an un-expected...... vacation?

ok, so this week has been crazy.  NOTHING like i had planned it.  so here is a 'journalistic/memory saver' post.  and for all those who only got little tidbits from facebook.

Friday (jan 22)  i started have random contractions.  some were painful, and some were not, but they were more frequent then normal.  so i called aunt cait the great, and she came to help me with the boys, since i decided that i needed to take it easy in bed, just to be safe.  i was only 27 weeks, and so this was far too early for me to have ANY contractions like i was having.  they werent consistant, or anything, so i didnt call the dr.  i KNEW it would be ok.  saturday and sunday i was great!  i took it easy and i was really REALLY careful, and i felt great.

Monday came, and i needed to take monkey in for his 1 year check up, and go to walmart since they are close together, and we desperately needed milk and oj, so i was a good girl and ask laura to come.  she was great and said sure and we went and it was great.  Monkey weighs in at 20 lbs 12 oz and (15th%) and is 30 and 3/4 in long (80th%)  what a shock that i have a tall skinny kid!  =)  anyway, we come home, the kids take a nap, and i take it easy to be safe, i was rather busy that morning and i dont want to try and tempt fate by any stretch of the imagination.  so even though i feel AWESOME, i do NOTHING!  i didnt even make dinner (poor joe).  chunk does start to run a temp, so i am kinda worried about him, and monkey did get 6 shots and he is getting 4 teeth so he is kinda sad, but i know he will be ok, so  i go to sleep and all is GREAT and i am excited for tuesday.

well- i wake up tuesday morning, and i head straight for the potty, that is after all what a pregnant person does first thing in the morning, go potty.  and i grab the stuff to do jellybean's hair.  and i go back to sit on the bed, its too chilly in our bathroom and we dont like to do hair in there in the winter time.  i do her hair, kiss her and joey good bye, and sit back and watch the news while i wait for signs of life from the boys.  and since they are sick, who knows how long they will be.  well, as i sit there, i realize that i am having contractions, and many of them.  i start to count and watch the time like a dutiful patient and slightly paranoid person.  i have 6 in 45 minutes.  not. good.  i then call joe, mom, laura and cait to warn them, call the dr.'s office to let them know that i am eating, and counting the contrations again, and i was told to come in if i hit 6 again in the hour.  ok, so i sit and eat and wait and count.  yuck.  cait comes over, helps feed the kids who are now up, except chunk whose tummy feels yucky, and just be an all around great help.  times up, and i hit 6 in an hour.  so laura takes me in.

in the office they check me.  no thinning or dialation.  they do a few tests, and then decide to put a monitor on me to see how my contractions are.  10 minutes later, they decide that i will be check into Labor and Delivery, to STOP my contrations that are now happening every 3 minutes!!!!  i am then informed i will be there over night for observation.  i cry.  i wanted to be home, with my boys, who needed me.  and this kinda freaked me out!  Laura is a HUGE comfort to have with me.  i call joe and mom.  none of us are excited about this.  i am stabbed and poked and prodded, and given "anti-contraction" medicine that raises my heart rate and makes me all jittery and shaky, and i cant focus.  i want to cry, but i dont.  laura goes and gets me some books, herself lunch, and run an errand.  i start to feel better now that they are done giving me the AWFUL shots (i got 3 shots, 1 every 20 minutes).  i eat lunch.  it was good.  but i wanted to be home, needed to be home!.  joe take work off early, gets jellybean from school, goes home to check on things and get my stuff for over night, and he and jellybean come to see me.  laura left so i could spend time with my jellybean and joe- it was SO GREAT to see one of my babies, and my hubby.  joe is so exhausted, he starts to fall asleep, so i let him take a 20 minute nap while i bribe her with stuff in my purse and a random show, to be quiet and let her daddy sleep.  she got bored after like 5 minutes.  cant blame her.  so did i!  after he wakes up, he then has to leave.  we do have 2 other children who need their dad, and a hungery girl.  they kiss me bye.  i cry.  again.

