Day 12 - 27 wks, 1 day - More doctors...but not for baby...hmmm...

So as the title says, I got to see more doctors/nurses/techs today but not because of my preggo issues. Turns out I have a heart murmur and had to have a sono of my heart, an EKG, as well as talk to a cardiologist this afternoon.  I was only put in here for a short cervix and I will be walking out with a heart murmur too...lol...Only me :-P

All I know is that if they find one more thing wrong with me, Joey might just kidnap me in the middle of the night.  I personally think it is a little comical, but all Joey sees are the extra bills piling up on top of the already huge pile.  Oh well...

The good news is that the murmur is more than likely pregnancy induced.  Sooo, once Cortland is here I will have it checked out and see if it is gone.  The cardiologist said that since I have almost 50% more blood in my system then a normal, non-preggoed, person, some preggos (me) can form a heart murmur.  Almost all go away after pregnancy.  So he is not worried, my OB is not worried, so I am not worried...Whewwww...Cross that off my list of stresses...

OHHH, I completely forgot to mention in yesterdays post that I was able to talk to my students yesterday!!!  I was a mess yesterday morning because I knew that my Kinders would be walking into our classroom expecting to see me, and I would not be there =(  Soooo, Courtney planned the best  "surprise" and I soooo needed it!  They called me right after they got back from Computers and were eating their snack.  It was soooo great to hear their voices (all in unison) say "HI" to me.  We talked...well, I asked questions and they answered them in unison, for about 3-4 minutes.  Of course after we ended the call I cried like a baby for a good 5 minutes...but, well, that's pretty normal for me at the moment.  But still, I LOVED it!!!!  I seriously have one of the best friends ever!!!

Other then the extra stuff with my heart, the day was pretty uneventful.  Cortlandt still looks fantastic when we monitor her and I am still have no contractions, WOOOHOOOO!!!  I hope to have more info tomorrow since I will be seeing Dr. Albert, a little excited and apprehensive about this.  PLEASE say some extra prayers that all looks well!!!  We know that my cervix won't be normal (once you have a short cervix you always have a short cervix), but we are hoping that it has less funneling or at least maintained itself from the last sono.  So any extra prayers you have would be greatly appreciated!!! 

Fingers crossed I have more to report, hopefully good, tomorrow =)

Goodnight for now!!!

P.S. Only 25 days until Christmas!!!!!!!!!

HUGS!!!

~Charlotte

Day 11 - 27 wks - Not much news today =) =(

So I was in bed, very unsuccessfully trying to go to sleep, and realized that I did not blog today.  I think out of all of my days on bed rest today went by the fastest.  I woke up, next thing I knew it was lunch, then Joey came by and then time for bed...where did the day go???  Don't get me wrong, I am sooooo very delighted that it went by so fast, but I feel so unproductive.  Yes, don't laugh...I know what you are thinking...How can you be productive on bed rest???  Well you can...well, at least I like to think that you can =)  I work on Sudoku puzzles, continue with my cross-stitch (T will be finished tomorrow so look for a pic), read Harry Potter or another magazine, try to remind myself to eat (hospital food for 11 days...yes I need to remind myself), and do my back-and-forth movement to de-numb my rear (read the "What is bed rest" post if this makes no sense to you).  Now before bed rest I would be laughing at that list, but being 11 days in, that's a lot to do in a day if I may say so myself =)

Now that I think of it, today I was a lot more productive then I thought.  I spent a good deal of the morning talking to people from FISD about being on bed rest, getting e-mailes forwarded, signing papers, and making more phone calls.  All I have to say is whoever invented the Sick Leave Bank for FISD is my all-time favorite person EVER!!!!  I only have 4 personal/sick days left from this year, but since I am part of the sick leave bank I can take a max of 30 days out of it.  THAT MEANS that I will have normal paychecks through the middle of Jan =)  Ohhhhh was Joey happy to get conformation about that today!!!!  Plus, we have disability that theoretically kicked in the moment I was admitted, so Joey was supper/extra happy after all of that =)

