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Friday, December 28, 2007

I saw the doctor yesterday and he said everything looked good, no change from the last good report he gave me two weeks ago. He gave me final clearance to go home!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

We leave this afternoon for Chicago and then Michigan after that!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

No new posting for two weeks......not that that will surprise you, not much posting at all these days -- oops.

Tuesday, December 25, 2007

Merry Christmas!!

We posted pictures of our decorations and gifts at our Picasa web site.

We CAN'T WAIT for Friday when we start home!!!!!

Lillian's still hanging in there, we have a dr. appt on Thursday and will post a quick update after that.

Wednesday, December 12, 2007

I saw the dr. today and he said I am not dialated any more than before, between the three nurses that checked me at the hospital and him; two said I was at zero, one said I was at 1, and he was kind of inbetween. He said today that he would consider me 3/4 to 1. He said had Sunday not happened, he would not even mention today that I was "dialated", just marking it in my chart, but that number is so small its inconsequential if nothing else is happening.

I have not had any contractions since I left the hospital. He said she is measuring right at 30 weeks (which I will be on Friday) and that her heartbeat was great. He said her movement is great, she is moving around a lot and that if I were close to labor, she would be slowing down and settling down to prepare for birth.

He said there is currently no infection present, the prescription he gave me, might have kicked a bladder infection or sinus infection that was just starting and causing all this ruckus, but that nothing was present now so that was good.

He said he wants me on modified bedrest for now, which means no work (easy since I'm not working), no exercise and no lifting. Also, just doing what feels okay and resting when I feel tired. He did tell me that I can pull the "bedrest" card whenever I want. :-)

I asked about the shot being good for only one dose, and best within 7 days of delivery. He said yes, that is true and on Sunday he was thinking that was possible. But as of today he would say there is no way I will deliver within the next two weeks and he would be "extremely surprised" if I delivered in two or three weeks. He said if he hadn't been there himself Sunday/Monday he would not know anything unusual had happened, everything today looked excellent and apparently the happenings in the hospital were something strange that was stopped with the medication and has no indications of appearing again.

I asked about the travel to MI and Chicago and he asked if it would be more stress to go or not go as that was really the deciding factor at this point. He said he would go and if it was his daughter he would tell her to go, but as his patient he has to tell me "You're crazy."
He said to make sure and know where hospitals are in each location and how to get there. And of course, there is always a possibility I will have her while I am gone, but no more chance of that than he told me two weeks ago at my appointment!!!

He said that he wants to see me on the 28th (the day we fly out) to give me a "hopefully great" report, so I will know as I get on the plane, that everything was perfect a few hours before. Of course, there is always the possibility that I would be dialated at that point (although he finds that highly unlikely) and not be able to go, but at least we would have seen him right before we're scheduled to leave.

I am soooooooooooooooooo thrilled at all of this good news! It is definintly the result of all the people out there thinking about and praying for us, and we appreciate it SO much.

Now, I just ask that everyone pray that we do not have her while on vacation, and she waits until we are back here in Virginia.

Monday, December 10, 2007

Pray for LIlly (and us)

We spent the last 20 hours admitted to Labor and Delivery due to losing my "plug" and having slight contractions.

When we went in they said I was having regular contractions and was dialated to 1. They admitted me overnight and ran lots of tests. They took bloodwork and gave me lots of IV liquids. They gave me a round of three shots of Terbutaline to try to stop the contractions, and for the most part it seems to have worked so far. They gave me a shot of Betamethasone to develop her lungs faster in case she is born early.

I was realeased about lunch time to come back tomorrow morning and get another round of testing, a "non stress test" and another Betamethasone shot (you have to have two, 24 hours apart). I was also given a prescription to kill any infection that may or may not have a part in causing all of this.
We (R and I) are most concerned about the Betamethasone, as everything we can find online (from trusted sources) say the drug is given once in pregnancy (in two doses, 24 hours apart) when the doctor feels delivery is "expected" within 0-7 days, being most effective 24 hours from the first dose to 7 days from the last dose. It is not able to be repeated in a second (or third, or fourth) course as it used to be, because of undeterminded health effects to the mother and baby, so doctors are instructed to use it when they think birth is "expected" within 1 week.
I called my OB before going in and the L&D were in constant contact with him by phone. He came to see me at the hospital this morning, but we will not really know anything more defininte until I see him in his office on Wednesday afternoon. I am on bedrest until Wednesday at least.

I am 29 weeks and 2 days now and the earliest doc feels "comfortable" with is 34, but we're not sure we're going to make it that long. Just pray please.

Another (seemingly smaller) thing to pray about is that because of my bad veins (increased difficulty to find with pregnancy) and between taking blood, giving me shots and inserting IVs (and repeated attempts at all of these) they have "used up" my veins in all the normal and a little wierd places. Once you get a stick in one area the hospital won't do it in that same area for more than 72 hours, so if something comes up within the next three days, I get an IV in my foot and shots and bloodwork done in some other seemingly awful place.

Thanks, Stacey and Richard