Friday, May 6

Friday started out very normal and then quickly turned scary. The morning was good and Cory, Gavin and Sadie came to visit me. I loved seeing people who weren’t in scrubs. J Chloe did not want to be monitored so she kept moving when I had the belts on my belly, but no surprise there.

Around 3:00 p.m. I started to get mini headaches above my right eye that lasted about five minutes. I got them at least every two hours and so I reported them to my nurse. Combined with my really high blood pressure, I got a call from Dr. Nance at about 7:00 p.m. telling me not to eat or drink after midnight, just in case. Yikes!

Michelle Olsen came to visit me (Kyle had a cold, so Mike went down to watch a game in the lobby with him) and it was so good to see her. I feel like I haven’t seen a lot of my close friends in forever and it was nice to catch up! Thanks again for coming Michelle!

It got to be close to eleven and so Mike and I decided he would spend the night, especially if surgery was possible for the next day. We got to bed around midnight and the nurse said she would come in every two hours to take my blood pressure, so I went to sleep hoping to keep Chloe inside as long as possible. 

I'm running out of creative and/or informative titles.

I had a pretty rough night last night. Mike went home to hopefully get some good rest and I had a hard time being alone.  Dr. Nance came in at one in the morning to give me an update and I was obviously exhausted.

Mike texted me at 4:00 a.m. to say he loved me and couldn't sleep. 

Right back at cha, love. 

I woke up every hour and then at 7:00 a.m. there came a knock on the door:

"Hi, I'm here to draw your blood!"

Awesome, thank you.

Let me quickly stress that the phlebotomists here are AWESOME. I feel a tiny prick and then nothing. I'm not even scared to get my blood drawn anymore, and that is a BIG deal. 

Anyway, I went back to sleep for twenty minutes before breakfast came, and then I tried to sleep throughout the morning but doctors kept coming to see me. 

I talked to the head of the Labor & Delivery department and she gave me a breakdown of pre-eclampsia and answered my questions. She is really nice and she'll be in to check with me occasionally over the next few weeks. 

The neonatologist also came in and talked to me about the NICU and how the risk for babies born at 34 weeks drops significantly, hence we are trying to make it there.

Anyway, today was good. My BP has been a little high--right now it's 136/90--but otherwise I'm doing well. Chloe was wonderful and decided to stay put during the morning twenty-minute monitoring so I could get some sleep. Thanks, chick. 

Harry & LeAnn stopped by again today and LeAnn made me the MOST delectable chocolate chip cookies in the entire world. YUM. She also brought me some word searches and the cutest stuffed animal Snoopy in the world...pink and white, super soft and it plays the Charlie Brown theme when you squeeze it. 

Chloe might have to fight Mike for it...he thinks it's fantastic. :)

Jamie and Jagger came by too...Jagger is so fetching cute. Love him.

I had lots of visitors today and it was great. Mike's Aunt Cheryl came to see me for a few minutes, Ken came shortly after Jamie  & Jagger and then Katie showed up this evening with three-week-old Hailee.

Seriously, thanks SO much for coming everyone! 

I haven't had much chance to just hang out and be alone and I'm okay with it. :)

Not a ton to update on, but as soon as I have anything I will blog about it. I've been moved to the long-term patient section of the Labor  & Delivery floor and I love it. This room has more windows and more space. Super nice.

Well, goodnight!

Breastfeeding, a.k.a. TMI

It's been my goal to breastfeed Chloe.

Mike is a firm believer that breastfed babies are more intelligent, and whether that's true or not, it's cheaper and a bonding experience for most mothers and their babies.

I haven't been sure if I could breastfeed or not because my mom could only breastfeed from one breast and Jamie can't breastfeed at all. 

Well, if leakage is any indication of my ability to breastfeed, then I think I'm safe! Lol

I thought I spilled water on my nightgown earlier today, but nope--definitely breast milk! I have to wear these little pad things so my nightgown doesn't get all nastied up. 

Mike thought it was awesome, of course. 

Which could have been weird, but I'm grateful for a man who isn't scared of the natural things about my body. Way to be a real man, husband! You rule. :)

Well, I am getting more labs done tomorrow and I'll probably have to do another 24 hour urine watch. The neonatologist should come see me either tomorrow or the next day and tell me what I can expect with a premature baby. 

More updates to come!

Updates

Well, I am definitely not going home anytime soon!

The protein in my urine is up to 4000 which puts me in the severe range, meaning my kidneys are sustaining damage and leaking. Not so great.

My blood pressure is still high--as of this morning, 144/84--but nothing to panic over yet. Dr. Nance said that if I was 34 weeks, he would do a C-section today, but seeing as nothing besides my protein is too dangerous, he wants to keep Chloe inside as long as possible.

As not fun as it is, I don't really mind being in the hospital. The nurses are awesome and I can just relax. I'm sure it will get old the longer I'm here, but I'm much more comfortable in an environment where I can be monitored.

I have had a lot of visitors so far, and I love it! I don't want anyone to feel obligated to see me, but it is nice to see people. Today I got to visit with Jamie (who painted my toenails so I can feel as pretty as possible), Alyse, her little girl Aryn, and mother-in-law Terri. Thanks so much for coming and especially for all the books, Alyse! :)

Just so you know, Mike has slept over for the past two nights, so worried daddy is hanging in there. :) 

One thing I am excited to get back to is snuggling with my awesome husband. I miss him. 

Well, I will keep updating this blog and hopefully there will only be good news and at least two weeks before Chloe makes her debut! 

Yes. No. Maybe. Probably.

Today has been full of ups and downs and craziness! 

