By a Thread

Well, the news today from the doctor wasn't exactly great, but it wasn't really unexpected either. To put it simply, my cervix is hanging on by a thread. Literally.

At the first ultrasound, my cervix measured 5 cm thick, at the 2nd it was at about 4 cm. Today it is almost completely non-existant up to the stitch. Interpretation: the only thing keeping me out of the delivery room is the 36 stitch cerclage.

The jury is still out about whether or not I am to be ordered on full-time bedrest. Apparently there seems to be some debate as to whether or not increasing the bedrest would actually do any good. The jury is also out about the gestational diabetes test. Results for that should be in in about a week.

The good news? Our baby girl is right on target as far as development. In fact, she's actually measuring 1 day ahead of schedule. The ultrasound technician estimates that she is currently weighing in at about 2 lbs 8 oz. Also, on the ultrasound the cerclage is looking really good. Apparently it's "in a really good place and holding strong." (Ultrasound lady's words, not mine.)

So, the question that I keep getting is, "what now?" Well, from now on I will be having ultrasounds every 2 weeks to make sure my cervix isn't about to tear itself away from the stitches. (Can we say OUCH?) We are also directed to be kick counting and on the lookout for any signs of pre-term labor or signs of the aforementioned cervix tearing.

I also have an appointment on Monday to get a shot of steroids. 24 hours after that, I will go in for a second hit. The hope is that the steroids will accelerate the baby's lung and organ development. These two doses of steroids can be beneficial up to 4 weeks after administration. This is a "just in case" precaution. You know, like, just in case my body decides to go crazy and defy the cerclage. I keep telling my uterus to remember how bad it was last time it pulled one of its fits. Hopefully if I keep repeating "magnesium sulfate" (the torture medication the doctor uses to stop or slow preterm labor) often enough, I should scare my body into obedience.

My doctor has set the new goal for 32 weeks. If I can make it to 32 weeks, then my local hospital's NICU will be equipped to take care of the baby. However, if I go into unstoppable labor prior to that mark, then my doctor will send me by ambulance to a hospital about an hour from here. I'm nervous about that possibility, but at least I know someone who works in respiratory therapy at that hospital, so that helps.

So long story short... keep your fingers crossed for us at least the next 3 1/2 weeks.

Also, I've had several people ask about our baby registry. I pretty much finished it, so for those of you who are interested in it, you can find it HERE. Thank you all for your prayers and support. We really do appreciate it and we know it's making a difference.

TWENTY-EIGHT!!!

When I was in the hospital in labor with Gavin we were told by a neonatologist that babies born at 28 weeks are "easy." (Compared to 24 weekers anyway.) So, from then on 28 weeks became one of those "milestones" in our minds. Well, here we are! 28 weeks! The next milestone in this pregnancy is the 36 week mark when the doctor will remove the cerclage. That's only 8 weeks away! We are so excited.

This coming Tuesday is my next doctor's appointment. I'll have an ultrasound to examine my cervix, take the glucose tolerance test, and then have a consultation with the doctor. It will be interesting to see if my cervix has thinned any more. At my last ultrasound appointment it had thinned by about a centimeter. I am extremely lucky not to have been put on full-time bedrest so far. So here's keeping our fingers crossed that my luck holds out!!!

YAY for 27!!!

Today I am 27 weeks along. My third trimester officially starts this week. How weird is that? Even better, I now only have 9 weeks left until the doctor removes my cerclage. And chances are very good that this little girl will be born as soon as those stitches are out.

WHOA.

We are starting to allow ourselves to really feel the excitement. This past Wednesday we attended our first of four birthing classes. It was really nice of the instructor to teach Malone how to give me massages. Totally worth the fee just for that! But when we practiced the meditation technique she showed us, the baby started kicking and I had a hard time not giggling. Oops! Next week we "get" to watch the terrifying birthing videos. And the 3rd week we take a tour of the new Women and Newborns section of the hospital.

This coming week our project at home is to go through all the baby items we have and start getting the nursery ready. That means I have to face my minor dilemma. We aren't allowed to paint the walls because we're renting. They have to stay white. So how should I decorate? Any suggestions?

26

Happy 2010 everyone! We are excited to ring in this new year and be done with all the drama of 2009. We are so looking forward to what this year has to bring. And I want you all to take notice: According to our countdown in our right side bar, we now have less than 100 days until my due date! And now that I'm 26 weeks that means we only have 10 more weeks until my cerclage is removed. Wahoo!

So much to celebrate

Merry Christmas everyone! Today Malone and I have so much to be thankful for. On the 17th of this month we celebrated our fourth anniversary. Our marriage is the greatest blessing we have been given. No matter how hard things get, we always have each other. For our anniversary, we did lots of fun things. Malone took me out to eat, we did some temple work, and then we went and looked at the beautiful lights at Temple Square. I've been there so many times, but I'm always in awe of how gorgeous it is at Christmas. My favorite feature of their Christmas decorations is the Nativity on the reflecting pond. They have floating lights surrounding statues of Mary, Joseph, and the baby Jesus right in front of the temple. Every time I see it, I am reminded of how thankful I am that God gave His son to us so that I can return to Him with my family.

Today we are also marking the 25th week of this pregnancy. I can hardly type that without crying. Clear back in August when we first found out that I was pregnant I kept telling Malone, "I will be so ecstatic if I am still pregnant on Christmas day." Well, here we are. And I was right. I am so ecstatic. And you know what? I'm still going strong.

Of course, I know who has given me these amazing blessings. My Heavenly Father and His Son. I am so grateful, especially today, for the knowledge I have of their love for me.

Anyhow, the following are pictures from our anniversary, me and Malone at 25 weeks, and a picture of the baby's first stuffed bear. It was special for Malone and I to go to Build A Bear to be able to buy this for her. We did the same for Gavin, and we've decided to make it a little tradition.

A Request

Today I spent about an hour reading through a blog that has really touched my heart. The blog is the story of a girl named Kim and her battle with leukemia. Kim is in our ward and her family has asked for prayers and fasting on her behalf because right now Kim is really struggling. Malone and I are going to be adding our prayers to theirs and Malone will be fasting for them. For those of you who can, please join Kim's family in prayer and fasting. To read Kim's story, visit her blog at http://kimbattlestheredrobot.blogspot.com.

The big 2-4!

Today is an exciting milestone in this pregnancy. Today I am 24 weeks along. When I was pregnant with Gavin I made it to exactly 24 weeks before my body just couldn't hold back anymore. So, every day from here on out is uncharted territory. I feel like every day from now on I am getting to experience something new. And I LOVE it.

Well Hello 23!

Today I am feeling... excited but extremely anxious. Today I am 23 weeks along in my pregnancy. In 3 days I will be as far along as I was with Gavin when they discovered that my cervix had failed. I can't wait to be past the next week. Next Friday I will be at 24 weeks, which is the point at which Gavin was born. I didn't realize how scary it would be for me right now. Sometimes it feels like I'm just a ticking time bomb. Some nights I have nightmares that are more like flashbacks to being in the hospital while they tried to stop the labor. But every morning when I wake up, I thank Heavenly Father that I'm still pregnant and I remember just how blessed we are to be anticipating this precious baby girl, and how blessed we are to have medical care this time to help me make it to the end.