Adventures in Hospital Land: Part Deux

We've had yet another adventurous day!  If you'd asked me this morning whether I thought I would be back at home right now, I would have said no way.  Here's how it went down:

We went to the doctor.  Since Wednesday's appointment, my headaches have come back in full force and I haven't been able to keep my swelling under control, so I figured my blood pressure would be way up.  In fact, I woke up at 1:00 am to go to the bathroom and had a headache so bad I could barely sleep, and had to come downstairs to take medicine.  It would have freaked me out enough to call this morning had I not had an appointment today anyway.  Also, I was up 2 pounds just since Wednesday due to swelling/retaining fluid.  My blood pressure was really high - 150/90 - and they found protein in my urine.  Awesome.  They put me on the FHM for the stress test and baby was fine and dandy, but doctor did not like the looks of me so she sent me to the hospital for monitoring and to have more tests run.  They were worried that the sudden increase in symptoms means that my preeclampsia is worsening, which they don't want.  In a nutshell, she told us that she was 99.9% sure that I would not still be pregnant at this time next week.  She said if I made it through the weekend, it would more than likely be next week.  So at least we have a time frame!  She said best case, I go in for monitoring and they release me today with instructions to take it easy and I come back Monday.  Option 2 was that I stay overnight for another 24-hour urine test (SIGH), and option number three was delivery.

We checked into the hospital for more tests:

Everything came back okay with the exception of my platelets, which have dropped even since my last bloodwork was done on Wednesday.  This is likely just as they thought - preeclampsia is worsening.  The only tricky thing about platelets is that if they get below 100,000 you can't get an epidural.  Mine are currently just above 100,000.  While I am still on the fence about an epidural and would like to see how it goes before making the call on whether to get one, I would like to have the option, so let's hope they stay there.  They also checked my cervix today for the first time - NOT comfortable, in case you're curious.  I am not dialated at all - maybe 1/2 centimeter they said.  They told me that this just means induction and getting labor to start will be a little trickier.  My blood pressure stabilized enough for them to feel okay about letting me come home, so here I sit!  I was discharged with the instructions that I am only allowed to leave the bed for three reasons: bathroom, food, and doctor.  Joy.  By the time I checked out of the hospital today, my OB had already closed for the weekend, but the doctor said I should come back Monday, so they told me just to call first thing Monday morning.

So, at this point, yet again it's a waiting game.  At least the doctor said she is 99.9% sure it will be this week - we just don't have a day yet.  I am hoping they will give us one on Monday.  Someone asked earlier if I am disappointed that it wasn't today.  My answer was no - but only because my OB shares "on call" days with another practice, and this weekend that other practice was on call.  I was not a fan of the doctor I had today from that practice, so I am happy to wait until next week and deliver with someone I know (and hopefully like).  :-)

I will try to get caught up with all of my shower posts over the weekend in case Monday is go time.  Hope everyone had a great day!

Sarah

Because I am vain...

...(and thanks to a birthday gift from my in-laws - thanks guys!), just in case today is d-day, I am prepared:


Side note: please try to overlook the fact that my feet (toes in particular) look like sausages.  I can't seem to get the swelling under control these past few days.  SIGH.

 It's true.  If I am going to be staring at my sausages while in the pushing position, you better believe they are going to be pretty.  So how did I prepare?  I got a pedi.  And I chose pink sparkly polish, which I'm fairly sure was only even in the nail salon for the 12-year-old girls, but whatever.  Baby B told me she likes it.  :-)  Also? Legs are shaved.  Chew on that, doctors and nurses who will be violating me in all kinds of various ways I'm sure!

Also, when I went upstairs to bed I remembered to take a picture of all of the books I was telling you about yesterday from my Raleigh shower: 



Layla the photobomber guarding her sister's books (slash waiting for Dan to throw her Christmas toy which chewed the head off that is laying at her feet)

 This picture really does not even do them justice, there are lots of little ones stacked on top of each other...we got a ton of books, and I am so excited about them.  When we get them put neatly into the (fabulous IKEA - thanks Mom & Dad!) book shelf we got for the office/play area perhaps I'll grace you with another photo.  :-)

Doctor in T-minus 1.5 hours.  Is today the day?  Guess we'll find out! 

