26-30 Week catch-up

You'd think by sitting on my butt all day I would find time to keep the blog updated. Clearly I found watching tv a more productive use of my time. So I'll catch ya'll up in one post.

26 weeks: We go to the high risk doctor every 2 weeks. Each time we see the babies via abdominal ultra sound, I get a cervical check (I'll let you figure out how that happens) and the do a test called the Fetal Fibronectin. I think I explained it earlier, but basically it's a test to show high risk for pre-term labor in the following 2 weeks. At 26 weeks I got a positive. Because of this they sent me to the hospital to get 2 shots of steroids to help mature the babies lung in the event that they do come. Obviously I'm still pregnant so it was a false positive... but I'll get to that later. At that time my cervix was measuring 1.5. Yikes! I was starting to get nervous.

28 Weeks: Ironically after I got the positive I felt the best I had in weeks. George set up a pool in the back yard big enough for me to float in. Heaven on earth! This weeks check showed the babies weighing in at 3 lbs even! For some reason this felt like a milestone for us. My cervix was wacky this week. It measured every where from .9 to 2.4. The doctor I saw said "I think you might make it kid." I was so excited about hearing that I think I floated out of the office. For the first time since 16 weeks I thought I might actually make it to 36-38 weeks and avoid NICU time. And then.......

30 weeks: ......Today we went in and babies are growing rock starts at 3.7 and 3.9 lbs. The look fantastic and are even a little ahead on the growth charts for singletons. I say it's because all the cheeseburgers I feed them lol. However that's where the good news stopped. Baby A is so low they couldn't even see his/her head on the u/s. My cervix is 0.7 and funneling pretty big (dilating on the inside) I asked if they could tell if I was dilated at the end or outside part of the cervix. He'd have to do an internal to see that and he didn't want to do it. But he said if he did he would be able to scratch A's head. He said I am at a very high risk of delivering pre-maturely. He even said we'll see if you make it to your next appointment in 2 weeks. I think I can do it! Regardless bags are packed and family is on alert. This all explains why I've been feeling intense pressure. No more trips to the pool or for car rides for me. I've been having lots of braxton hicks contractions too. They don't hurt but they are uncomfortable. My belly is just enormous and sleep is eluding me. Thank God for tivo.

BUT-- given all of this I'm just so thankful we have made it this far! When I was 16 weeks and all this cervix stuff started I did not think we'd get this far. Everyday cookin is a blessing. The doc said even if they are born today, they'll do very well in the NICU. If we make it to 32 weeks we're "in the clear" as far as bad complications in the NICU. In the words of the doctor "Growing a litter ain't easy"

And now for the ugly, stretch marked up belly shot that everyone has but never shows. Vanity is out the window....basically because the thought of getting off the couch to take a redo sounds like running a marathon. So if you've been pregnant you'll have mercy on my soul, if you haven't no judgy judgy, I'm earning my tiger stripes.

Update on Geo: You can just see in his face how worried he has been during the last couple of weeks. He gets home from work and cleans, cooks, does the laundry, does the lawn. He's just non-stop. I've had to force him to slow down and take days off to just sit and watch espn. Anyone who knows him knows this is just as much torture as being too busy. He has always been a light sleeper too but my goodness he has been sleeping hard. Like smack him in the head to wake him up hard. It's so funny to see him swallowed up by all my pillows. He is getting less worried with each passing week. He seems more at peace with the fact that the babies will most likely be spending some time in the NICU. He is just too excited though. Every day week do a holy cow no more then 8 weeks, no more then 7 weeks etc. It's starting to become really real. He's working hard on a bookcase he made the babies for their nursery. He just going to be such a cool dad. Go G!

Whelp that's all I have for you today. Hopefully I'll still be preganated in 2 weeks. All the prayers you can spare for our little nuggets will be greatly appreciated!