent the night in a hospital, then you can imagine how much sleep we actually got. Scott says he didn't go to sleep before 3 a.m., and I was still awake at 4 a.m. But we did sleep until almost 7, so we got a little shut-eye in.

The contractions calmed down for the most part, and once again Porter was very adgitated and didn't settle. I don't know how many times the nurses had to come in to the room and "find" him again on the monitor. Needless to say, Scott and I became experts on finding him quickly so that we could get back to sleep.

The doctor ended up giving us our second round of steriods earlier than expected. Man, what painful shots those are. I had to squeeze remove-all-feeling-from Scott's hand b/c they were rough. But we are praying that they do their job and help Porter get ready for his probable early debut. My bleeding has almost stopped, and there is no clear conclusion as to why it happened - which, in all honesty, is not reassuring.

But we are home now, and we are thankful to be here. Modified bed rest continues for me, and I'm trying to be as good as I can. I have given myself THREE goals for the rest of February: 1) make it to my baby shower this Saturday, 2) make it to Landon's birthday party on the 26th, and 3) NOT go back to the hospital!

Thank you for your continued prayers on this crazy journey called Pregnancy #3. I am trying to remember all of the times that the Lord has been faithful to me and to our family in the past, and I am clinging to the Truth that His promises are always true. And maybe, just maybe, I'll have a new topic for my next few blog posts!

Dr. Appointment

27 weeks, 5 days.

I had an appointment yesterday morning with my regular OB. It went OK. I feel like I am just in this middle ground of not being in labor, but being so close that life is a little uncertain and hanging in limbo. But I'm just trying to take one day at a time and trust in God's timing.

I am still having contractions. They have not been coming as often, but they are getting more painful. I still have a couple of hours each day - sometimes around lunch, sometimes in the early evening - where I will have 10-15 contractions an hour. Those times get a little worrisome; and very uncomfortable. I am drinking so much water I feel slushy inside (and run to the bathroom every 15 minutes), so I know that I'm not dehydrated. It seems that this truly is my "normal," but it's hard to get used to.

I go back next Thursday for more tests to see if the contractions are causing any change. If they are, the doctor said my only next step would be hospital bed rest. Those are some dreaded words to think about. So let's not.

--
Things at home are going pretty well. I have surprised myself by actually slowing down. Once I did it, it was nice. It seems like our days have just taken on a new pace, and we are enjoying being at home more and more. No rushing out the door numerous times a week, just taking each day as it comes and finding fun and creative things to do at home. I am working on cutting out a LOT of hearts with my Cricut so that we have supplies to do multiple Valentine's Day crafts over the next couple of weeks. ;) School has been going really well because our schedule has relaxed a little bit. If we don't get started until 10, have to take a break in the middle of Math for lunch, and then don't finish until 2 - it's A-OK! Everything we need to get done is getting done. This whole experience could be God slowing me down on purpose to prepare me for when Porter gets here.

Thank you for your prayers, calls, emails, and the most delicious meals that have come and are on their way. Scott and I are humbled, and we are thankful.

This is...

hard. And it's going to be really difficult to keep my resolution of not complaining.

This whole "taking it easy" is for the birds someone other than me. I mean, there are crumbs all over my kitchen floor from the messiest eater on the planet who lives in our home, the school room is getting more disorganized each hour the kiddos are awake, and Ella Beth's room needs "Caution: Hazzard Area" tape hanging floor to ceiling.

But most of all, my arms are lonely. And good ol' mama-guilt is settling in.

Both of my little ones are still pretty little and hold-able, and the littlest (for now) boy really loves to be held. Not in a nagging sort of way, but in that sweet "I still love my mama" kinda way. And I hate that I have to tell him and his sister that I can't hold them for who knows how much longer.

I know, we can cuddle on the couch and floor and snuggle in bed...but there's just something unnatural about denying sweet little lifted-up arms. And it's breaking this mama's heart. 

But, I'm trying really hard to follow orders. Because I have two more little arms that need to grow stronger so that they, too, can ask this mama to hold them.