surprises

...This week has been quite a roller coaster ride...
We got an early Christmas surprise we weren't expecting this year. Lindsey went into preterm labor Monday night.
Things are looking good now.  Back at home and on bedrest and medications but labor is stopped :)
We'll be making several trips to the hospital and clinic this next week to be monitored, but by Christmas day (only 9  days away!) we will be 36 weeks. At that point-all interventions will stop and we'll see what happens.


I had been up sick all night on monday. Starting feeling yucky around 11...and by 1 I was not doing good. Throwing up, diarrhea, and my stomach was contracted tight all night long. I was thinking I was unlucky to have the flu after just barely getting over a cold we had all had the past week--not that I was going into labor. By early morning, I knew it was serious.We called the doctor first thing Tuesday morning and they sent us straight to Labor and Delivery.  We got there at nine, expecting to get hooked up to an IV to be re-hydrated and monitored for a short time and then sent on our way.
After a few hours and a lot of fluids being pumped in, they checked me. My contractions were staying consistently 2-4 minutes apart. I was at a 3 and 70%. They started me on antibiotics and medicine to stop the contractions (nifedipine). I also got enrolled in a study for betamethasone (a steroid given to help the baby's lungs devleop). Usually this is only given if you are under 34 weeks (I was 34 weeks and 2 days). It is a blind study so we didn't know if we were getting the real thing or sugar water-but were happy we had the chance.

By three o'clock I was at a 4+...contractions continuing at about the same rate.
All the doctors and nurses were telling us that I would most likely be having the baby within the next hours or days-and that my chance of leaving the hospital without delivering was very slim. (I was very much wishing my  mom and dad weren't a million miles away. I sure rely on their comfort and advice a lot and not being able to talk to them was hard.) Their goal was to hold me off until Thursday so that the steroids could have their full effect(48 hours)-but that this was a lot to ask/hope for. This was the hardest part. The neonatologist came in to let us know what we could expect.

Then my fever got up high enough they decided an infection in my uterus needed to be ruled in or out so they new if they should push for a delivery right away or try to hold it off. Enter: amniocentesis. Thankfully, the tests came back showing no bacteria and high glucose levels (both good).

Jake's dad stopped in on the way home from work and they gave me a blessing. This is where things really started to turn around. (I am so grateful for Jake. He is such a wonderful husband and father. I am proud of the man that he is and so lucky that he is mine!) That night, my contractions slowed to 5 minutes and became less intense. By Wednesday afternoon I was down to every 7-10 minutes. I hadn't progressed any further and my fever was gone. I was able to move out of intensive care and into the maternity wing.

The "too much to ask for" came true and I was able to leave Thursday. We are so so grateful. What a blessing it is we live when we do. Technology is an amazing thing.

Where was Molly for all this? She came to the hospital with us (thank goodness my purse was full of gummy life savers, a granola bar, pink mentos...haha.She really was a trooper. She was happy to get to sit up on the hospital bed with mom a little and hang out with daddy.) She stayed until around 11 when Cami so graciously came and picked her up for us.  (Bless her heart! It is finals week and she had been feeling under the weather herself.) Molly played at home with Cami and her cute roommate, Kira, until 4-when Jake's dad was off work and headed home. They all met at the hospital where I got to squeeze her for a few minutes and then off she went with Grandpa. She was pretty excited about all the fun things she was getting to do.  I was grateful for our wonderful family-but sad to send her off.

I am going through serious withdrawals as we speak. I miss my molly.  It has been four days without her and it is killing me. She will get home tomorrow morning and I can hardly wait. I've missed snuggling under the Christmas tree with her this week-and can't believe we only have a week left before Christmas is here.
It is going to be hard to not be able to take care of her like I am used to for the next little bit-especially being Christmas time.. But I'm sure when we all have this little baby boy here safe and sound-it will all be worth it.

Thank you everyone for your prayers (we felt them!), support, phone calls, visits, emails, skypes :) etc.