Last night, a few seconds after I hit publish on my post, my cell phone rang. It was Kevin and he had called to tell me that Ella had just thrown up! She had left the hospital about an hour earlier. We shared a kiss and hug and she bee bopped down the hall with her usual spunkiness! She had been fine all day! During her naptime at the hospital she had snuggled right up beside me nose to nose. As soon as he called, all I could think about was all of us getting a stomach virus this week.
I also hated not being at home to care for her, even though it takes everything in me to clean up throw-up without throwing up myself. She was so sad and called me and said, "Mommy, I am throwing up and can never go to church." I think she had overheard Kev saying that they wouldn't be able to make it to church today. I must just insert here that Kev did awesome on Daddy duty today. He didn't even get frustrated with me when I called a million times to check on them and to remind him to Lysol and wash hands constantly.
So far she has been okay today...just laying around more than normal. And thankfully, so far everyone else is okay. I talked to my doctor this morning and told her I had been exposed and she said if I start to feel sick at all they will go ahead and deliver me asap. I can't think of much worse than having my stomach cut open (my incision is quite large from my fetal surgery and they will use the same one again on Tues.) and having a stomach virus. I might just ask to be put to sleep for a day or two. I can also not think of much worse than for Kev to be sick as a dog on the birth day of our last child. It is kind of a day you can't redo. So, needless to say I am praying and praying that we will stay well as well as our friends and family who have been around us recently.
I cannot believe that tomorrow is my final full day as a pregnant person. I got my 8th and final IV today. My nurse got an L&D nurse to come and do it because I didn't have a lot of vein options left in my arms and apparently you have to have a bigger IV for surgery. She did awesome. I couldn't believe how painless it was. This has been such a long journey even though it has been a shorter pregnancy. I am so ready and so nervous all at the same time.
Sunday, July 10, 2011
Saturday, July 9, 2011
Counting down!
Today was a good day at the ole hospital. Kev went home this morning to spend some time with the girls and get some things done at home...like washing my four outfits! He brought the girls up this afternoon and we played in the room and then they took nice long naps. They are definitely warming up to hospital life and have made friends with nurses, cafeteria staff, and housekeeping staff. One nurse even brings them a surprise each day after they take their nap. It is so sweet. Eliza has also finally warmed up to the hospital bed and more to her mommy again. Poor thing, I am sure she really has no clue why mommy is living at the hospital.
I forgot to mention yesterday that I had what I would like to say was my VERY LAST ULTRASOUND EVER!!! The tech was asking me how many I thought I'd had since I started having babies and I really think it is too many to count. I am sure it is close to at least a hundred and I am not even exaggerating. I really hope I don't one day find out that they are really harmful or something!
Yesterday on my ultrasound my fluid measured a 6. That is pretty good considering I have been ruptured for almost 4 weeks now. Eli's right ventricle, which is the smaller of the two measured 8mm. That is down a bit from the previous week and down is always good. They couldn't measure the larger left one due to the fact that his head is so low. We did see some movement in his hips and he was practicing his breathing like crazy! They didn't do a growth scan again this week, but he should be weighing around 4lbs 5oz or so. I hope he is at least that big by Tuesday.
The countdown is really almost over...two more days. I have one more IV to get in the morning...my 8th, and that should be my last! I am so thankful to the Lord that he has sustained me through these weeks. When I was admitted I really didn't think I could handle being here until 34 weeks, even though I knew I needed to for Eli. I am also so thankful to so many who have prayed and shown love to our family. We have been so blessed by your kindness.
I forgot to mention yesterday that I had what I would like to say was my VERY LAST ULTRASOUND EVER!!! The tech was asking me how many I thought I'd had since I started having babies and I really think it is too many to count. I am sure it is close to at least a hundred and I am not even exaggerating. I really hope I don't one day find out that they are really harmful or something!
Yesterday on my ultrasound my fluid measured a 6. That is pretty good considering I have been ruptured for almost 4 weeks now. Eli's right ventricle, which is the smaller of the two measured 8mm. That is down a bit from the previous week and down is always good. They couldn't measure the larger left one due to the fact that his head is so low. We did see some movement in his hips and he was practicing his breathing like crazy! They didn't do a growth scan again this week, but he should be weighing around 4lbs 5oz or so. I hope he is at least that big by Tuesday.
