Thankful

I am very thankful to have reached the 25 week point in the pregnancy. I have had three incidents of contractions coming just a little bit apart (I don't know exactly how far apart for sure b/c I was too nervous to actually know), but gratefully with lying down and drinking water I was able to get them to stop.

The first occurred in New York City where we were seeing the musical Mary Poppins. The musical was very good, but I was rather distracted during the first half as contractions started coming so fast I actually thought we might have to leave. As the last note was being sung before intermission I dashed out of my seat and to the bathroom so I wouldn't have to stand and wait in a long line. I then begged some money off Jason so I could buy a $4 bottle of water. Ugh! I drank it throughout the second half and it seemed to help. I didn't think I was dehydrated since I had drunk a bottle of water on the way there and had a cup of it at McDonalds before the show. Perhaps the extra walking and the extreme cold (temps in the teens) had something to do with it.

The second incident was last Monday evening. I think a lot of it had to do with stress. I drank several glasses of water and spent the majority of the evening in bed or on the couch and they subsided.

The third was this past Sunday night. No clue as to the cause. The only real activity I had was making lunch and doing the dishes after we got home from church. I took a nap in the afternoon and drank water on the way to the evening service. On the way home from church I started feeling crampy so once again I headed to bed with water.

These incidents have made me especially thankful for each day, and particularly each week, that goes by. Statistically 24 weeks is the point at which a baby can survive (though usually with health concerns) so I am happy for each week past that that I get. I am making a concerted effort to stay well hydrated, drinking 100% juice, water, and skim milk throughout the day. I take a nap about every other day and once the boys go to bed I usually lay down the rest of the night. No matter what I do I get contractions - usually one or two every hour. Some are just a tightening, but others are uncomfortable. Some make me feel like I need to go to the bathroom immediately! It's just the fast succession that we are trying to avoid at this point since I obviously have a uterus that likes to contract!

I had another dr.'s appointment yesterday. Unfortunately the scale scooted up again. I guess I should have expected that with all the food we were exposed to, especially at his mom's house. The cheesecake we had several times, and of course always late at night, probably didn't help either! My weight gain has been consistent, but just more than I would like it to be. My blood pressure was good, lower than last time. The baby's heart beat was at 145 and he was moving around during the exam. My measurement was right on track - 25. She told me to monitor the contractions closely and if they last more than an hour or two to go to the hospital. They will try to treat me there, but if I have started to dilate they will transfer me. I wanted to be mentally prepared for this, so I asked her where I would go. If it is before 32 weeks they will transfer me to Pittsburgh (1 1/2 to 2 hrs. from here). If it is between 32 and 35 weeks I will be transferred an hour north. If it is after 35 weeks I can stay at the local hospital (about 25-30 min. away). Hopefully we'll get to stay local, but at least we know the plan.

I am not "ready" to have the baby yet. I still want to get Peyton potty trained first! At the same time, I'm anxious to get to the 30's, and better yet, to 38 weeks. Then my mind can rest a little more easily!