Joey was here today when Dr. Watkins came by, which was nice since this makes his second time to see her with this pregnancy.  She didn't check me today, didn't want to risk messing anything up for Dr. Albert on Wed, but we did talk for a while.  She is thinking that there might be a chance that I can go home next Mon, my 28th week, BUT she will not put anything in writing yet.  She wants to consult with Dr. Albert on Wed, check me at the end of the week for dilation, and then do the FFN test (check for possible labor).  She will take all of that into consideration as well as talking to Joey and I about what bed rest at home should look like and if I will follow it like I have here in the hospital.  It is sooooo easy to say yes to that, but at the same time we all know me...I don't sit/stand still well unless i have someone monitoring me 24/7.  YET I would give up my left foot to go home, IF I can make home bed rest match hospital bed rest.  My main focus is this perfect baby girl, but at the same time, Mommy needs to be sane.  I have a feeling that she will say Hospital...just my gut at the moment...if she does I will be okay with that.  I will most diffidently cry, cry, and then cry some more, but then I will get over it and make the best of it, like I have so far.  Still, home would soooooo be nice...

Okay, so enough rambling...I'm off to bed, again.  Fingers crossed that sleep will find me this time.

HUGS and LOVE!!!

-Charlotte

Day 10 - 26 wks, 6 days - An emotional day, well evening...

All in all, today was a pretty good day.  My Mom stayed with me last night, which was nice, and then left this morning to get some SMU stuff done.  Joey and Liam came with McDonald's breakfast and a lot of energy.  Liam has certainly come into his own when he is in the hospital hospital.  Seeing Mommy in the hospital bed does not faze him in the lease, which is a great thing!!!  Some of Joey's family came by after Church to hang out for a while and then take Liam with them.  Joey starts his 3 days on tonight and needs a pretty good nap during the day, so Cathy, Joey's Mom, watched Liam today. My Mom will spend the night at our house with Liam and take him to school tomorrow morning.  We  have decided that we want to keep Liam in school as long as we can.  He needs structure in this time of craziness and to stay on his routine as much as possible. So, my fantastic family will pretty much be in charge of taking Liam to and from school on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday mornings as well as sleep at our house Monday and Tuesday nights.  Joey will then resume the "Liam Duty" Wednesday afternoons and the rest of the week.  We will see how long they can all do this, but for now, this is the plan and mad does it take one little brick off of my shoulders at the moment.

As the title of my post says, the emotions were running rampant this evening.  It started with me having to say "bye" to Liam.  It seems to get harder and harder each time.  I'm not sure if it is because I don't truly know how long I am in here for or if it is just the slow realization of how much of his life I am missing at the moment.  All I know is that he kissed me goodbye, gave me a huge hug and walked out and I lost it...absolutely lost it.  Joey came back and said that it was hard for him to say bye this time too since he had Liam all weekend to himself.  Any shred of control vanished then and I was a crying basket case.  And then the mini ranting started...missing out on Liam's life...missing our on Liam and Joey together...missing out on decorating for Christmas and getting our first Christmas tree for our new house...seeing Liam's face light up as he helped Joey put up our tree or set up the HUGE Santa and Snowman outside...Thank goodness my husband is a saint and just listened to me rant and cry.  I eventually stopped...but then Joey had to leave and out came the tears again.  This time not as bad, but they still fell.

So, Joey left and about 10 minutes later I got myself together.  Then it hit me that tomorrow is Monday...The first Monday of many, many Monday's that I will not be in my classroom teaching my kiddos...okay, begin round three of tears...

Man when I have a cry, I really have a cry...This does not happen all the time, but when it does, watch out.  But I do feel better after the fact and my sweet day nurse, Charlene, came in to make sure I was okay.  She said that crying fits in this hall are incredibly normal, good to know, and to not feel bad.  She brought me more kleenex and a jello to make me feel better.  Funny how jello can make me smile =)

So I am now typing this, watching a sappy Christmas movie on Lifetime (Fa la la la Lifetime =) ) and eating hospital version of spaghetti and meatballs (not quite sure how I feel about it yet).

I promise tomorrow's post will have more to say and a lot less tears ;-)  I see Dr. Watkins sometime tomorrow so hopefully I will be able to report some news =)  Whether it is good or bad it will be news and news right now is what I want to have!

Goodnight from the land of bed rest and tears ;-)

Day 9 - 26 wks, 5 days - What is bed rest like???

I am amazed by how many people think that bed rest is just sitting in bed, watching tv, taking naps and playing on the computer.  Yes and no.  For right now, bed rest is a lot of watching tv, taking naps, and playing on the computer, BUT...it is also a lot of moving around to un-numb my rear and un-cramp my knees.  Moving from the bed, to the window bench, and back to the bed.  I do this back and forth routine to let the part of the bed that will forever hold the impression of my rear, try to fluff itself back up before I sit there again and make the impression bigger and to also de-numb my rear...fuuuuun times...