Last night I woke up twice to measure my urine (super awesome, right?) and get my blood pressure taken. My BP was down by a lot, so that was hopeful. The second time I woke up and called the nurses, they forgot about me until I called again fifteen minutes later. Lol They're busy, I get it. :)

I saw Dr. Shemmer, a high-risk OB, and he gave me an ultrasound. 

Good news: Chloe is PERFECT. :)

Her heart, brain, limbs, vital signs, etc. are right where they need to be. Her feet are still clubbed, obviously, but there are no other problems/defects. Right now she is 3 lbs. 10 oz., which is a LOT bigger than I thought she would be. 

I got another steroid shot today that will help speed up her growth, but they aren't too worried about her. She is doing so great!

My latest BP was 141/84. 

I am trying to get the numbers as close to 120/70.

I got the results from the 24 hour urine watch and I have too much protein leaking out of my kidneys, which is a sign there is some damage. Awesome, right?

While I am in a state that the doctors want to keep an eye on, the consensus has gone from definitely staying until she's born via C-section to maybe staying. One of my nurses, Kellie, said Dr. Nance might have me go home tomorrow and just keep an eye on my labs.

So...who knows! 

I won't lie--I feel much safer in the hospital. If anything happened it could get taken care of immediately. But if going home means more time for Chloe to cook, then I am all for it!

Mike and I are SO grateful for everyone being so awesome. Thank you from the bottoms, sides and tops of our hearts! We love you!

On that note,

thanks to Mom and Kelly for coming to visit me today! I know you're both insanely busy with your schedules and I'm glad I got to see you today. :)

"Looks like you've landed yourself a stay in the hospital."

Those lovely words came from my doctor today at roughly 1:30 yesterday afternoon. 

My family helped me decide to go to see Dr. Nance today because of my swelling and the problems with my circulation. Jamie took me and I expected to be put on bedrest, that's all. 

Not in the least.

After discovering too much protein in my urine and skyrocketing blood pressure, Dr. Nance calmly told me that I needed to get to the hospital ASAP.

"How long of a stay?"

"Until the baby's born." 

WHAT?!

Jamie rushed me home so I could pack a bag and went to drop off her kids to Chris. I was shaking and trying not to freak out as I packed when my crazy visiting teacher stopped by. 

Her name is Bevaline and she is super old and really sweet, but crazy. Her hair is wispy, white and thin and it looks like she was electrocuted or insanely windswept because her hair literally sticks straight out behind her head. It's awesome.

I answered the door and she had two of her grandkids with her. 

"Hi Jess, how are you?"

Bevaline never calls to make appointments. She just shows up, hoping I'm home, and when she does randomly catch me she acts like it's a miracle. 

"Hi, Bevaline. I actually can't talk now. I might be having my baby today, so I'm headed to the hospital."

"Oh, how exciting! When's your due date?"

"July 7, so it's not a good thing."

She proceeded to gasp histrionically and then practically shove her little grandkids away, telling me to go to the hospital and be safe. Gotta love her.

I checked into Utah Valley at 3:00 p.m. and, after answering a million questions, got two external monitors attached to my belly: one for Chloe's heartbeat and the other for any contractions. 

I am also getting my blood pressure taken every two hours because it's way too high. I'm on a 24 hour urine watch because of the protein and I have these awesome compression shin guards that are helping to increase my circulation.

Dr. Scott Rees came in and talked to me for awhile, which was great, because he's obviously a doctor but also Jen's brother. It's good to know someone and not feel weird asking questions. 

Jamie stayed with me the whole time, keeping family updated and just supporting me. Thanks Jame, it means more than you can imagine!

Mike was at work and I wanted to keep him there. I knew he needed a distraction because there was no use in panicking yet and being in the hospital wouldn't help. He came around six-thirty and it was so good to see him. I'm sure grateful to  have married such an awesome guy and concerned daddy. :)

Some of you may not understand why Mike didn't ignore my request and drop everything to come to the hospital. That's fine. I didn't want him here worrying when we had no news and I don't need to justify anything. I'm just grateful for him. 

So far I have two awesome nurses. My day nurse is Amanda and the night nurse is Kellie. They are both insanely helpful and nice. I don't feel like just a patient to them, I feel like a person. 

I know a lot of the information on this post is out of order, but I figure as long as I get it in somewhere it's okay. I got a steroid shot in my hip to speed up Chloe's lung development so they can be as functional as possible in case she comes in the next day or so. 

My blood work is clean and the phlebotomist was awesome. He stabbed me quick and was out before I knew it. So much better than the last time! :)
Mom and Ken came to see me and then Ken and Mike gave me a blessing. It was very needed and I'm beyond grateful to have so many worthy men at my fingertips! The blessing was very calming. Chloe will be born in the Lord's time and Mike and I will see many miracles throughout the rest of my pregnancy, whether it lasts a few more days or a month.
I'll keep updating as I get information.
Thank you SO MUCH to my family and friends who are being so supportive. We couldn't do this without you! :)

Oh my H.

Let me first say that I am grateful for Chloe joining our family in a few months.

She's going to be freakin' awesome. I already love her and I am so excited to meet her.

Now that my love for my baby is not in question,

I HATE BEING PREGNANT.

At least at this point.

My feet are so swollen they go numb. My toes are little sausages and the skin on the top and sides of my feet are stretched so far they shine. 

My circulation has been off for weeks. I don't remember the last time I could make a fist with my right hand. At first it was only my right side, but now my left side is going numb too. I can't sleep because of the numbness unless I'm on my back...

but isn't that not a good idea? (Yeah, double negative. It's my blog.)

I still have 9 weeks. 

NINE FREAKING WEEKS.

How am I supposed to put together Chloe's room if I can't hold things because of the bad circulation? With drum-tight feet?

I know this whole post is complainy, but if I don't let it out I am going to have a breakdown.

Well, another one, anyway.