We got another good report from the doctor yesterday. My cervix has not changed since I left the hospital, and the baby is growing fast! Too fast I think, thanks to my gestational diabetes. In one week I gained 5 pounds, but I just consider it a makeup from not gaining anything the prior week.

One of the side effects of gestational diabetes is weight gain, for both me and the baby. For the baby, that's really an ok thing if she's going to be born premature. But for me, not so great. I was already holding on to my baby weight from Sayla Grace, and now I'm just compounding it! I can't wait to start exercising again.

Speaking of gestational diabetes, mine is slowly spiraling out of control. My 'after breakfast' blood sugars have been a mess, and while they get better throughout the day, they don't ever get down to where they are supposed to be. Except when I'm sleeping. They were trying to control it with diet, to avoid extra meds, but alas, that didn't work.

My doctor put me on something called Metformin, which is generally used to control "non-insulin dependent" diabetes. Curiously, it's also used as a fertility drug, and to control Poly-Cystic Ovary Syndrome. Lots of women take it when trying to get pregnant, and then through the first trimester to help keep the pregnancy viable. But obviously I'm using it for its original purpose...to control diabetes.

Even though I've been on lots of meds this whole pregnancy, I was a little nervous about starting this one for some reason. I'm just taking it once a day for now, and if that doesn't help I'll take it twice a day. I think it'll take a few days to get into my system to really make a difference. It didn't do anything this morning, but we'll see how the rest of the day goes. It can apparently have some pretty nasty side effects, but so far I've not experienced any. Time shall tell.

Something else interesting resulted from my appointment yesterday. I was asking the doc my usual round of questions, and one of my questions was "When do we stop all these meds?" (as a reminder I'm on Procardia, Progesterone, emergency Brethine - all to control contractions). Her answer....34 weeks. 4 weeks from now!!! Now, usually that wouldn't be a big deal. Most women will then continue on like normal until their bodies are ready (around 40 weeks) to go into labor.

But as we all know, I am NOT most women when it comes to being pregnant. What it probably means for me, is that about a week after I stop those meds, I will go into labor. (this is totally my idea, not the doc's)

When will that be, you ask? Well, the week of Sayla Grace's 1st birthday!! Can you imagine if I have Avery on the same day I had Sayla Grace (exactly a year later!)??! I've heard both sides of this..."Oh, that won't be good, they need different birthdays." and "Oh how fun that will be for them to be so close and share a birthday too!"

I'm on the "Oh how fun" side of that camp. Not only will that make things easier for me every year, but I think since they will be so close, that they will enjoy sharing such a special day.

Now I'm not saying this is for sure going to happen, but it's a real possibility. Of course there's the chance I could go into labor while still on all these meds. Or I could come off the meds and go well past 35 weeks. Only time will tell.

This bit of information does create a small damper on my plans for Sayla Grace's first birthday party. I was planning on having it the weekend after her birthday, but now I'm not sure that will be possible. So for now, I'm going to plan the party (except for the date), and I'll determine when it will be later...based on what Avery decides to do in 5 weeks. And if I'm in the hospital on her actual birthday, we'll just have cake and ice cream in our room! I mean, last year we had our anniversary in the hospital room, so what's a birthday too!!!

Speaking of Sayla Grace, she's becoming quite the little ham. At the moment she's in her exersaucer screaming her head off because her Grandmomma walked out of the room. And when I talk to her, she immediately stops. Such a faker!!

She has grown so much in the past few weeks. She's now able to pick up little pieces of food and put them in her mouth, and mash them with her little gums. So far she's only had the Gerber Puffs, but we are soon going to try graham crackers and cheerios. Should be interesting. Her Grandmomma has to give them to her, because I'm terrified she's going to choke and I can't do it!

She can go from sitting to her tummy and then to her back quite well. She hasn't mastered the 'getting on her knees' part, but she's getting there. Her therapists say she is doing really well progressing like she should.

She is loving being here getting all this attention, so it'll be interesting when we go home and there's suddenly competition. Though I think she'll just see Avery as a built in playmate, and she'll be in hog heaven always having someone with her.

I can't wait to see the two of them together!

PS - if I can get Owen to remember to bring over my camera, I'll post some pics soon. I just haven't had my camera these past few weeks!!

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I knew that would happen...I've already slacked off on keeping a record of my days on bed rest. Oh well. They are all pretty much the same. Wake up, move to couch, have breakfast, monitor, shower, back to couch, have lunch, then dinner and finally to bed. All except Wednesday's.

That's the day I have my weekly check-up. This Wednesday was no exception. It was my second appointment since leaving the hospital. Fortunately there was no change, and I was ordered to continue my bed rest.