The bed with the huge impression of my rear.
It never really goes back to normal.

The window bench/seat thing.

Bed rest is also not just sitting in bed (as in crisscross or back straight), it's actually laying back in bed.  The only time I am really allowed to sit up straight is when I eat or take a bath and even then I have the nurse reminding me that I should not be sitting like that.  The reason for this is because laying back in bed keeps gravity off of Cortlandt and hence off of my cervix.  Laying back can actually make using the computer a little difficult at times as well as your arms really tired while you are reading and such.  Sooo when I am sitting on that window bench, I have like 4 pillows propped behind me and one under my rump so it will not go numb on me.  I really am amazed at how easily your rear can go numb when you sit on it all day...Yes, the weirdest things amaze me some days...

As for reading, I am thoroughly enjoying Harry Potter Book 7 for the second time (hope to make it to the dollar movie to see the movie once Cortlandt has come) as well as all the magazines my friends and family have brought me.  I am also slowly making progress with my cross-stitching =)  I finished the letter "L" today and am going to work on "T" tomorrow (I'm starting in the middle of the name to make sure I have enough fabric on either end).

Bed rest is also getting to look out my gorgeous window view...

...though I have seen some pretty sunsets...

...and wearing compression leggings some days.

But, it is also getting to cuddle with Liam which is my favorite part!!!

I do sneak in some walking around the room time when I have to use the restroom or wash my hands...

26 wks, 5 days
Probably one of the most horrific pictures I have ever seen of myself
but I needed a new belly picture so this will have to do.

And the reason for all of this is to keep this beautiful little girl in me as long as possible!!!

Cortlandt, 25 wks, 4 days

Day 8 - 26 wks, 4 days - One week down!!!

One week down...One week down!!!!  ONE WHOLE WEEK DOWN!!!  Now...ummm...how may more weeks in the hospital to go???

That my friends, is a question I sooo wish I knew the answer to.  One thing I can tell you is that the past 8 days been a whirlwind of emotions!!!  I still look back on Friday and think "my gosh that was insane!!!".  I went to the doctor for a quick check and ended up in the hospital on bed rest.  It is crazy to think about but in my world, I guess it is kind of normal...Normal as in I have never known a pregnancy without bed rest.  So I have decided that bed rest is my "normal" pregnancy.  I know that no one has a "normal/textbook" pregnancy, but still, I wanted a shot at one.  One where I would be able to teach during my whole pregnancy.  Be able to get things ready for my substitute, get my classroom and kiddos ready to have someone other then me to be in there teaching for 6-8 weeks.  Be able to show off my belly at school through the entire pregnancy.  I was so hoping that this pregnancy was going to be a normal.  It had all the indications from the start of being pretty normal...man did that charge fast.  I guess that this is my "normal"...Bed rest is my "normal" kind of pregnancy.  8 weeks of bed rest with Liam's pregnancy and now bed rest from week 25 until Cortlandt comes.  Yep, thinking this is my kind of normal...hmmm...

Okay, enough of my random thoughts for today =)

I had a wonderful surprise today when Allison and Emmie Lau came by for a visit.  I have been lucky enough to teach both of the Lau kiddos =)  I think at first Emmie was a bit overwhelmed about the whole hospital thing.  She did walk in right as they strapped me to the monitor, so that was probably not the best first impression of Mrs. Coates' hospital stay.  But after about 30 min she was cuddled up next to me on the bed watching cartoons while her Mom and I got to talk.  It was a wonder full visit and soooo showed me just how lucky I am for meeting such great parents and students through my teaching.  It also reminded me just how much I am going to miss not being there with my kiddos =(  I also lucked out and got to see my Mamama and Aunt Patty for a time this afternoon.

The rest of the day was left to me cross-stitching (I will post a pic tomorrow), watching Serendipity and The Sand Lot (two of my all-time favorite movies).

Ohhh and I actually got to partake in Black Friday!!!  Well, I sent my mom out but she used my debit card, so does that count???  I figured that since I was going to be in bed for weeks on end I needed some new PJ's.  So off to Old Navy my Mom went and out she came with 5 PJ pants and 6 tanks for under $50.  Think I'm set for the duration of this pregnancy =)

So I'm going to end this post with a quote from Serendipity.  This has to be one of my favorite quotes and it's funny how fitting it is to me at the moment...