The countdown is really almost over...two more days. I have one more IV to get in the morning...my 8th, and that should be my last! I am so thankful to the Lord that he has sustained me through these weeks. When I was admitted I really didn't think I could handle being here until 34 weeks, even though I knew I needed to for Eli. I am also so thankful to so many who have prayed and shown love to our family. We have been so blessed by your kindness.
Friday, July 8, 2011
It's Friday
I cannot believe we have made through an entire work week. Last week at this time it seemed like such a daunting task, but here we are. Next week at this time, I should be back at my house for the first time in 4 weeks and also no longer preggo. I know I will hate leaving Eli here and will feel so weird once he is no longer tucked safely inside. I am sure I will be back bright and early Saturday morning to check on him.
Today got off to a bit of a hectic start. Each morning they do a Non-Stress Test. It monitors Eli's heartrate and my contractions. I am usually on the monitor for 30-45 minutes, and if things look good they take me off and then just check his heartrate every 4 hours. This morning I was alone and all hooked up to the monitor. You really can't move too much because it kinda messes things up. About 10 minutes into the monitoring Eli had a deceleration. That means that his heartrate dipped too low below the baseline and stayed there a little bit. I always get anxious watching the monitor when that happens. He generally does great but he has had a few decels over the past 3 days. This is also not too uncommon when your fluid is low because the baby can move onto the cord.
When a decel last for a little bit an alarm starts sounding...loudly...BEE...BONG...BEE...BONG...and it does not stop until someone turns it off. Normally, I would just get kev to silence it until they come to check on me, but since he wasn't around I just tried to deal with it. After a while I decided to call for a nurse to come look at the strip and turn it off. Thirty minutes later no one had come. So I called again....BEE...BONG...BEE...BONG...constantly! I was also dying to go to the bathroom at this point and I was contracting every so often. I waited and waited and tried to occupy my time with the Internet. Around this time another thirty minutes had passed and so I called a third time. At that point I was ready to get up and silence the thing myself, but I was also a little concerned about Eli. The monitor was also now out of paper and had quit recording and I really needed to use the bathroom. The constant monitor alarm combined with a few decels, a full bladder and some little contractions for almost an hour an half made me quite exasperated!!
Finally, my nurse and another nurse she was training arrived. I told them that I had called 3 times needing them to come check and cut off the alarm. They were nice but kinda acted like people often call needing ice or towels and so it is hard to know when they are really needed. Makes me a little nervous if I was really having an emergency! It was a bit frustrating because I am not one to call unless I need something I cannot do myself. I have even mastered wrapping up my own IV each day prior to my shower, just so I don't have to call and wait for someone else to do it for me.
The nurse thought everything looked okay and I asked if the attending could look over the strip. Of course she said yes. I also let her know that while I am not an overly anxious person, I am not beyond thinking that something unforeseen could still go wrong and I would rather them be overly cautious than not. The doctor wanted to put me back on the monitor after lunch. After lunch things appeared to be much more normal and my contractions definitely slowed down. I am thankful that things are okay and I am ready to get Eli safely here.
Today actually went really fast. We had some sweet visitors and due to the fact that it was a long morning it was dinner time before I knew it. So glad to get to the weekend. THREE more days!!!
Today got off to a bit of a hectic start. Each morning they do a Non-Stress Test. It monitors Eli's heartrate and my contractions. I am usually on the monitor for 30-45 minutes, and if things look good they take me off and then just check his heartrate every 4 hours. This morning I was alone and all hooked up to the monitor. You really can't move too much because it kinda messes things up. About 10 minutes into the monitoring Eli had a deceleration. That means that his heartrate dipped too low below the baseline and stayed there a little bit. I always get anxious watching the monitor when that happens. He generally does great but he has had a few decels over the past 3 days. This is also not too uncommon when your fluid is low because the baby can move onto the cord.
When a decel last for a little bit an alarm starts sounding...loudly...BEE...BONG...BEE...BONG...and it does not stop until someone turns it off. Normally, I would just get kev to silence it until they come to check on me, but since he wasn't around I just tried to deal with it. After a while I decided to call for a nurse to come look at the strip and turn it off. Thirty minutes later no one had come. So I called again....BEE...BONG...BEE...BONG...constantly! I was also dying to go to the bathroom at this point and I was contracting every so often. I waited and waited and tried to occupy my time with the Internet. Around this time another thirty minutes had passed and so I called a third time. At that point I was ready to get up and silence the thing myself, but I was also a little concerned about Eli. The monitor was also now out of paper and had quit recording and I really needed to use the bathroom. The constant monitor alarm combined with a few decels, a full bladder and some little contractions for almost an hour an half made me quite exasperated!!
