Waiting Game

I am now 38 1/2 weeks pregnant with Baby Number 2.  Had you told me that I would have made it this far when I was in the hospital with preterm labor ten weeks ago, I would not have believed you.  Baby Boy has decided to extend his residence in utero for who knows how long.  I've had irregular contractions that come and go in terms of duration and intensity, but they haven't done enough to put me into active labor, so obviously, there's no baby yet.  The last two weeks of being off of bed rest have felt great, and I've been doing a lot of "nesting" lately.  I've made freezer meals to eat after the baby arrives, organized cupboards and closets, and cleaned every room in our apartment.  I'm now running out of projects and think we're just about as prepared for this baby as we can get, but we still have no idea of his actual arrival date.  I can schedule an induction for the week after next (when I'll be full-term), but we're trying to work out the details since Jarom just started his new nursing job and has different hours, and there's no way I'm scheduling a delivery if I know he's not going to be there.  We're hoping that I'll just go into labor on my own, but like I said, Baby Boy finds himself in a comfortable position and has decided to stay put for the next little while.  Looking at the bright side, we will be holding our newborn baby boy anytime now.

B and I made some freezer meals for the hectic days with a newborn.

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

He Did It!

We are happy to report that he did it! Jarom passed his state nursing boards (the NCLEX) with flying colors and now has is a RN (registered nurse)!  We are so proud !  No more purple scrubs and no more stressing out about this test!

Pregnancy Update: Week 32

It's been a few weeks since we updated our blog about pregnancy number two, so here's a little rundown of what's been going on.  I've been on bed rest for over a month and although it has been stressful on all of us, we're doing our best, knowing it's beneficial for Baby Boy.  I've had days of fairly constant contractions and lots of pain and discomfort, but everything is still stable.  I'm happy to report we've reached 32 and a half weeks and I'm still pregnant.  We're not completely passed the danger zone as far as development goes, but we're getting there.  I'm still shooting for at least 36 weeks even with all these complications!  We're getting excited for Baby Boy to come, but we'd rather him take his time to make an appearance and come later rather than sooner.

Bryson and I have been hanging out at my in-laws for almost two weeks so that Jarom can study for his state nursing boards and work without interruptions, though he has come to visit us frequently.  Jarom takes his exam today, so Bryson and I will be going home later.  We're all looking forward to being home (though it was nice for me to have a change of scenery and for Jarom to get work done without too many distractions).  It's nerve-wracking to have to wait for the results while also being on bed rest and facing other life stresses, but we're managing to soldier on.  We'll let you know as soon as we get test results in a few days.  Bryson has also had difficulty adapting to the changes bed rest has brought to his routine, and we're trying to help him to the best of our ability.  Needless to say, it's been a stressful few weeks, but we're staying positive and moving one day at a time toward a term baby, a passed test, and physical and emotional stability for all of us.  We appreciate your prayers in behalf of our family!  They're working!  

 

  Learning to crochet and playing board games

 Non-Stress Test to monitor contractions

 My bed rest calendar and Jarom sporting his pregnancy beard

 Getting through a bout of contractions

 I celebrated 32 weeks with a spa day

Bryson's first stop is always the Jolly Rancher bowl at the doctor's office

See, I do have a belly.  Even Bryson says so!

Bryson's First Time Snowboarding

 

J and his dad took B snowboarding for the first time on Friday.  J desperately wants to get back on a snowboard himself, but he needs to wait a few more weeks after breaking his hip, scapula, and a couple of ribs in a snowboarding accident last month.  So taking B and teaching him to snowboard this season is the next best thing.  B had an absolute blast and J had to call it quits long before B wanted to leave.  He said "doing zig zags" was his favorite thing, and J was impressed with how well B did his first time snowboarding.  I obviously was sad to miss it, but Jarom took lots of video and pictures, so that was the next best thing.   Jarom made the cute video below.



Jarom says:  "The video tells it all.  My little boy is so rad."  He titled this video "What It Means To Be a Dad."

  5 Year Old Learns to Snowboard in a Day from Jerry G on Vimeo.

In and Out (Of The Hospital)

This past week, I drug Jarom and Bryson to the hospital a few times so doctors could get my preterm labor under control.   On my first week of bed rest I have to admit that I wasn't as strict about staying down as I should have been.   But this week and last, I've been extremely diligent about staying in bed after further cervical change, more contractions, the baby dropping, and my doctor telling me she'd admit me to the hospital if  I wasn't more compliant with bed rest.  I know I still push it occasionally so Jarom and Bryson have to be  Bed Rest Police, but I am trying to just lay and be still 24/7 so this baby doesn't come any earlier than necessary.  Jarom and Bryson have been great through this stressful time and help me get me through each day.

 

Even with diligent bed rest and anti-contraction medication, I still wound up in the hospital last Sunday with contractions that were coming about six minutes apart.  I had to get three unpleasant Tributaline injections to stop preterm labor.  The contractions came back around 2 a.m. but after another injection Monday morning they were successfully stopped, though I had them keep me for observation on Monday night just in case they amen back again.  I went back to the hospital for a few hours on Wednesday because I was experiencing a lot of pain, but it turned out they were contractions caused by uterine irritability which are not labor-inducing ones.  The irritability is extremely uncomfortable, but it's something I can live with since I know it won't cause premature birth like real contractions do.  I was able to come home to bed rest, and it's good to be home. 

As of Friday, things are stable, and Baby Boy looks good.  He's still got A LOT of growing and developing to do, and even though he's dropped really low and is on the smaller side, the doctors are happy with his progress.  My cervix hasn't shortened at all this week, even with the contractions I've had, and that's good news because it's more likely to keep hanging in there and keep the baby from coming sooner than he has to.  I've only experienced a few contractions, mostly at night, which is normal for someone in preterm labor.  The doctor or also adjusted the dose on my medication, and that seems to be helping.  Having things be stable helps me relax and keep doing what I need to do to get Baby Boy here safely: bed rest.  Tomorrow I'm 30 weeks, and this baby and I are still going strong thanks to your prayers and ours.

If you'd like to read more about my experience on bed rest, I've started a blog:  http://www.bedrestblubber.blogspot.com.  Let me know if you'd like an invite.