Life is not merely a series of meaningless accidents or coincidences,

but rather it’s a tapestry of events that culminate

in an exquisite sublime plan.

Day 7 - 26 wks, 3 days - Happy Thanksgiving!!!

Happy Thanksgiving!!!

Words cannot begin to explain how thankful I am this Thanksgiving.  I am always thankful at Thanksgiving time but more so this year.  It is amazing how in one second everything can change...change for the worst…change for the better...just change.  After everything that has happened over the past 6 days there are SOOO many things I am thankful for...

I am thankful for...

God and our Our Savior Jesus Christ – for all they have given me and blessed me and my family with.

My wonderful husband – without him, I cannot imagine going on in this world.  He is my soul mate, my best friend, my everything.

My wonderful son – I never knew a love like the love I feel for him.  He is one of the best things that ever happened to Joey and me.

My wonderful daughter – for being the one constant wonderful thing in these crazy bed rest days and for being the other best thing that has ever happened to Joey and me.

Wonderful family – those with us today and those who have gone to be with our Lord.  For all their unconditional love and support in my life, especially when things are crazy like they have been these past 6 days.  The support they have shown Joey, Liam and I us unbelievable and so incredibly appreciated.

Wonderful friends  - those old, new, and everyone in between.  I truly have some of the best friends in the world and WOW have they shown Joey, Liam and I such love and support these past 6 days!

Health – For the health of my family and friends and for the constant and continuous health of my children and husband.

The doctors and nurses who have taken care of me the past 6 days.


For the little things...

-   Liam’s smile and laugh – it just makes my day!!!

-   Cortlandt’s heartbeat – hearing it 2 times a day is a blessing I sure will miss when this hospital stay is over.

-   Coffee – for keeping me sane on most mornings, afternoons, evenings…pretty much whenever.

-   Balloons and flowers – it’s amazing how they can brighten up a room.

-   Sunrises/sunsets – their beautiful colors and awe inspiring beauty draws me in every time.

-   New hospital beds - Ohhh how I look forward to sleeping in this bed.  Fingers crossed it solves all my back and sleep issues since I have been admitted.

The list can go on and on and on...

Even though I was confined to a hospital bed/room, Thanksgiving Day was wonderful!  I was blessed with the gift of family and friend visits, 3 helpings of Thanksgiving dinner and 2 cups of Starbucks coffee =)  Plus being able to actually watch the Thanksgiving Day Parade for the first time in years (I am usually making pies when it is on).

I hope all who read this had as blessed a Thanksgiving Day as I had!!!

So, from my tiny piece of heaven to yours, Happy Thanksgiving Day!!!

All my love and hugs!!!

-Charlotte



This is the bed.  Soooo excited to sleep in it tonight!!!



Liam, his Bobie and Aunt M



Liam playing with a blown-up hospital glove.



Our official Thanksgiving family picture.  The best we could do
from a hospital bed =)



The sunset from my hospital window.
The picture does not do it justice at all.
It was soooo pretty!!!



My Mamama, aka Donna Reed,
making her famous mashed potatoes

while wearing her pearls =)

Day 6 - 26 wks, 2 day - Stable =)

So I have come to really like the word "stable"...

 

stable: not changing or fluctuating : unvarying <in stable condition>

According to Dr. Albert I am stable.  The appointment this morning went pretty well in my opinion.  He did a quick sono of Cortlandt and then measured my cervix and said I am stable.  We are assuming that my cervix is still coning, but we do not know for sure.  He did not want to put any pressure on it and mess up an progress we have made as of yet. I will see him again next Wednesday for a more thorough sono of Cortlandt and of my cervix.

Dr. Watkins came by to see me next.  We chatted for a while, she asked me some questions and then she listened to my heart...I now have an appointment with an internist next week. No panicking needed but I might have a heart murmur.  The day nurse was listening to my heart this morning and thought she heard a heart murmur.  She came back a few minutes later with a different pair of stethoscopes and listened again and still heard the swooshing sound.  So, when Dr. Watkins came by she mentioned it to her and yep, Dr. Watkins heard it too.  I find it kind of funny that at day 6 in the hospital after having my heart listened to 2-3 times a day, we are only now hearing this murmur...lol...Dr. Watkins is thinking that it might just be a murmur brought on by the pregnancy and leave with the pregnancy.  But, my Mom has had one her whole life so maybe it is something more.



