The Long Haul?

For those of you who check our blog every day to see what's happening, I am still pregnant, so there's no baby yet.  I am 36 1/2 weeks pregnant today, and I might just be in for the long haul.  Jarom has been convinced all along that I'd go full-term or even go past my due date.  Wouldn't that be ironic?  I was taken off of bed rest and my medications on Monday, and even with increased activity and without medicine, my contractions are still only occasional, though they are getting a little more intense and I have progressed slightly since last week.  But active labor could still be a ways off.  People keep asking when we think this baby will make his appearance, and we honestly have no idea.  He's just taking his time, and that's OK with us because it will mean we'll soon have a healthy baby in our arms who we can bring home with us.  Thanks for your prayers that got us this far and for the continued prayers for Baby Boy.  Here are a few pictures from the last two weeks of this pregnancy.  We'll keep everyone posted when something starts happening!  

     

Another Milestone

Today I am 34 weeks pregnant with our second son and the countdown is officially on.  I have 14 more days of bed rest (if all goes well and the baby doesn't come before that).  After seven weeks of bed rest so far, two weeks seem very doable (though I doubt they'll pass any quicker than previous bed rest days).  I'm also looking forward to a wheelchair field trip this week.  We've been setting up baby stuff in preparation for the baby's arrival, and have been having fun with that.  But we still have lots to do, so we all need this pregnancy to last longer.       

 

I'm glad that my contractions haven't become regular and that my everything has stayed stable for the last six weeks and thus Baby Boy has stayed put.  34 weeks is a great milestone because Baby has an excellent chance of survival and will likely face few health effects.  Right now the baby is putting on weight, learning to suck, and developing his lungs.  If needs be, those things can be done outside the womb, not that I'd like that.  This pregnancy is still going strong, and I'm not giving up anytime soon, as I don't want a second premature baby.  Having one preterm baby was hard enough, and Bryson was only mildly premature.  Bryson came at 35 weeks, just one week from now.  At that point I'd gone back and forth from the hospital several times because I  had been having contractions one to two minutes apart all week.  The doctor broke my water because my labor was progressing so slowly and I was in A LOT of pain.  Bryson had jaundice and was in the NICU for five days to learn to eat.  Having a premature baby in the NICU was a very difficult experience that I do not want to repeat, so I wouldn't get my water broken this time around, thus giving this baby as much time as possible.  I'm hoping that given a similar situation this pregnancy, doctors will be able to control my pain until this baby s actually ready for delivery.  Each day counts, so as long as Baby Boy is willing to hang out, so am I.  Now it's on to 35 weeks, and then AT LEAST 36!

Bryson the day after he was born, five weeks early