But then yesterday (Thursday), things got a little crazy. For some reason yesterday I started contracting pretty heavily. Well, more so than I have since being in the hospital. I had 3 during my morning monitoring session - no big deal. But then I actually started feeling more throughout the day. And I haven't felt them thus far. I knew something was up, so I threw in another monitoring session after lunch. Turns out I had 4 during that hour alone. 5 is my limit. So without hesitation, I popped a Brethine pill to nip that in the bud. I ended up having 2 more during my evening session, but the Brethine hadn't fully kicked in, so that was normal.

The medicine worked, because I only had 1 this morning, and haven't felt any the rest of the day. I don't know what it was about yesterday. The nurses tell me that as the baby grows, my uterus will contract because that's how it grows. And as I get further along, it will contract more. This is normal - in a normal pregnancy. But since my pregnancy is anything but normal, everyone freaks out when I contract at all! But the medicine helps, and it's no harm to the baby.

That baby, by the way, is quite the mover and shaker! I've been calling her my little Rockette, because she's got some moves that assure me she's practicing for her next big show! But the little rascal seems to only practice at night. She sleeps soundly during the day, not making a move. But AS SOON as I lie down to go to bed, she starts up. I'm hoping after she's born we'll be able to quickly change that habit.

Sayla Grace is doing very well. She has adjusted to her surroundings and is sleeping through the night. She's started taking 2 naps a day (instead of 3), but one of them is usually about 2 or 3 hours long. Some days of the week we have a family friend, Ms. Margaret, that comes to help her, and incidentally me, while Joyce goes to work.

We were worried that Sayla Grace would not take kindly to Ms. Margaret, as she's a new person to her, but we were all shocked when she smiled and went right to her the first day. And every day since, she's been super excited to see her and happily embraces the transition from Joyce leaving the Ms. Margaret taking over. It's really been quite a blessing.

I'm not bored with the bed rest yet. I've been keeping very busy with work, and that helps make everything seem more normal. I'm really enjoying my book too, which is a shocker considering I hate to read!! And I also do random research on the internet for mom (and anyone else who needs something), looking for things like new bedding and household items that she doesn't have time to look for!

I'm also planning Sayla Grace's 1st Birthday party!!! Can you believe that it's almost been a year?!? I'm not sure yet what her party will entail, but it will be fairly small since I'll hopefully still be on the couch! Owen is betting that Avery will be born on Sayla Grace's birthday!

That's the latest from our camp!!

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Yesterday was another good day as far as boring bed rest days go. The only change to my normal routine was in the morning.

When GJ took SG on her morning stroll, I moseyed outdoors and plopped myself down on the bench swing in the front yard. With a pillow behind my back, I was able to lie on the swing and enjoy the muggy Alabama summertime air. I know most of you are doing whatever you can to get out of that muggy heat, but I look for every opportunity to get into it right now!!!

They walked for about 45 minutes, while I lounged on the swing reading my book. Occasionally I would put my foot on the ground and push myself, so as to actually swing. It was quite nice.

I'm starting to really enjoy my book. But I've become slightly disheartened about it. I thought I was on Chapter 3, but it turns out, each chapter seems to have "sub" chapters, so really I was only on Chapter 1. But last night I finally made it to Chapter 2, so that was good. I'm hoping I can actually finish this one because there are some others I think I'd like to read.

I had some great interaction time with Sayla Grace yesterday too. At one point, she was sitting in my lap facing me, and she started patting my belly. So I began to tell her all about baby sister, Avery, and all the fun they would have once she got here. We chatted about her for a while, and then, all of the sudden, Sayla Grace leaned over and kissed my belly, and then turned her head so she was "listening" to it. She laid there for a good 5 seconds before sitting up again. And again, we talked about Avery, and she kissed and listed to her again. It was the cutest thing I think I've ever seen.

Later in the day, SG and GJ went to see Gran (GJ's momma) and then met SG's Aunt Abbey and cousin Davis for dinner. They brought some home to me - Mexican - and I thoroughly enjoyed it. But it turns out Mexican food is NOT conducive to my diabetic diet. My "sugars" were up to 172, the highest they've been since I've been home. They are supposed to be below 140. So unfortunately I cannot have Mexican for the next 3 months. I think I'll survive though.

That night I got to finally see my husband!! It's been a few days since he's been able to get over here because of work, and we missed him!! I can't wait for his off days!!

Sayla Grace has made a new friend...They have this big ladybug stuffed animal, and she loves to sit in front of it and chat with it! It's bigger than she is!! I'll try to get a video of it and figure out how to post it.

That was really it for my eventful day!! Today is shaping up to be another fun filled day on the couch. I think I'll move to the love seat later today. That'll be fun!

