34.6 weeks, but who's counting?

I've had three roommates since cuckoo bird left. (btw I've heard she has left the hospital, but the nurses say she'll be back.) I must have good roommate mojo as they never stay long. Though I hope this last one will be here for a long time. She came in 3cm dilated at 27 weeks with twins. Been trying for a baby for 11 years and like me, lost a baby at 20 weeks. I'm pulling for her in a serious way. I just hope she can make to at least 32 weeks.

It's 3:46 am and I'm awake because my roomie is a hummmmmer. She mmmmms in her sleep. The first night I thought it was because she was breathing through contractions. Turns out she's just a hummmmmer. It's not consistent humming it goes from light mmmmms to intense mmmmms to no mmmmms at all. So far this is the only thing I can complain about. She is very sweet. She can be hard to understand sometimes. She has a very strong Indian accent and because we are separated by a curtain and I can't see her face, there have been times when I've just had to say, "I'm sorry I can't understand." It makes me feel bad because she is so scared and has been asking me tons of questions and looking for reassurance.

This week has been a pretty good one. Though a strange mix of emotions. We had a sonogram on Wednesday that estimates the bub is 6lbs 6oz already! YOWZA. I guess this hospital incubating is doing the trick. R and I both were so relieved to hear the bub was so big already. We were expecting 5lbs or so. At the same time the sono tech was the same woman that did my sonos last year and showed us we would lose our babies. It's so hard being down in that wing anyway, but when this tech appeared I could barely hold back the tears.

R and I have been missing Tess & Oliver terribly this past week. We both had kept it to ourselves and I'm not sure how it even came out...it's so hard missing T&O and wishing we were planning their first birthday party and at the same time starting to feel like we can really get excited about the baby that is HERE NOW and will be coming soon. We are so attached to this bub. But also know that he/she will not replace T&O. Which is a good thing. That's too much for little shoulders to carry. I just wish that I could have all THREE of my babies. But two in my heart and one in my arms is the only way. I will feel so blessed when baby number three arrives.

R has been spending a little more time at the apartment making room for this bub. He's been nesting for both of us! We actually let ourselves purchase a few baby items *GASP* and they are IN our house or on the way. The very generous S&T from Texas purchased the most beautiful crib for us. I can't wait to see it. J is buying our bedding, once I can find something I like. We were talking about how I bought her first baby her bedding 7+ years ago...how special this will be. R broke down and gave in to the, as Figlet calls it, Yuppie Trophy Stroller. Car seat is on the way too. All we need now is bub!

We're still figuring out sleeping arrangements for when family comes. This is when I wish we lived in the burbs somewhere with plentiful extra rooms and space to spread out. Sigh. Living in a loft has been fine with guests that don't mind the slumber party atmosphere but with a baby that's up every three hours? (ok let's hope it's only every three hours) Well we're not sure how that's going to work out. Hotels are so damn $$ here. Even the Holiday Inn is $170 a night for two. Times that by seven days and well that's several plane tickets. We'll figure it out just like everyone else in NYC does. At least we don't have our bathtub in the kitchen...oh, wait, we don't HAVE a bathtub.

Party in room 233!

The roommate is GONE.
Thank you Universe.

They moved her to her own room where she can keep herself awake. She was pissed this morning that they wouldn't give her anymore morphine. Funny that she can't move to do ANYTHING without screaming out in pain...but when food comes she's able to sit up and clean her plate and when her boyfriend leaves she can walk, yes walk, all by herself to the vending machine to stock up on sodas and candy. They found skittles all over the floor as they were claening. SKITTLES!

So roommate #6 is on her way in....thankfully the nurses recognized the state of affairs in this room and pulled a switcheroo. Pays to be be nice and call them all by name and ask how their days off are...not that I'm doing any of that for special treatment. I am sincere. But hey if that means they get rid of psycho roomies as quickly as possible, that's a pretty good side effect for being nice!