What the letters look like.



The beginning of the letter "L"



The majority of the afternoon was spent reading, watching Friends episodes and cross-stitching.  Yes, I am cross-stitichng.  The last time I cross-stitched was when I was on bed rest with Liam, so I thought it was fitting to start it up again =)  This time I am making Cortlandt's name, which I will then frame for her room.  I made my name using these same letters when I was in high school and it is in my old room at my Mom's house.  So I am excited for Cortlandt to have one too!

Since Joey did not have to work tonight, he did not sleep all day like usual.  He was able to spend the good majority of the late afternoon and evening with me, which was nice.  Lisa and Jimmy came by for a quick visit and brought me a Starbucks...Do my friends know me or what ;-)  Then Amy and Shaun came by with a little basket of magazines, crossword puzzles, snacks and a nice cold root beer (they really do know me!!!).

Liam came by with my Mom and we ordered pizza, another YUMM!!!  Liam continues to has a blast in this room, glad one of us is ;-)  So we watched Beauty and the Beast, ate pizza and made many a trip to the ice maker to get ice for Mommy.  Here are some pics from our fun evening...



Joey enjoying the window seat/bed thing.

Mimimi and Liam

Mommy and Liam cuddling in bed

Joey took Liam home so Liam could finally sleep at home for the first time since Thursday night (this made Mommy very happy) and my Mom stayed for the night (again made me very happy to have company for once).  Currently, she is giving me a pedicure and it is heaven!!!  Someone should really come up with a business that comes to hospitals and gives pedicures/manicures to bed ridden pregnant women.  BELIEVE ME I would sooooo pay for that!!!


Goodnight for now and Happy early Thanksgiving!!!


HUGS!!

Day 5 - 26 wks, 1 day - A new kind of "normal"...



Pretty flowers from my family and Liam

Liam at Starbucks with my mom...
sure is like his Mommy in
that way =)

I have settled into a new kind of "normal".  Though little parts change day to day (nurses and visitors) the majority of the day has a normalcy about it, which I am thinking is a good thing.

I wake up to a phone call from Joey, letting me know he is on his way home and we talk for a few minutes.  I get out of bed, back hurting (thanks to pregnancy and the lovely hospital bed), brush my teeth and wash my face/or take a shower.  Order breakfast and eat breakfast.  Nurses come in to check blood pressure, temp and then monitor Cortlandt and me.  Then I am left alone for the majority of the day, with brief check-ins from the nurses.  Visitors and family come and go.  I order lunch between 12:30-1:00.  Joey shows up around 5:00 and stays until he has to head into work.  I order dinner, eat dinner, brush teeth and wash face again.  Change into my PJ's and have the night nurse do her thing (blood pressure check, temp check, monitor Cortlandt and me).  Watch TV, cross-stitch, use the computer, or read.  I head to bed between 10:00-10:30.  Kinda boring but my new normal.

This morning was like the other 3 mornings except getting to eat breakfast with Liam and my Mom =)  Let me tell you how excited I was about that!!!  Man do I LOVE being able to spend some time with Liam.  I swear he grew an inch since he came by yesterday.  He is so inquisitive about everything in the room and is still fascinated by the gears of the bed.  My Mom says that he know exactly where to go when he gets to the hospital.  As he walks down my hall he says "HI" to every person he passes.  He HAS to be the one to open the door to my room and then immediately asks if I need ice and water in my cup.  He then takes it down to the ice machine and fills it up for me, as well as 2-3 other cups of ice for him.  He is sooooo stinkin cute and man do I miss him!!!

Harriet (teammate from school) and Susie (Principal) surprised me with visits, magazines and more snacks =)  It was great to talk to them and I soooo appreciated their making time to visit me.

Dr. Watkins came by and stayed for about 15 min.  We talked about bed rest in general and what I can expect from here on.  We know that bed rest is 100% decided on from now until Cortlandt graces us with her beautiful presence.  It's the hospital or home part that is still up in the air.  We know I am here until 28 weeks, which is Dec 6th, it's what happens during these next two weeks that will dictate if I am here until 32 weeks, which is Jan 3rd.  I have come to peace with being here until 32 weeks and a part of me wants to know now if I will be here so we can start making preparations for Liam (who he will stay with while Joey is working nights 3-4 days a week and if we have to take him out of school during all of this).  I hate having all of these balls in the air and knowing I will not be able to catch all of them.  But no matter what, as long as Cortlandt stays put and keeps on growing as perfectly as she is, I can handle bed rest anywhere Dr. Watkins wants me to be, even if I don't enjoy it much.
Other than that, the day was...normal.  Tomorrow will be a bit different.  Sometime during the day Dr. Albert's nurse will come get me for my second sonogram and visit with him.  I'm not sure what else he will do but I will let you all know tomorrow.