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We have finally decided on a first name for this little munchkin in my belly. However the middle name is giving us fits. We've at least narrowed down the middle name to 2 different choices, but I won't be sharing those choices just yet!

Her first name will be Avery, which means "Counselor, Sage & Wise." While we did not originally choose this name because of it's meaning (as we did Sayla), it has inadvertently come to hold great meaning to me now that I'm on bed rest.

This wise little soul has become a counselor of sorts in my life already. She has taught me the value of family, the meaning of patience and the reaffirmed the importance of having faith. She is already teaching me what it's like to have two children, and all about sacrifices we as parents must make for our children, sometimes at the sake of the other child.

The 2 middle names we are considering both have deep meaning to them, and it's partly their meanings that are making it so difficult for us to decide. If it wouldn't cause her havoc later in life, we would give her 2 middle names. But that would be hard for her to deal with on those standardized tests in school, and would never fit in all the little boxes!!!

It is possibly one of those situations where we have to meet her to decide which name fits best, but I promise as soon as we decide on one, I'll let you know!

But for now, you can call her Avery!

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So yesterday (Day 3 of bed rest) was a fairly eventful day in the realm of bed rest. After getting up for breakfast and a quick hour of contraction monitoring, we headed off to my weekly doctor visit with Dr. B.

It was nice to get out of the house and enjoy some fresh, hot, muggy Alabama air! I sat in the back with Sayla Grace, which was nice, given that's where I usually sit when someone else is driving. We talked and laughed and played on our short trip up to the hospital (where Dr. B. is).

We had to wait a while, because I was a work in, but I just propped my feet up and got comfy. As usual we made some new friends courtesy of Sayla Grace's cuteness, and finally it was my turn.

I got a great report from the doctor. I'm still 1cm dilated, but she said things were better than last week! I told her I've been having 1-2 contractions during my night monitoring sessions, and she was none too pleased. So she gave me a prescription for "emergency" brethine (which stops contractions in their tracks) and told me if I ever start having more than 2 in an hour to pop a pill. That drug makes me feel very jittery and restless, and makes the baby jump around a lot, but it sure does work. I haven't had to take one yet, but I've had shots of that med before, so I'm used to it.

My doc is headed to the beach this weekend, and in all honesty, I think she was a little worried that I'd start heavily contracting while she was trying to enjoy a relaxing vacay, which is sure to spoil her weekend! So emergency brethine it is!

After finishing at the doc, we stopped off at Ms. Klingler's Bakery to pick up some chicken salad for lunch, and came home and had some yummy sandwiches.

And then I resumed my position on the couch.

Later I fed the baby some squash and a bottle, watched Ellen and America's Got Talent that night. I started reading Jodi Picoult's House Rules and got through chapter 1, which is a major accomplishment for me - reading for pleasure. As of today, I'm on chapter 3. It's got like 500+ pages, so it'll be with me a while!

I'm starting to get used to being bed/couch bound, but I still feel like a worthless teenager who refuses to get off the couch. I do manage a daily shower and complete primping session (it makes me feel better about myself!), and savor the moments that I can hold, feed and interact with Sayla Grace.

The hardest part about the whole thing is when she cries, I am unable to console her because I can't pick her up. She doesn't like to be held and semi rocked while on the couch, and the rocker is just too vertical for me to sit in and support her at the same time. The fortunate thing is that she doesn't know the difference (that it's not me rocking her), and she has become quite fond of her Grandmomma Joyce (GJ). For which I am incredibly grateful. It makes the fussy times easier for me to handle. GJ has become her "person" of choice, and it's so cute to see SG get upset when she leaves the room. And I'm told that when they are out, she clings to GJ and won't let anyone hold her without some coercion!

Whenever those fussy times happen, I just say a little prayer, and remember that SG is more than well taken care of, and that I have a responsibility towards her sister, that only I have control over.

No one else can help me keep her in my belly (physically speaking). With that in my arsenal of thoughts, I can handle just about anything that's thrown at me while I'm stuck on the couch and feeling helpless.

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This is a portion of the blog you may find quite boring.  But I’m keeping a record of my bed rest…mainly for my own amusement.  And so I can have one more thing to look forward to each day.

They discharged me from the hospital on Monday.  It was quite a fiasco, and I almost had to stay another night.  But thanks to my mother, and a nurse that understood my frustrations, I was finally able to leave around 3p.

I was supposed to leave around 1p, but the at home contraction monitor that was supposed to be mine, had gotten comfy on the FedEx truck and didn’t want to come home with me. 

Long story short, the FedEx man didn’t leave the package that contained my monitor at the home health office because there was no one there to sign for it when he arrived.  So when the home health nurse arrived to pick it up, there was no monitor to be found. 

