28 Weeks Bumpdate

This weeks bumpdate is going to be a lot different than last weeks. It's amazing (and scary) just how much can change in a few short days. Looking at last weeks update  I was feeling so optimistic about getting off bed rest. I was feeling better, I hadn't been contracting too much compared to normal and I was just all around feeling optimistic. 

Monday I had my appt and modified bed rest wasn't going anywhere. It was a bummer, but it didn't surprise me too much. 

Tuesday night comes a long, our busy night, and I was getting Lo ready for gymnastics, we dropped her off, ran to Target, back to get her and drop her off at Girl Scouts then home for some rest before we picked her up. We dropped her off at 6 and when we got home I realized I had been contracting quite a bit. I decided to lay down and drink some water which tends to help. I started thinking about how many I had had since dropping off Lo. I knew I had 3-5 in Target, a couple in the car, two while bringing her into Girl Scouts....all in the matter of an hour. After laying down and realizing they weren't slowing down at all Bryson and I started timing them. They were 5 minutes apart and had been consistent at least 1 1/2 hours at this point. This is when my Dr wanted me to call. All of a sudden it changed from 5 minutes apart and 30 seconds - a minute long to 2 minutes apart and each lasting a solid 1 minute a piece. 

I called the on call Dr right away and received a call back within a couple minutes to head to labor and delivery right away. I had already been packing an overnight bag for Lo and Foster and Bryson was calling grandparents to make arrangements for them. He dropped me off at the hospital and went to get Lo from Girl Scouts and brought the kids to my parents then came back to see me. 

My contractions while at the hospital

If we're being completely honest I was expecting to get some fluids and saline and then go home. My cervix was 4 cm long just a couple days prior (which is awesome) and I had been feeling great all day. I just assumed I over did it and would be home in a couple hours. 

The contractions didn't slow down. 

The Dr ordered a fetal fibronectin test (which tells you if you're likely to deliver in two weeks) and another ultrasound to check my cervix. The fetal fribronectin came back negative but my cervix was/is no longer in the safe zone. It is now a 2.8....in a matter of a couple of days! That is a scary jump. After getting those results the Dr had me stay overnight for monitoring. Bryson and I decided he would go home and get some sleep because he had work in the morning and if anything changed I would call him. 

Once I was laying down and getting ready for sleep the contractions slowed, like they normally do at night and changed to strong cramps low in my abdomen. At 6 I woke up with more contractions that were exactly the same as the night before. 

The Dr decided to start baby on steroids to help lung development, we set up a glucose screen for the next day, a second shot of steroids, and another ultrasound with the perinatologist the next day to check cervical length and baby. He also talked to me about the possibility of being transferred to the hospital in Albuquerque if any FFN tests came back positive or if my cervix changed to a 2.5.

After getting Bryson up to speed that afternoon we got ready for all our appts the next day. Thank goodness he was off and could bring me everywhere I needed to go. I was exhausted and honestly feeling pretty awful. 

First, we set up the second steroid shot and then went downstairs to take the glucose screen. I just wanted to get out of the hospital at this point. Like always, the drink burned going down and threatened to come up the whole hour. We ran back to L&D to get the shot in between waiting the hour for the test. During the shot (which is the most painful shot I've ever had in my life, it burns like no other and of course, has to go in your butt cheek. So both butt cheeks are rock hard and sore) my body decided it was wayyyy to hot and should try to pass out. After a cold compress I felt much better and headed downstairs to get blood drawn for the glucose test. 

I should mention the steroid shots make my heart rate and blood pressure sky rocket within minutes and that paired with 75 grams (yes, 75 freakin grams) of sugar was not good for getting blood drawn. My veins were not having it and after a couple pokes and two very bruised arms it was finally done and I was feeling sick and nauseous. (It was also around noon and I hadn't eaten) Bryson and I were heading out of the lab and my eyes went super splotchy and I felt myself getting ready to pass out in enough time to sit down. After coming to a little more Bryson had brought me pretzels and hummus and water and it made me feel 100 times better. 

At 4:30 Bryson and I headed over to the perinatologist to re-measure my cervix and check River. River looks better and better every week and we could see the heart finally getting caught up and it seems like it's closing correctly! My cervix was still a 2.8 and as long as it stays there (or preferably goes back up) we are in the clear and only have to deal with strict bed rest, steroid shots and lots of tests. Now I will go in every two weeks for a FFN test and weekly for cervical checks. This is on top of going in to check my bp and contractions already. Anything to keep baby cooking at this point! 

River is still buried head down and facing my back so getting cutesy face pictures was not going to happen. River's lips are blocked from his/her hand but you can see the nose, one eye and one cheek (right under the black amniotic fluid part) 

Cutesy bump pictures are out of the question this week...let's be honest, they've been out for awhile. I am tired and too lazy to get ready.