On that note, I'm going to finish getting ready for bed and watch DWTS...fingers crossed that Jennifer Grey wins!!!


Goodnight!!!

Day 4 - 26 wks - Uneventful??? Not so much…

So the evening went on with the same old same old…new night nurse, monitoring Cortlandt and me, dinner, TV, and now bed.  I really hope tomorrow does not bring with it anything too new.  I have grown accustomed to this new “normal” that I have to have right now.  I guess even with the ups and downs, backward slides and such, the one thing that has stayed constant is that Cortlandt is doing great, and THAT is all we can ask for =)

Well my hope for an uneventful day was very short lived.  One little fingertip changed everything...

The day started off normal, well as normal as my days in the hospital have come to be.  Woke up, did my stuff, nurses came in and did theirs.  Then Dr. Watkins came...she did the fetal fibronectin test to see if I would go into labor in 14 days (we later got the results and it was negative =) )  She then checked my cervix and found that I was dilated a fingertips width.  A fingertip...a stinkin fingertip!!!  I was surprised by this, but Dr. Watkins seemed even more surprised than me.  She then checked one more time just to make sure, and yep…still a fingertip.  I thought this was bad but then I heard something that totally over shadowed the finger tip...I might have to stay until I’m 32 weeks.  Yep, you read right, maybe 32 weeks.  That’s until January 3^rd.  That’s not only past Thanksgiving, but through Christmas!!!

Now, PLEASE don’t get me wrong, my complete and total main focus is making sure Cortlandt stays in me as long as possible, but I did have a few selfish seconds this morning about the whole Christmas thing.  Anyone who knows me knows that Christmas time is my all time favorite and I mean FAVORITE time of the year!!!  I LIVE for the day when KVIL starts playing Christmas music 24/7, which by the way was Nov 15^th this year =)  This Christmas is going to be an even more special one because it is going to be Joey, Liam and my first Christmas in our first house, kind of a big thing in my opinion.  So needless to say, I allowed myself a few seconds to wallow over the prospect of being in the hospital while Liam and Joey open presents from Santa.  That then led to a crying fit about the prospect of missing Liam waking up on Christmas morning and opening presents from Santa.  Totally unfathomable to me…

Now nothing is set in stone…yet.  Dr. Watkins said that on Wednesday she will consult with Dr. Albert (high-risk OB) after he does another sono and then continue to monitor and check me for the next two weeks (28 weeks preggo by then).  Then she will decide if I get to stay in the hospital until I’m 32 weeks or get to go home and do bed rest there (I like the latter a WHOLE lot better).

So this new news led to a ton of phone calls and more panicking by Joey.  Joey is such a guy’s guy.  He likes to be in charge, take control...hence why he makes such a good policeman and soldier.  Well he is completely not in charge or in control of all of this and I’m noticing how hard it is for him.  He is stressing over money and the bills, but mostly because he can’t be with me at the hospital as much as he wants or spend nights with me AND because he can’t take care of Liam much of the week since he has to work 3-4 nights a week.  I know what he is feeling, this helpless feeling...but I know that God has a plan.  I have to hang onto that...

Liam spent the night with his Papa and Nana last night then got to go to work with Papa and see his Aunt Whitney.  They brought him by before lunch and we watched Chuggington and cuddled on the bed for a while, soooo one of the best parts of my day!  My bestest friend Courtney came by at lunch and brought me food and ohhh it was the best sandwich and soup I have had in a LONG time...well at least it felt that way after 3 days of nothing but hospital food.  So we ate, talked, made a Starbuck run (Court, not me), played Skip-Bo and watched the first two discs of Friends season 1.  Our friends Jaymie and Lisa stopped by as well which was a nice bonus to my day!  Joey came by before heading to work and then Liam came by one more time to see Joey and me.  Liam was a little tired because he had fallen asleep in Papa’s car, but I could tell that all the shuffling around is starting to get to him.  I hated having to say "no" when he wanted me to pick him up, then he started to cry and say he wanted to go home.  Man did I feel him on that!!!  It took every ounce of willpower to NOT cry right along with him.  I eventually convinced him to crawl up onto the bed and let me hold him for a while.  I honestly think I needed that more then he did.