Happy Friday, lovies!

Sarah

Baby Shower #2 - Charlotte

Almost the end of another week!  Mom left today to go back home and hold down the fort there, and I was very sad.  It was so nice to have company for the week, and she was so helpful around the house.  She cooked delicious meals, took me to run errands, helped me do some things in the nursery and wash the rest of the baby's clothes, etc.  While we still haven't gotten every single thing done that we wanted to before baby arrives, I feel much better about where we stand now thanks to the help of our wonderful friends and family.  A little more work from Dan and I this weekend, and we will be in even better shape!

I have been promising all week to post pictures of my Charlotte showers, so I thought I'd do the first post tonight!  Before I do, though, I thought of something today that I forgot to mention in the post about my Raleigh shower.  The girls came up with such a wonderful idea, and I can't resist sharing!  They put a sweet little poem in with the invitations and asked all of the guests to bring a book and sign the inside of the book in lieu of a card.  Best idea ever, right?  Baby girl has SO MANY wonderful books as a result of this, and we are so excited to read them all to her.  Additionally, the books span a lot of ages, so she has her own little library already.  As soon as we get the office/playroom put together and I get the books on the shelf we bought, I'll take a picture.  We LOVE them!

So, now to Charlotte shower #1.  This shower was hosted on Saturday at my parents' house by my Mom's sisters: Aunt Hopey, Aunt Jo and Aunt Jennifer.  We had a shower at my home church, Pineville United Methodist on Sunday afternoon, but when my aunts offered, we thought it would be a great idea to have a smaller shower for family and friends outside of the church.  And boy, do these ladies know how to throw a shower!  This is the second one they've thrown for me (the first was my bridesmaids luncheon), and they never cease to amaze.  The menu consisted of soups (Aunt Jo's turkey chili, Aunt Hopey's cheddar, broccoli and rice soup, and mom's vegetable beef soup - all divine as usual) and sandwiches (Granny's home made pimento cheese and also egg salad on a variety of breads) among other things.  Everything was delicious, the company was fantastic, and again, everyone was generous beyond belief.  I will let some photos do the talking for the rest of the post.  Again, not posting many of me opening gifts because I am making funny faces in all of them, whoops!  But just trust me that we got some incredible gifts - all so sweet and thoughtful.




Decorations brought by Aunt Hopey.  How sweet is that old Winnie the Pooh?



Aunt Hopey's Noah's Ark.  I LOVED this and wanted to steal it. 

The shower colors were pink and brown to match the invitations, which were so cute (they had cupcakes on them!).  The cradle was another of Aunt Hopey's touches.  Love.

Gift table

More decorations

Dining room table

Cupcakes made by a friend of Aunt Jo's.  These were SO. GOOD.  The white ones are lemon and the pink ones are strawberry.  I'm pretty sure I ate four.

Close up of the cute cupcakes

Kitchen table

No party would be complete at the Eaker house without a John Deere photo...how cute is the little wagon attachment?!

Wreath made by Aunt Niecey.  She is seriously SO crafty.  It is now hanging on my front door in anticipation of Geronimina's arrival.

My corsage made by Aunt Jo.  The hippo is a rattle, and all of the flower buds are pairs of socks.  SO cute and unique, right?  She's crafty, too.  Jealous!

Mom and Peyton

Some of our guests - Rachel, Katy, Carole, Aunt Niecey, Granny and Susan

One of my favorite gifts - a pottery Noah's Ark lamp from Mom.  Also one of the only pictures I'm smiling in, so I decided to post.  Plus it shows of my corsage again.  :-)

More gift opening

One of Aunt Niecey's gifts - these were knitted by a friend.  So sweet!