I feel as if a weight has lifted off my shoulders! I think I can actually stay the 14 days left. Last night at 3am I was questioning that for sure. Envisioning myself begging Dr. E to let me go home. One more night of that would have done me in, no doubt.

ok back to incubating...more soon.

Thank you all for the comments and love and support.

oh one more thing that made my day...
pics of a new baby on the way from Korea for S&T!
brought happy tears to my eyes. he is just gorgeous.

34! 34! THIRTY FOUR WEEKS!

Yep, that's right, you read it correctly. I'm 34 weeks today.
Hip hip hooray!
I just can't believe it really. I've got 14 more days left in the hospital and then I can go home and be in the vertical world again. Yeah baby that sounds fab to me.

Sorry I've been so lame at keeping up the posting. The dial up connection get to me. By the time I've checked my work email and responded to what's going on there. I'm shattered.

So far the stitch has been holding steady and the terb has been able to keep the contractions under control. I've had a few evenings where they had to give me an extra boost of meds to kick those contractions in the ass, but I'm still on the lowest dose possible and I'm taking that as a good sign.

I've had so many roommates come and go. I've been pretty damn lucky with the roomies. My first roommate here was a nurse down in the nicu. She had been here a little more than three weeks and delivered two healthy girls on July fourth. She was cool, her husband was cool too. We both watched the World Cup football and even the same soaps. All in all a good match.

Roommate #2 was a young girl that had come in for a routine sono and found to have low amniotic fluid. She also had a cyst on her left ovary they were getting concerned about. They ended up doing a c-section at 34 weeks. They told her if the cyst had malignant cells they would also preform a complete hysterectomy at the same time. She was so brave and so strong and really only concerned that her baby would be ok. She wasn't worried about herself at all. She came to see me before she left the hospital. Baby boy was in the nicu but doing very well. Cyst was begnin and she only lost the one ovary! I was very relieved.

Roommate #3 was an Hasidic Jewish woman. She checked in after sundown on Friday night and pretty much sat in the dark until Sunday morning. Couldn't turn on the lights or tv herself or even hit the nurse call button to have a nurse do it for her. I was excited as I have a huge fascination with their community. I live blocks their neighborhood. Unfortunately she wasn't interested in talking to me, no matter how much I smiled. Sigh. On Sunday she had loads of phone calls and visitors and then they told her she could go home and in a matter a moments she was gone.

Roommate #4 26 weeks along with her third boy. She had been in labor and delivery for two days on magnesium sulfate to stop preterm labor. It worked. She stayed only a day before her doctor sent her home. She was very nice and her two boys came to visit and were adorable.

Roommate #5. WHOA. Not sure where to even start on this one. She is 26 weeks (she told me 28 at first) with her SIXTH baby. This is her second stay in the hospital in that last three weeks. She has gestational diabetes and having contractions. Here's the kicker. The first night she was here....after her diabetic dinner was eaten she cruised down to the vending machines and bought "every candy bar they had" and a pepsi. O. M. G. I've heard the nurses and the doctors tell her over and over that she is hurting her baby. Doesn't seem to sink in at all. She has a nextel walkie talkie cell phone so I'm lucky in that I get to hear BOTH sides of her every conversation. First morning they checked her blood sugar and it was over the top. Of course those two snickers bars she ate at 3 a.m. and a pepsi had nothing to do with that! oh no! The nutritionist came in to talk to her about how to manage her diet and she told her "I'm not about to stand in the grocery store and count carbs. I'm NOT going to do that shit." Then she got on the phone with her boyfriend and he asked what the nutritionist said and her response was "I don't pay them no mind. I'm not going to follow it anyways." O. M. G. She's now only here because she has a migraine headache. She's blaming it on the medication they are giving her...the insulin, the steroids for the baby's lungs, even the IV that's keeping her hydrated (which she removed herself) she's even refused prenatal vitamins because she "doesn't need those" It's so hard to be in this bed and not be furious. I know so many women on this wing are literally making deals with God, with the Universe, anyone that will listen to hold on their babies to keep them safe and here's this woman that is acting like a child and completely oblivious to what she is doing to this baby. grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr. The unfairness of it all is making me boil. SIX kids, no job, and no brain. I know women that would kill for ONE baby. As I type she is asking her boyfriend to bring cracker jacks and something stronger for pain. They aren't giving her what she wants here, it's not doing nuthin' to help her headache. I could go on and on...the state she's left our shared bathroom etc. etc. but I think I need to stop ranting now and try to fill my head with positive thoughts.