Finally, my nurse and another nurse she was training arrived. I told them that I had called 3 times needing them to come check and cut off the alarm. They were nice but kinda acted like people often call needing ice or towels and so it is hard to know when they are really needed. Makes me a little nervous if I was really having an emergency! It was a bit frustrating because I am not one to call unless I need something I cannot do myself. I have even mastered wrapping up my own IV each day prior to my shower, just so I don't have to call and wait for someone else to do it for me.
The nurse thought everything looked okay and I asked if the attending could look over the strip. Of course she said yes. I also let her know that while I am not an overly anxious person, I am not beyond thinking that something unforeseen could still go wrong and I would rather them be overly cautious than not. The doctor wanted to put me back on the monitor after lunch. After lunch things appeared to be much more normal and my contractions definitely slowed down. I am thankful that things are okay and I am ready to get Eli safely here.
Today actually went really fast. We had some sweet visitors and due to the fact that it was a long morning it was dinner time before I knew it. So glad to get to the weekend. THREE more days!!!
Thursday, July 7, 2011
3 week Hospital update
Not much going on in hospital land today. I had a slow morning. It appeared that my next door neighbor was having some major difficulty this morning. The nurses were obviously very occupied and it was about 10:30am before they finally got me on the monitor. I am on it each morning for 30 minutes to an hour, so I felt like I'd never be able to take a shower.
Our associate pastor and his wife, Louise, stopped in to visit me today while they were doing hospital visitation. It was good to chat with them for a while. I also had a sweet new friend stop in. She brought us doughnuts and even offered to paint my toes for me. I think that was the sweetest thing ever! They look a lot better!
Kev and the girls arrived and he brought their toenail clippers and we finally got that taken care of. Kev is still scared to trim their nails so it has always been my job. Eliza wanted her toes painted too and I must say it is hard to paint those tiny little toenails.
I feel like we are really getting closer to Tuesday! I will be glad to get there except I am getting really scared. I am not looking forward to having my stomach cut back open and it having to re-heal. It hasn't been long enough for me to forget yet. I am also a little weirded out about being awake while they are cutting me open. I think I will be claustrophobic lying on that table. It is probably time to stop watching A Baby Story! The only time I care to watch it is when I am pregnant.
I am so thankful to be in my final 4 days! I am not counting Tuesday! Oh, and the same doctor who delivered our first son, Samuel will also be delivering our last child, Eli. He is a great doctor and I was glad to learn that he would be here on Tuesday.
Our associate pastor and his wife, Louise, stopped in to visit me today while they were doing hospital visitation. It was good to chat with them for a while. I also had a sweet new friend stop in. She brought us doughnuts and even offered to paint my toes for me. I think that was the sweetest thing ever! They look a lot better!
Kev and the girls arrived and he brought their toenail clippers and we finally got that taken care of. Kev is still scared to trim their nails so it has always been my job. Eliza wanted her toes painted too and I must say it is hard to paint those tiny little toenails.
I feel like we are really getting closer to Tuesday! I will be glad to get there except I am getting really scared. I am not looking forward to having my stomach cut back open and it having to re-heal. It hasn't been long enough for me to forget yet. I am also a little weirded out about being awake while they are cutting me open. I think I will be claustrophobic lying on that table. It is probably time to stop watching A Baby Story! The only time I care to watch it is when I am pregnant.
I am so thankful to be in my final 4 days! I am not counting Tuesday! Oh, and the same doctor who delivered our first son, Samuel will also be delivering our last child, Eli. He is a great doctor and I was glad to learn that he would be here on Tuesday.
Wednesday, July 6, 2011
God works for the Good
I have been blessed with so many sweet friends who have stopped in to help me pass time. I can not tell you how much it has meant to me. I really think that someone in the hospital for an extended stay without friends and loved ones could very easily become depressed. I am generally a pretty even keeled person by nature, but some days I really feel like jumping out of my window!!