Name: River Jayce

Size: River is the size of an eggplant, almost two pounds and anywhere from 13.6-14.8 inches! I'll be sure to ask for more specific measurements at the next ultrasound.

Gender: I wasn't sure if I was wanting to tell anyone but Bryson can't handle it anymore so we will be telling people on Easter! 

Total weight gain: 22 lbs 

Maternity Clothes: Some maternity jeans but I am seriously considering investing in some more 400 den legging asap. Mama needs comfort and I feel lazy wearing nothing but sweats.

Stretch marks? No new ones that I can see but who knows, I can't see the bottom half of my stomach and Bryson's not going to tell me differently.

Sleep: I was sleeping awful again and was feeling soooo hot all night regardless of freezing my family out at 60 degrees. I turned a fan on high in our room and it made all the difference. Bryson was buried under comforters and pillows...I think he was cold.

Movement: Lots and lots of kicks!

Best moment this week: Honestly this weeks been kind of crappy. I finally had a mental breakdown, that I think I needed and honestly was long over due. Having to get steroids for River and talking about being transferred to hospital bed rest was the final straw for me. 

We did pick out paint colors for the nursery!

Miss Anything: My life. I just want my life back. It will all be worth it in a couple of months. 

Belly button in or out? Pretty much just out, but not to wear you can see it through shirts.

Food cravings: I'm hungry always and just doing my best to eat healthy. It doesn't always go great.

Anything making you queasy or sick: Glucola makes me sick. and steroid shots. 

Labor Signs: Contractions and a shortening cervix.

Symptoms: Everything listed above.

Wedding ring on or off? On 

Happy or Moody most of the time: Just kind of melancholy again. That really is the best way to describe it.

Looking forward to: Next week. That means River was able to stay put for another week. 

And now onto just a little life lately :)

How in the world can two little people take up this much room in the bed?! We will have slumber parties when Bryson is at work and it always ends up like this.

Foster has been obsessed with tickling lately. He wants to be tickled all the time! 

Last week I went to my friend Sasha's baby shower and stole this picture from her ;) She's 32 weeks now! Our babies will be so close! 

I also wanted to share a little comparison pic from last pregnancy vs this one! Such different pregnancies but a blessing all the same.

We decided since we already had a fully functional nursery it would be silly to completely redo it (even it it was a girl we are keeping the outer space theme) but that doesn't mean we can't update a little bit ;) We are painting the crib the neon green and the dresser the pretty blue. I am also going to be doing some crafts and some odds and ends to pull the room together :) 

We were going to wait to paint but decided with all that is going on it's time to get the nursery ready. So the next shift Bryson has off, we'll be painting the nursery and getting bags packed for the hospital. It is way early (for me) but I feel like I would much rather be prepared right now. 

At the end of this month Bryson and his dad are going to build the kids' bunk bed and we'll be transitioning Foster into Lo's room and re-doing their room.

I have to share this sweetness from this morning. Today is Dr. Seuss day and Lo decided she wanted to go as Cindy Lou Who. She has super short hair so no braids on the sides but we managed to get it up, curled on top and a bow...all things that were very important to her obviously. We even put in some fake snow and, according to Lo, no Cindy Lou Who look is complete without lipstick. Red lipstick.

Overall this has been an emotionally draining past couple of days. After the first night in the hospital I did have a bit of a mental breakdown. I couldn't sleep and was trying to deep breathe to get to relax and all of a sudden it just turned into a bawl. I was feeling hesitant to share this because I am not someone who looks for pity or likes to show that side of me. but I felt like I was hit with a bag of bricks. We cannot seem to catch  break this pregnancy. From bad screenings to something being wrong with River, perinatologist appts, bed rest, pre eclampsia with seizures....and now this. It's just one thing after another. I have been in a pretty crappy state of mind of poor me. I just want to be around Bryson and the kids. I don't want to do anything, I don't want to think about anything or get ready. I really just want to be alone with the kids and Bryson, or just alone. 

Which isn't healthy. 

I am the type of person who doesn't sit still, I can't be at home all the time or I get depressed and I like to control every situation. 

These past 7 months have not been in my control at all. They have been crazy out of control. I went into this pregnancy thinking it would be like my last and would be just as amazing and I would have morning sickness, but it would be ok because it would go away and then I would have all the energy. I could go on walks with the kids and go swimming, keep up the house/school/work.....but none of those things have rang true. 

I am just praying that after these three months, which  I am not expecting to be easy, everything goes back to the way it was, because I really, loved and miss my life. 

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