Day 3 - 25 wks, 6 days

Beautiful view from my window =)

Night #2 was soooo much better.  Less tears and a lot more sleep =)  The day started with what I have come to understand will be the norm: I wake up, order breakfast, wash face, change into something new (need to at least feel like I have a choice and a say in something), get back into bed, eat breakfast, and then the nurses start.  The first nurse to come in is my new nurse for the day, she asks how I feel, how is the baby moving, am I feeling contractions, any leakage, etc…My answers are good, yes/a lot, no, no, etc... She then leaves to finish her rounds and the respiratory nurse come in with my asthma meds.  Anywhere from 30 min to an hour later my nurse comes in and hooks me up to monitor Cortlandt’s heartbeat and me for contractions.  We do this for 30 min in the morning and then 30 min at night...Well, let me rephrase that, we are supposed to do this for 30min but my child is already showing a stubborn streak (hmmmm wonder where she gets that from???). What should take 30 min takes more like 45-55 since she won’t stay still.  First, I am only 25 wks 6 days, so finding a strong heartbeat/keeping it with the big sensors is a little heard.  But then you add an active/stubborn/can’t-stay-still-longer-than-5-min little girl into the mix and this simple 30 min activity takes a lot longer.  Soooo, after this is done, I am pretty much left alone for the rest of the day.  The day nurse comes in every hour or so to see how I am, ask the above stated questions, and then leaves.  So pretty much it is me and the room...

Liam and my Mom came by to say "HI" early in the morning.  I forgot to mention in the other post but Liam’s favorite thing to do when visiting me is sitting on the floor by the bed and watching me raise and lower the feet and head of the bed.  He LOVES watching the gears under the bed move.  It is sooo cute!!!  I had a pleasant surprise later this morning when my Aunt Bonnie showed up for a visit.  She brought 2 bags of magazines and some yarn and a crochet book =)  I have not crocheted in years, but boy do I have time to refresh my memory now.  Then Douglas and Kelly, brother and girlfriend, showed up with Starbucks and the entire season of Friends =)  My very good friend Keleigh came by next with her two beautiful sons.  With them came more videos, snacks and fun!  Matthew loved playing with the bed and making the head and feet of the bed go up and down.  After they left, my Mother-in-law came by to drop off two new pairs of Old Navy PJ’s for me =)  I can’t wait to wear them tomorrow!!!  Joey came by about 2 hours before he had to get to work.  He already did not like working nights, but really hates it now since he can’t help with Liam or stay with me more.  Unfortunately this is how it will be until the middle of December when his shift changes.  But thank heavens for our fantastic family for all their help!!!  I don’t even want to think about how much harder this would be if we did not have them around.  I am an absolute wreck not being able to see Liam for more, put him to sleep, and just be his Mommy, but knowing he is with our family is an amazing feeling.  My friend Lauren was the last visitor of the night, and brought her fantastic homemade chocolate chip cookies…sooooo good!!!  Once everyone left, I ordered dinner, changed into my PJ’s, and got ready for the night.  The night nurse hooked me up one last time to monitor Cortlandt and me and we both passed with flying colors =)  At least my body is doing something right at this moment!

Tomorrow brings my actual OB, Dr. Watkins, coming to check on me.  I know she has a test called a fetal fibronectin test scheduled.  This test will tell if I will go into labor in 14 days.  Fingers crossed it comes back negative.  Other than that, not sure what tomorrow brings, but I hope it is uneventful =)

Day 1-2 - Bed rest??!!??!!

Day 1 – Fri, Nov 19 - 25 wks 4 days -

Well day 1 of bed rest was a whirlwind of activity/tears/denial/stress/more tears/panic/tests/even more tears.  I never thought that when I woke up on Friday, November 19th @ 6:30 that I would be admitted into a hospital room by 10:00 for two weeks.