Today my sweet friend, Toots, (and no that isn't her real name, but rather the one that she is known by everyone by) came to help me pass some time. Toots is the most creative and craftiest person I know. She brought about 6 bags packed full of scrapbooking and card making supplies. I had plans for being crafty, but I mostly sat on the bed and chatted while watching the girls have fun! You can tell by the pictures that they think Mrs. Toots is pretty great too! The nurse walked in and looked like what in the world is going on in here! She actually said she thought it was great!
Romans 8:28 is one of those verses that I learned as a child. It was one I memorized and one that I hid deep within my heart. It is a promise from God that I believe and that I have continued to see play out in my life throughout the years. Kev and I have see this promise work in a very real way in our lives throughout the past few weeks. "And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to His purpose."
Most of you know that my husband was involved in a major head on collision after leaving the hospital the day after I was admitted. He was heading home to see the girls, take a shower and to pack some clothes. By the grace of God he survived and not only survived he didn't break any bones. The driver in the car who hit him did not make it. Thankfully, we have since learned that he was a believer. Kev was seriously banged up! He was so bruised...I mean I have never seen bruises like that. His doctor said he had the worst chest contusions she had ever seen. He has been sore, tired and trying to heal.
He was taken to the ER at the hospital I was at following the accident and also seen by our family doctor. His doctor would not clear him to return to work until after she sees him again this Friday. I can really tell that he is starting to feel better this week and I am so thankful that he has had time to rest and heal. When he called me moments after getting in this terrible accident, I really was wondering what in the world was going on. I mean I am waving the white flag of surrender!!! It has been one thing after another! I really didn't understand what God was up to or why he was allowing another difficultly in our lives. I was mostly just thankful that Kev was alive. When he called me telling me he had been hit and was really hurt, I think I said over and over that I loved him and that I could not do this without him. I really need him and just for the record...I am so thankful for him.
So, back to my point. Kev has not been allowed to work since the day after I was admitted. It has meant that he has been able to spend lots of hours keeping me company at the hospital. He has been making daily runs down to the food court for ice cream and such. He has been able to go and get the girls and bring them to the hospital to spend the day with mommy. He has been here to help me give them naps here at the hospital and keep them entertained. We have spent more time together in the past few weeks than we normally would. He has also had time to make many trips to the chiropractor and doctor. Thankfully, he is feeling better with each day and should good to go for Eli's arrival day.
Who but God can take the horrible tragedies of this life....the things that make you question His goodness and sovereignty, and work them for our good and our benefit. Who would have thought that Kev being in an accident would actually work for our benefit in that he would have more time to spend with me...and help me to not lose my mind. As I sit here in my quiet and empty little hospital room tonight, I cannot help but praise my heavenly father for His goodness to us.
Tuesday, July 5, 2011
33 Weeks!
We are finally in the one week countdown until Eli's arrival. Most certainly this will be the last pregnant week of my life and that is a good thing. If someone could guarantee me a normal and easy pregnancy...you know the kind...you get pregnancy, you see your doctor normally, you do all the normal pregnancy stuff, and in 38-40 weeks you bring home healthy baby...yea, I'd do that again. But, seeing that our track record hasn't been so normal, we are worn out....completely! I think this pregnancy has about done both Kevin and I in. I feel sure next Tues. I will say that it was absolutely worth it all, but it hasn't been easy.
There are many things that I am looking forward to once I am not pregnant. Of course the biggest thing is just getting to go home for a bit. I am also desperately ready for a hair trim. My hair is needing some help in a big way! It is growing out kinda crazy and could use some big time thinning out. I also have a gift certificate that Kev gave me for Christmas last year to get a Keratin Hair straightener. I found out the day after he bought it that I was pregnant so needless to say I have been saving it since December.
I am also ready to lose these pregnancy pounds. I know it takes me a while..sometimes a long while, but I am ready to start my way back down. After each pregnancy it is a huge challenge and I hope I can do it one more time. Oh, and I can't wait to wear some different clothes. I have 4 outfits that I packed quickly the morning before my last appt... just in case. I had no clue that they'd be my exclusive selection for the next 4 weeks! I do have more options at home, but it is often hard for Kevin to find exactly what I am needing. I may burn these when I am done!
