Short Term Goal: 34 weeks

WOW! I just returned from one of the top showers ever! It ranks close to the first shower at home after camping. I'm still here at the hospital. My maternal-fetal specialist saw me early this morning and felt I may be able to go home today. Then I saw Dr. Heimburger who asked that I stay another day. He was so pleased to learn that I had not delivered over the weekend; he really suspected that when he returned to the hospital today, he'd find me with a baby in the NICU. His partners took good care of me in his absence. He gave the okay for me to transfer up to the mother-baby unit where I'm under less intense monitoring, yet can be observed under conditions that more realistically mimic what I'll be doing at home... bed, bathroom, and a trip to the chair now and then. (The picture above really could be me. Christian has set me up with Play Station, magazines, books, games, snacks, toiletries, everything I could ask for. I thought I'd need a moving crew to get me up to my new room).

Dr. has set a short term goal to get me through 2 more weeks. Ideally, making it to 36 weeks, but making it to 34 weeks would be greatly beneficial to Baby T's long term health. With that being said, I am on strict bed rest for at least two weeks followed by a possible increase in activity if my assessments are looking good at that point. As my nurse has stated, this is the first of many situations as a parent where we cannot predict or control the future or the outcome. I will be monitored weekly at his office once I am discharged from the hospital and will continue to monitor myself for bleeding and contractions while at home.

My contractions have really slowed down, I'm having about 1-4 an hour at most while in bed. They do increase when I'm out of bed but there's been no more active bleeding. Thank you all for your prayers, phone calls and messages. I'll keep updating as things progress. Baby seems happy in its current home and is moving around a lot. Other than this head cold, a backache from laying in bed and occasional headache from my meds, I feel good. Really, knowing how some of these medications can effect the mother as I'm told by Marla and Sandy, I feel very fortunate to be on Nifedipine with side effects I can tolerate well. Christian has been so wonderful and supportive. He really is my strength and best friend and I am forever grateful to have him as my husband. Our families have shown extraordinary strength and support as well, and together we will get through this too. Thank you, thank you, thank you all!

And finally, as it is customary for me to share my entries with Christian before posting them, Christian has requested I add one other comment... GO BEARS!!