Size of Geronimina: A honeydew. Wasn't she already that size last week? Perhaps they're running out of fruits/veggies for comparison purposes:
Weight Gain So Far: +29 lbs as of this morning. Le sigh.
Cravings: Still could eat pizza for every meal daily. Nothing else I can think of.
Aversions: Still bed rest. :-)
Symptoms: Same old: exhaustion, swelling, headaches, random aches and pains, throbbing pains in my lady parts when she shoves a hand down the birth canal (not sure if that is actually what is happening but it surely feels like it), frequent urination (more than ever before, if you can imagine - it's because she's running out of room and crowding my bladder, according to my reading). One new one to report this week: insomnia. And it has kicked into high gear, which is unfortunate since I'm so tired all of the time. Allegedly my body is trying to prepare itself for life with an infant. I say let me sleep, body! This morning I woke up at 4:00 a.m. to empty aforementioned full bladder and literally did not go back to sleep until 10 minutes before the alarm went off. I caught up on all of my WWF games and then just laid there, wide awake. It is probably the result of a combination of me worrying (I know, it doesn't help) and just this stage in the pregnancy. Dan thinks it could also be a result of the fact that I'm not allowed to do anything except sit around all day - and I think he's probably right about that as well. Perhaps my insomnia/tossing and turning is having an effect on Layla, too, because she was more sleepy than usual today (or perhaps just as bored as I am?):
Movement: Still moving. One of my e-mails said that she is running out of room in the womb (LOLz I rhymed!), so she's not as likely to be doing somersaults anymore, but that kicks should be more defined and the actual number of movements should be about the same as before. This is an accurate statement, I'd say. I am beginning to think that perhaps she isn't a morning person, because she wouldn't cooperate again on the FHM this morning, even after 2 juice boxes and some crackers, and she's only done that for my two "first thing in the morning" appointments. Either that or she's confused between night and day already - let's hope not.
What I Miss: Sleep, due to aforementioned insomnia. Still not complaining, and I know sleep will never be the same again and it will for sure be worth it. Just saying, I like my sleep.
Things I'm Thankful For: I'm sure I will continue to repeat this in every post from here on out, but our wonderful family and friends, for the shower yesterday and all of their generosity as well as their continued love, prayers and support. We've had so many people reach out with words of encouragement and offers to help. My sweet husband for being a pretty darn cute man servant and never complaining, and also for being my rock in all of this. Also the prescription the doctor gave me for my headaches, woot! My sweet Aunts who are coming to visit this week and help me get organized. And last but not least, a beautiful and healthy baby girl who has no idea anything is wrong on the outside and is continuing to grow and thrive in my belly!
What I'm Looking Forward To: Meeting our girl at a date that has yet to be determined. AND all of our upcoming baby showers, IF I'm allowed to attend (BIG "if" at this point)!
Signs of a Bump: I'd say so:
Next Doctor Appointment: Thursday, and it will be a big one. I went in this morning and my blood pressure was down a lot from Friday (142/90), but still elevated. I took in my urine (in a GAP bag, which they were laughing about, but whatever, I was embarrassed because who really wants to walk around carrying their own pee?), and they needed to run some tests on it - they said we'd know the results by tomorrow. The doctor told me that our course of action would depend on the results. She said that if the test results weren't good (i.e. elevated levels of protein in my urine), that it would confirm that I do indeed have preeclampsia and we'd need to talk about delivering this week. If the test results came back normal like they did last time (the urine samples I gave on Friday in the hospital and this morning at the doctor were protein-free), I would just have to continue to go to the doctor twice/week until the baby comes and have an ultrasound once/week to check fluid levels (today's ultrasound showed that my fluid levels are fantastic and baby is still head-down). She basically said that there is no chance I will make it to 40 weeks, that they are trying to get me to 37 and that they'll likely deliver between 37-37.5 weeks regardless of anything else that happens. I asked if that meant I would definitely have to have a c section, and she said that as long as baby stays head-down we would try for a vaginal delivery first, which I was happy to hear - we'd both been worried about that. She did reiterate that baby girl is doing beautifully and that she's very healthy, and that if something happens and I have to deliver early, 35 weeks is a big milestone and she'll more than likely be fine. She also wrote me a prescription of whatever it was that I was given in the hospital for my headaches, with instructions to call if my headaches don't go away when I take it. I asked about my travel plans for Charlotte this weekend for my showers, and she said we'd play it by ear and decide on Thursday. At least it wasn't an outright "no!" I'll consider that a win for now.
I got a call from the nurse this afternoon with the results of my 24-hour urine test, which came in early. Bad news bears, after I was so optimistic about the results, my protein levels are in fact elevated. SIGH. The nurse said that this confirms that I do indeed have preeclampsia, and asked if the doctor had told me what to do. I told her everything the doctor told me this morning. The nurse said that since I have another appointment already scheduled for Thursday, let's go ahead and keep it. Both doctor and nurse reiterated that I am to remain on bed rest, and to call immediately if anything changes or any new symptoms occur, but the nurse said we'll wait until Thursday and let the doctors make a decision then.
So, for now, more of the waiting game. I will definitely be packing a bag for baby and I before Thursday's appointment (didn't get around to it last night) in case we have a baby this week. I told Dan that I almost wish they would call him with these updates and let him choose what to tell me and what to keep from me. I'm not sure how they expect my blood pressure to stay down when they threaten to induce me every five seconds! I am excited about the prospect of meeting her, but also still really hope she can make it two more weeks until she's full-term.
Why is it that these posts are always so LONG? Every time I try to shorten them, they're still lengthy. Anyway, more to come in the next few days, so stay tuned!
Sarah
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