Upon my doctor finding out about this, she ordered that I be held hostage until the monitor was in my hands.  Which potentially meant another night there. 

I was devastated.  Trying to hold back my tears, thus surely preventing labor, I called mom and told her what was happening.  She hung up on me to call the home health company.  Getting the right person on the phone, she demanded they find me a monitor, and that they find it today.  (She knows how to handle home health people!) 

So the home health nurse called FedEx, got the cell number for said FedEx driver holding my monitor hostage and caught up with him at an office close to theirs. 

She chased him down, got my monitor off the truck and came to my rescue.  After a brief demonstration and some paperwork, 2 hours later I was finally able to leave!!  Thanks to Mom, Kelly (the home health nurse) and the mystery FedEx man for allowing Kelly to take the package!!!

(Sorry, that wasn’t really a short story!)

On the way home, mom and I opened all the windows and the sun roof, and I reclined in the front seat and enjoyed our short commute to Owen’s dad’s house. 

This is our new home for the next 3 months.  Well, it’s mine and Bitty’s new home.  Owen will be at our house many nights so he can continue to work (it’s much closer to his beat than his dad’s house is.) 

We got here, and I plopped myself down on the couch and got comfy.  For dinner we had grilled chicken, grilled veggies and corn on the cob!  It was the best meal I’ve had in at least a week!  And it was fabulous for my diabetes.  My sugars haven’t been that low after a meal since they started checking them!  (Exhilarating I know!)

I got to watch all kinds of different shows – other than TLC.  And most importantly got to play and interact with SG for more than an hour at a time!!  I even got to feed her dinner! 

After dinner I completed my first at home contraction monitoring session.  I have to monitor for an hour in the morning, an hour in the evening and any other time I feel like I might be contracting a bunch.  After I submit my “strip” of hour monitoring, the nurse calls to let me know what they found, and she lets me know if I need to be doing something different.

During that session, I only had one tiny little contraction, but the nurse wasn’t concerned.  So off to bed we went, and I slept like I’ve never slept before!  (We lived here while our house was being remodeled, so I am already used to sleeping here).

This morning I moved from the bed to the couch, and I’ve been here all afternoon.  Finally able to watch The Food Network (my standard during the day!), I’ve been relaxing all day.  I’m starting to get bored already, so I’m trying to think of fun things to do while lying on the couch! 

The internet just today got up and running, so I’ll be able to get my work done, and look up some fun things to do while on bed rest.  Feel free to leave me suggestions!! 

Until next time…

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So we have a plan.  Finally.  And we’re prayerful it doesn’t involve this hospital room for much longer.

This is all subject to change at a moment’s notice, but at least we have made it to a point where we can look forward to something different. 

Things have been going so well – contractions have slowed and almost stopped, I’ve not dilated any further and the baby is doing well – that the doctor has put the ball in our court.

While she admits that she “doesn’t trust me,” she is ok with us continuing this bed rest at home on a contraction monitor.  But we can decide when we’re ready to go home.

We have decided to wait until Monday, June 7th to attempt to go home.  I know you are probably thinking we’re crazy for wanting to stay, but since we’ve been to this rodeo before, we’re not taking any chances.

Why are we waiting, you ask?? 

Well, on Monday I will be 28 weeks, and just a few days past the point where we had Sayla Grace.  And even though things have calmed down for now, we want to be sure it’s going to stay that way before we head out.  Otherwise we’ll end up right back here by the weekend. 

So as long as there have been no changes by Monday, we’ll plan to go home sometime that day.  If there have been any changes, we’ll reevaluate our situation and decide what to do from there. 

At home, I’ll still be on strict bed rest, with bathroom and shower privileges.  I’ll be allowed to transfer myself from the bed to the couch during the day.  Since it’s all about gravity, I just have to be careful about being sure I’m mostly reclined and keeping pressure off my cervix. 

We’ll go to the doctor weekly for ultrasounds and checkups, and be ready to come back to the hospital at a moment’s notice. 

I’ll have an at home contraction monitor that I will be required to wear for an hour at night and an hour in the morning.  And I’ll also have to put it on anytime I start feeling any of the common signs of labor. 

Generally I’d be allowed 6 contractions in an hour before having to come back, but since I’m still so early, and because my labor with SG progressed so quickly once it started, I’m only allowed half that before we’re back. 

Sayla Grace will continue to have continuous care from her grandmother’s, but at least at home I’ll be able to spend all day with her, feed her and interact with her more. 

So.  That’s our plan for the moment.  Please pray that we’re able to stick to it and keep this sweet baby in my belly for at least another month!  Every day in my belly is a day less in the NICU. 

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