35 Weeks and Counting...

Today marks the 35th week. I am very excited about it and looking forward to hitting next week.

Being at home has made life seem a little bit more normal. I am definitely wishing I could get up and organize and fix dinner. Soon enough that will happen and I'm sure I'll wish I could admit myself on bed rest.

Matt got the kids a slip n slide. I don't know how our children could walk after playing on it for about 4 hours. It was dark outside before we shut it off. The neighborhood kids all came over and I think they all had a blast. That may have been one of the best investments ever made. It is just so much fun to watch them laugh and play.

We did take time yesterday to celebrate Jake realizing that he had to go potty himself. Our wonderful babysitter has really been working with him and he called me yesterday from her house to tell us that he went potty. We know that he still needs some coaching and doesn't really stop to go because he can just go in his diaper. Well last night outside sliding he stopped and realized he had to go on his own. We were high fiving and hugging and dancing. He was proud of himself. I hope that he continues...

Well, not really much else to report. I had a Dr. appt. yesterday and everything went fine. I'll be back next week.

Happy Father's Day Dad's!!

I'm Home!!

Sorry for the delay in updating...we had a busy weekend. Well, everyone that was here cleaning and helping get Lauren's room together had a busy weekend. I had to sit in my bed and dish out orders. While that may sound like fun, I really wanted to be able to help do clean, organize, and get upstairs. I still haven't made it up there. So my Mom and sister have pretty much taken over and made sure that they could get her stuff together, get Jake's old clothes in storage, organize our closet, etc...

Thank you thank you thank you to our parents for really helping us out to throughout my stay in the hospital to keep our house moving.

I got to go home on Thursday evening. Matt came up and got me and we were able to say good bye to my nurses. Allie, Renee, and Jessica had come up earlier in the day to bring cupcakes to everyone. Allie wanted to stay in the nurses station the whole time and just talk with the nurses. I really think that she is going to be in the medical field in some way or another...maybe because throughout her little life we've been in the hospital for multiple months. She's really hoping this baby comes soon.

Anyway, I'm rambling and writing this all out of order, but the main thing is that I'm home. I'm still on complete bed rest which let me say is much harder here than at the hospital; however, my husband keeps me down and my kids are great about just coming in my bedroom. I do make it out to the couch for spurts and I have an anti-gravity chair where I can sit outside when the kids are playing. I did get sunburned on my shoulders in a matter of like 20 minutes.

I'm glad to be home, in my own bed, surrounded by my family that I missed daily. It's still difficult not to be able to "run" the house now that I'm home but I'm sure once there are 3 kids running around complete bed rest will seem like a treat.

I hope you all had a great weekend.

Happy 33 weeks Lauren!

Today marks 33 weeks. We are thrilled to be here! I've had a busy morning, ultrasound, shot, and then a telecon to follow. I wanted to take a minute to update. They measured her at 4lbs-7oz. She has grown appropriately! We are getting closer to a 5lb mark which in our minds is big enough to take home (that is ultimately our goal no matter how far we go). In the NICU 5lbs seemed to be the line in the sand. So we are at least getting close to that.

So today we celebrate Lauren's weekly Birthday and her growth! I never do get to see a good look at her face, but her feet are all over the place!

Have a good day.

Nothing Really...

Well, nothing to report really. I have a growth ultrasound tomorrow and the way things work around here they literally just come in your room and tell you that transport is in the hall and go down to the perinatal lab. I have asked that I either go early at 9am or after my telecon for work at 11am. Who knows how it will work out-I am so anxious to see her growth that I really want to go early.

Tonight Matt and the kids and Jim and Renee came by. Matt brought me some good 'ol Lion's Choice. I could barely eat it. My stomach has been getting so full the last week or so that the meals that would have left me hungry are filling me up without finishing. The dieticians have been in the last 2 days to give me snacks where I'm getting more proteins. My weight gain is fine it's that I intake the right foods now since I'm not able to eat as much. My dream is that this baby is getting all of these calories and that she's a chunky girl.

I think I've mentioned that her kicks are strong. She is in an "L" shape across my belly and must enjoy stretching. Her bottom pushes out the right side of my belly hard enough that I sometimes have to push back. I don't know if her legs are long, but boy do they feel long. A nurse commented on how long she seemed based on her where her "rump" was positoned and her heart. That is so good to hear. I just really hope she's big.

I will update tomorrow. I just wanted to post about the past few days.

Sunday "Run-Day" for Matt

So yesterday was a busy busy day for the Matt and the kids. They had their Target stop to make and they headed out to get things for the house and of course they had to get band-aids and new tooth brushes. They seem to always need those. Then, Matt promised Allie he would get her tennis shoes so they went to the Mall and she got what she calls, "the most awesome shoes ever". Of course they are pink. Then they went home for naps, showered up, and headed to Faust Park. I thought that he just took them there to play, but they went and met a friend of ours, Michelle Twellman, for pictures. So today Matt surprised me with the pictures that she took. They are beautiful and they made my day!

I will post some...

I have been doing fine here, beginning to get in the uncomfortable sleeping stage where the tossing and turning begins and my belly makes it difficult to manuever easily. Lauren is quite the mover as well. She is constantly on the move and beginning to hurt at times when she kicks. I am grateful for that though.

Team Ash's Cancer Walk

Today Matt went to Ashley Twellman's annual "cancer free" walk at Creve Coeur Lake. He had Jake in the stroller and Allie apparently ran about a mile out of almost 4 miles. I should add that Ashley is 37 weeks pregnant and this walk was a hopeful attempt to induce her labor. Matt told me that she was the fastest pregnant lady he'd ever seen and that he had trouble keeping up with her. Go Ash!!



By the time they got here at noon Allie had been asleep. She told me her leg muscles were sore...I am pretty confident that she was wanted a leg massage and hours of back scratching.



The kids were great today. Allie made another sun catcher for my window, she played teacher and hang-glide (she means hang-man) in which we always lose even when guessing the correct letters. Then she needed to clean up her mess which involves tons of foaming hand sanitizer and rags and she cleaned the white board, the chairs, the floors. I'm positive that the white board has never been more clean.



Jake pretty much sat with me and ate, drank out of my water cup, ate more, climbed all over Matt in the other bed or in the chair when Matt sat in the chair. Matt has become Jake's jungle gym. He was very gentle with me and gave Lauren lots of kisses and hugs. He fought a nap the entire time which is why he was so active today. He started to fall asleep at about 3pm and I told Matt he better get going or else he was going to miserable. So off they went, not without injury of course. Allie's toe was injured when they both were sitting in the recliner chair and she tried to move it and it ran over her big toe and broke the skin above the toe nail. Of course blood makes it hurt worse and she couldn't walk out of the hospital...Matt had Allie on his head and carried Jake.



I called at about 3:15 and they were both asleep in the car.



I believe there will be pictures of the walk today and you can see all the friends and family who celebrate Ashley being cancer free. I will post some if they come my way.



Christi, thanks for taking the kids for a couple of hours last night. Allie's mani/pedi looked great!

I'll update later.

Happy 32 Weeks!

Today marks another milestone...Lauren has reached 32 weeks. We are very excited and equally excited to report that the fetal fibernectin came in negative. Negative in this case is good.

Allie stopped by around lunch time with Renee to give me my progesterone shot. Renee went to grab some coffee and Allie said to me, "you don't like having babies do you mom"?. She obviously has some understanding of what we're going through even as a little kid. It was really cute. I told her that I wasn't going to have any more after Lauren. Then she reminded me that when I come home I can pick her up and hold her. Such a sweet conversation even if it was short.

Well, I just wanted to report the news today. Have a good weekend.