Aunt Niecey also made me an ornament.  Inside she put extra scraps from the wreath she  made.  Can't wait to hang it on the tree next year!

Had to end the post with a cute pic of Layla, who was exhausted from all of the partying.

The shower was incredible, and I can't say "thank you" to my aunts enough for hosting it.  They did an excellent job as usual - and the food was delicious!  I've been snacking on left overs all week.  One bummer was that their hostess gifts didn't come in time for me to give to them, but I'm so excited about them that once they open them I'll post about them.  I also am bummed that I didn't get to get a picture taken with all of them.  There was just so much going on that we forgot!  Many thanks also to all of our guests, whom I was so excited to get to spend some time with - even though I was confined to the chair with my feet propped up!  I will tell you all that this child is rotten already, and definitely has more clothes than I think she'll ever be able to wear.  Not to worry, we'll just change her 6 times/day.  :-)

I'll try to post about the church shower before the end of the weekend.  Back to the doctor in the morning at 10:20, so look for an update sometime in the afternoon (if you're curious slash care)!

Toodles!

Sarah

Another Doctor Update...

Are these getting old yet?  I know that going to the doctor sure is getting old for me, so I'm sure the updates are getting old for you all!  We went in for another stress test this morning and to check in.  I took my Mom with me to give Dan a break, because I know he is getting tired of going and sitting and watching me on the FHM for an hour plus.  I was down 1 lb from Monday, and there was no protein in my urine.  My BP, on the other hand, was elevated again - 148/95.  Oy.  They hooked me up to the FHM, and baby girl showed off today so we got to come off in about 30  minutes instead of the normal 45 - 1 hour.  She is still perfect.

The doctor came in to talk, and reaffirmed that my labs from Monday came back normally.  The results of my Strep B test are not yet in.  She told us that in cases where a patient has preeclampsia that is on the milder side and it looks like the patient's symptoms are getting better, they'll let the baby cook as long as they can and see how far they can make it.  She said that as a preface to the statement, "You are clearly not in this category, so I just don't want your expectations to be that you are going to make it to 39 or 40 weeks."  To which I said, cool, we weren't expecting that anyway, so can you give me an idea of how long you anticipate me making it?  I told her that last week, Dr. R. told me that she thought I'd make it to 37-37.5 weeks (U will be 37 weeks this coming Monday) and then I'd deliver.  Her response was, "That is exactly what I was about to say, that we could be talking about delivery as soon as next week."  She said that because of all of the symptoms that I already have in addition to the ones that have come up these past few weeks, they are trying to balance letting the baby cook as long as she can with making sure I am okay, too.  What they don't want is for the preeclampsia to get so bad that we are in an emergency situation.

With all of that said, she told me that right this second she wants to keep doing what we're doing (aka stay on bed rest and we'll continue to monitor), and she wants me to come in again on Friday (three times in one week has to be some kind of record, right?).  She said she didn't want me going through the whole weekend without being seen, but I am to call immediately if my blood pressure spikes (top number greater than or equal to 160, bottom number greater than or equal to 100 - which is not too far off from where I've been hovering).  So, we'll do it all again on Friday.  While I am slightly annoyed to have to go back yet again, I am grateful that they are being cautious.  Mom and I both got the impression from her today that we should expect to deliver next week.  BUT...we see a different doctor on Friday, which means there could be yet another different opinion.  The fact that she didn't give me an idea of when next week makes me wonder whether it will actually happen.  Still a waiting game for now!

Thanks for all of the continued prayers, thoughts, love, words of encouragement and support.  We couldn't have gotten through this without you all!  I will try to blog one of the showers from the weekend tonight - if not tonight, in the morning - because I'm sure these updates are getting more and more boring.  In other news, I'm pretty sure my Mom should move in.  She just made me the best milkshake in the history of the world.  I could get used to this...

Happy Hump Day!

Sarah