i was then alone.  and i felt alone.  i HATED it.  i hated the IV, the monitors on my tummy, the bad tv connection, the stupid shows.  i was so sad.  but i was ok with it, i knew my family was being taken care of.  i knew they would be ok.  and i knew this was good so that way, we could keep baby in longer.  he needs to be there longer.  9 more weeks longer, atleast.  but i was still so sad.  the dr came in later and looked at things and felt better.  she prescribed me meds that will stop the contractions, and kept me over night for more observations.  that was a sad night.  i know.  i am pathetic.  this newer medicine doesnt make me all jittery though.  its a lower does, so its not too bad, if im not careful, it will make me dizzy if i stand up too fast and stuff, but that i can deal with.

the next morning i called and told jerra to have a good day, and see how the night went.  it was fine.  when joe got to work, he told his supervisor, dr lee, about what was going on, and he sent joe to the hospital to be with me.  it was AWESOME!!!!!  cait the great was with chunk having a pj party and drinking a strawberry shake and watching star wars.  he still is running a temp and having a 'yucky tummy', while laura was with monkey.  i think i missed them more at that point.

after joe got there, i felt MUCH better.  i wasnt alone.  i could talk to someone when i wanted, i could hold his hand.  it just made me feel better.  they did a another test.  this one checks my body for a specific hormone that the body releases when is starts the labor process.  its fairly new and rather accurate.  we wait for  the results.  if it comes back negative, i am ok.  positive, and i am on strict bedrest.

so i wait.

we wait.

we all wait.

and wait.

but i am ok, joey is there.  i know with him there, it will be ok.

the dr comes in.

she smiles.

and i sigh.

its negative.  i had a feeling it was.  but i wasnt sure if it was hope, or assurance.  i guess it was both.  =)  i kept telling myself it would be negative, cuz that made me feel better.  so now i am on the "anti-contraction" medicine and they found i was aneamic.  so many pills i am taking now.  oh well, i will do it for him!  (he better be cute and super sweet!!!!!)  i am now only only 'light duty' not 'restricted duty'  those are my terms for it.  i can vacuum small areas again.  that is happy for me.  i can relax a bit, not all the way, i am not outta the woods until april, but i feel better.  he is good.  he still has a party in my tummy ALL the time, oh and he HATED the monitors on my tummy.  he kicked them, lots.  it made me smile.  he is fiesty, and probably opinionated.  as hard as that might be, i am happy for that.  it will be fun.  =D

anyway- that was probably one of the longest 30 hours.  it was not what was planned.  i came home to a monkey that wouldnt let me outta his sight, a happy bouncy jellybean, and a sad chunk who still doesnt feel good.  and he wanted to snuggle.  i was never happier too.  that is all i wanted to do!  monkey protested, but it all worked out.  i realized how much i love my home.  and especially my family.  i think that this was needed wake up call.  a stinky no fun one.  but needed.  we got things in order for me and joe, and we realized how careful we need to be, more vigilant.  i decided that it was a good thing that i couldnt find paper to write on, or anything, because my 'to do' list would have been monsterous.  and it would have stressed me more.  not good.  but i am good.  i have re-prioratized.  i feel better, mentally and physically.  kinda nice.  i also realized again and more intenesly that i have some great people around me.  that i have truly been so blessed with everyone who is in my life righ now.  both far far away in a land called utah, and here in texas, to mention a few places.  it was a rather eye-opening 30 hours.  its amazing what a person can find in themselves in 30 hours of sitting in a room thinking.

anyway- there you have my novel (sorry).  you have an update, and a play by play.

but just to reassure- we (me and baby) are good.  his heart rate is strong and healthy, and he is fiesty.  i really havent had any contractions since i started the new medicine.  monkey is doing better, and i think chunk will be on the mend soon.  and princess jellybean is happy, and good.  and i think that everything will be ok.  now matter what will happen, it will all be ok.  =D  so dont worry- be happy!

<3