It all started with pressure...pressure in my lower abdomen, some pressure when I sat, etc...  Nothing bad, just a little bit of uncomfortable pressure at the end of the day.  I have had it off and on for about 3 weeks or so.  The last sonogram on Nov 11th showed that Cortlandt was pretty low but nothing to worry about.  She looked great...everything looked great.  Well, after two long days of teaching this past Wed and Thurs I decided to call my OB.  I was pretty much on my feet all day Wed and Thurs.  By the end of the day, when I finally sat down, it felt as if I was sitting on Cortlandt's head, or a big bump on the seat of the chair.  Not a good feeling and a little freaky.  So I called Dr. Watkins and talked to her nurse, Lesley.  Lesley then talked to Dr. Watkins and then called me back.  It was decided that I would go in on Friday to get a sono and just see if anything is going on.  Since Dr. Watkins does not see patients on Fridays, a Dr. Albert (who is a high-risk doctor) was going to see me at 8:15 am.  So I found a substitute and honestly thought I would get there, all would be great, go home and have a day to do laundry and stuff...not quite...

So on Friday morning, I woke up and went to see Dr. Albert.  We did a sono, all looked great.  Cortlandt measured fantastic, 75^th percentile…her heart and lungs and brain all looked great.  I looked great, uterus, placenta, all of it.  He then sonogrammed my cervix.  It looked great and measured great as well.  THEN he pressed down on my lower abdomen and that changed EVERYTHING!!!  It was the oddest thing I think I have seen.  I saw my cervix, which at that point looked like a rectangle with a line drawn down the middle, long wise, shrink and spread out.  Over half of it opened up and “coned” as they called it.  The end was still closed, but the part attached to my uterus opened up and thinned out which made the cervix shrink.  This my friends is NOT a good thing…  He did it two more times and the same thing happened again.  Soooo, 2 weeks in the hospital on bed rest is the start and then more then likely home bed rest until Cortlandt comes.

I was in shock…total, complete shock!!!  I called Joey and told him what I was told, he was in shock, but honestly admitted that he had an idea it might happen knowing my past experience with Liam’s pregnancy.  Well I didn’t know and I was freaking out.  I then called my Mom and then Courtney.  By the time Court answered the shock had worn off and the tears began to fall…so did the panic of leaving my students and not being ready for a sub.  YES, my first thought was not for Cortlandt, I knew she was great, but for my students and classroom.  I think I am a little Type A when it comes to teaching.

By 10:00 I was in my room, hooked up to a monitor to listen to her heartbeat and watch for contractions.  Like I said before, all was looking good on that front.  Joey and his Dad were on their way home from the farm and Liam was with my Mom, so that left me in the room alone.  Not fun when you are an already emotional preggo…Now I was an emotional preggo who was just informed I might be on bed rest for 15 weeks, 2 of which would be in the hospital!!!

So the rest of the day was a blur of nurses, monitors, family members, and phone calls.  My Mom brought Liam to visit.  I was a little nervous how he would do, but he had fun playing in my room and going to get me ice and water.  But by 7:30 all family members had left to go home (including Joey who was sick with that pretty stomach bug and did not want to get me sick).  So everyone left and I was alone…needless to say more tears followed and sleep was a joke…

Day 2 – Sat, Nov 20 - 25 wks 5 days -

Hospital beds are horrible!!!  Do they really think anyone can sleep on them, really??!!??  And they think I can do that for 14 nights???? Ohhhh my back hurt, my head hurt, it pretty much just sucked…the whole night sucked.  But it was a new day, the start of day 2…

It started off with breakfast (I forgot how interesting hospital food could be), then I was hooked up for 30 min to monitor Cortlandt and to see if I was having any contractions (Cortland looked great and no contractions).  My wonderful brothers made the morning for me when they brought me some yummy contraband (in a pretty red cup with a funky green logo on it).  I had a handful of visitors, mostly family today.  Jaymie, a good friend from school, came by and brought me more Starbucks, a magazine, some peanut M&M’s and the best part, Twilight to watch =) It was great having the company and just to hang out, even if it was in a hospital room.  Joey came by for most of the afternoon, but had to head home to take a nap before heading into work at 7 that night.  My Mom brought Liam by again, which made me sooo happy.  It really sucks being away from home, but not being with Liam and Joey is the worst part of this hospital bed rest thing.  It’s different when they leave for the farm together for the weekend, or when Joey is in Austin for an Army weekend and my Mom keeps Liam for a night, but knowing that Joey is at home and Liam is with my Mom and I am stuck in the hospital is a horrible feeling...can’t begin to describe the loneliness…

But on a brighter side, I got an egg crate thing for my bed which made it soooo much more comfortable =)  I had high hopes for night #2 when it came to the sleeping part.  There were less tears, which was good, and like I hoped, a lot more sleep =)