I have a few things on the agenda this week to keep me busy. I have tons of thank you's I need to write. I also have 3 small canvases' I'd like to paint for Eli's room. Now is a good time to do things like that since I don't have many other options. I know once Eli gets here I will be occupied with being at the hospital with him and being at home with our girls. Oh, and I have plans to paint my toes one last time with this big belly in the way....if I still can.
Hopefully, next Tuesday evening I will have some cute little Eli pics to post and an update on his delivery day. I am so glad to be in the final countdown...6 more days to go!
And just for comparison sake...
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| 33 Weeks with Eli |
There are many things that I am looking forward to once I am not pregnant. Of course the biggest thing is just getting to go home for a bit. I am also desperately ready for a hair trim. My hair is needing some help in a big way! It is growing out kinda crazy and could use some big time thinning out. I also have a gift certificate that Kev gave me for Christmas last year to get a Keratin Hair straightener. I found out the day after he bought it that I was pregnant so needless to say I have been saving it since December.
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| Ella gives Eli kisses about 10 times a day. She is going to be a great big sister to him. |
I have a few things on the agenda this week to keep me busy. I have tons of thank you's I need to write. I also have 3 small canvases' I'd like to paint for Eli's room. Now is a good time to do things like that since I don't have many other options. I know once Eli gets here I will be occupied with being at the hospital with him and being at home with our girls. Oh, and I have plans to paint my toes one last time with this big belly in the way....if I still can.
Hopefully, next Tuesday evening I will have some cute little Eli pics to post and an update on his delivery day. I am so glad to be in the final countdown...6 more days to go!
And just for comparison sake...
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| 28 Weeks |
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| 33 weeks |
Monday, July 4, 2011
Fireworks on the Fourth!
Today was definitely a different fourth for our family! Our girls spent the day with family and Kev spent the day sitting with me at the hospital. It was a long day. Perhaps it was because I knew that it was a holiday and it just wasn't much fun being bound to the hospital or maybe it was because we saved my 30 min. wheelchair ride until 9pm so we could try to watch the fireworks. Either way it seemed like a lot of time in this room.
A sweet family from our church brought us some delicious ribs, potatoes, corn and and cookies. It was very sweet and it was so much better than hospital food!! Kev's parents also stopped by and visited. Around 9pm Kev and our friend Wes, who works here at the hospital, took me to the 10th floor to watch the fireworks. We actually had a pretty good view. I really did miss watching our girl's faces as they watched them. Next year hopefully we will be in a much better place and able to celebrate the fun of the fourth as a family.
We are almost at one week until Eli arrives. My c-section is scheduled for next Tues., July 12th at 11:00am. I am sure we will get pushed back some since we are scheduled for later in the day. I am getting very nervous about meeting Eli. I am so ready for some normalcy I could almost scream, and yet I know our lives are about to change forever. I am scared to watch and see if he can moves his legs or has feeling in his feet. I am nervous to see if he does in fact have clubbed foot. That honestly breaks my heart. You never want anything to be wrong with your baby! I am scared about what we will learn as the what ifs turn into reality. I am scared about all that "could" be wrong. Even then so much will be a wait and see! I am not faithless, but I do know that real struggles are a reality in life. We would appreciate your continued prayers as we meet this new addition to our family.
A sweet family from our church brought us some delicious ribs, potatoes, corn and and cookies. It was very sweet and it was so much better than hospital food!! Kev's parents also stopped by and visited. Around 9pm Kev and our friend Wes, who works here at the hospital, took me to the 10th floor to watch the fireworks. We actually had a pretty good view. I really did miss watching our girl's faces as they watched them. Next year hopefully we will be in a much better place and able to celebrate the fun of the fourth as a family.
We are almost at one week until Eli arrives. My c-section is scheduled for next Tues., July 12th at 11:00am. I am sure we will get pushed back some since we are scheduled for later in the day. I am getting very nervous about meeting Eli. I am so ready for some normalcy I could almost scream, and yet I know our lives are about to change forever. I am scared to watch and see if he can moves his legs or has feeling in his feet. I am nervous to see if he does in fact have clubbed foot. That honestly breaks my heart. You never want anything to be wrong with your baby! I am scared about what we will learn as the what ifs turn into reality. I am scared about all that "could" be wrong. Even then so much will be a wait and see! I am not faithless, but I do know that real struggles are a reality in life. We would appreciate your continued prayers as we meet this new addition to our family.
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