Hopefully roommate #3 leaves soon. And when she comes back, I'm certain she will, I hope I'm either gone or have someone else as roommate!

But hey what do you think? T H I R T Y F O U R W E E K S!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
That rocks right? Yes. Yes it rocks the house.

Stay tuned for more.

bummer.

Well the FAB Dr.E came in on Monday. I was expecting her to give me the option of going home now or at 34 weeks. SHOCKER she wants to keep me here until 36 weeks. Talk about taking the wind out of my sails. I can hardly process adding twwo more weeks to this stay. Though as I type I'm realizing that I'm half way through this week, so instead of four more weeks I'm already down to 3.5 or 25 days. So that's the focus...25 days. At 37 weeks she will take out the cerclage. And then it's just the waiting game.

After 11 days of a room all to myself, a roommate arrived yesterday. I'm not going to mention that number 11 showing up again, ooops already did. She is sweet and was terrified when she arrived as she's never been admitted to a hospital before. She came in for a sono and her amniotic fluid was low. She's 34.5 weeks. If the fluid hasn't built back up they will take the baby by c-section tomorrow. The roommate thing is weird. I've been pretty lucky so far. Only minor issues. Thank you R for bringing in my ipod....this one snores. LOUDLY.

My hands are feeling much better. The bub is getting stronger. So far so good.

BTW I'm feeling pink these days.
I guess we'll know soon enough.

Words from the hospital.

I haven't been able to post. A few days after being here I developed pregnancy induced carpal tunnel in BOTH hands and wrists. I felt like there was fire running through my veins. Unfortunately there isn't much they can do for this except to say, " Once you're not pregnant anymore. it will go away." Uh, gee, thanks. They did send over the occupational therapist. She made splints for me to sleep in at night. I have to admit I was very very skeptical but they do seem to be working. Thankfully.

Other than my hands things have been pretty calm. The terb still messes with me a bit but it's manageable. I've had lots of visitors and phone calls. R has kept my little fridge stocked with food to spare me the crap the hospital dares to pass off as lunch and dinner. The fab Dr. E and the other doctors in her practice have all been very optimistic. This time has felt 180 degrees when I was here with Tess & Oliver. Things don't feel as precarious. Not even close.

Here is my list of what's good and bad about hospital bed rest...

Good:
The nurses here are really great.
The woman that brings in the nasty hospital food is so sweet. I think she worries that I always skip lunch and dinner.
The woman that cleans is hilarious. Her smile could brighten any room.
I have a great roommate. She's very close to safely delivering and when she does I get to move by the window! ETA: She delivered two perfect girls on July 4th. I'm now by the window and as of yet have no roommate. :)

Bad:
The resident that comes in at 6 a.m. besides being a little strange, she NEVER closes the door when she leaves. EVER. My room is right by the nurses station and it's loud. grrrr.
The sheets smell like bleach.
The gowns. So lovely.
Being woken up every 4 hours for a boost of terbutaline. This usually keeps me up for a bit.
No high speed internet. I'm finding out I've become a very impatient New Yorker.
No Tivo. WHAT? I have to watch commercials?
I'm paying 12+ bucks a day for TV and phone. ??? 10 channels and no DSL. grrrr.
Curly hair + hospital bed rest = YUK. I'm pro fro. But this fro is NOT pretty.

18 days down, 14 more to go. The belly is getting so big I wonder if I'll be able to leave in the clothes I was wearing when I was admitted.

I'll try to post again soon. Thanks for all the love.
THIRTY-TWO WEEKS and 1/7 today!