...but really we all knew this was coming, right? This is a long one, folks!
Last Friday night/Saturday morning I started feeling some pain in my back. Since I was super lazy on Friday, I thought maybe it was from laying on the couch in the same position all day! I laid in bed in pain for about 45 minutes before I got up and heated up my little beanbag heating pad (probably the best Christmas present I ever got from a roommate)! The pain went away quickly, so I just went back to sleep. I woke up with a little pain, but it went away once I got moving. Steve went on a trip and the kids and I were just pretty lazy around the house in the morning. I took a nap when the kids napped, but I woke up with more back pain. That time, it didn't go away as I got moving... it got worse. Steve called and could hear in my voice that something was wrong. He made me call my doctor's office and I'm glad he made me I did. So I called our great Relief Society president and took a shower and headed to the hospital. I drove myself and I was convinced that I would return that night. I got checked in and hooked up and watched a little "Dateline" on my phone. They were super busy, so it was a while before the OB resident came in. He listened to my history, ran some tests, did an ultrasound and then checked to see if I was dilated. He, the nurse, and I were all having a good time until he said "Umm... so you're dilated to about a 2." I was caught off guard because I was hooked up to the monitors for two hours and it did not show a single contraction! Obviously, my back pain was moving something. Sooo... I was staying. Steve couldn't get home until the next morning, so his sweet sister and her son drove 5 hours to spend the night with me.
They hooked me up to IV fluids and an antibiotic (they did a strep test, but the results weren't back yet) and magnesium sulfate. I had magnesium sulfate with Ruthie for a little while and it did very little... but they wanted to stop things until they could get the maximum effect of the steroid shots they gave me. I felt way dizzy, so I also had my blood drawn every 6 hours for 2 days. I also had to use a bedside commode... and it's weird trying to pee in the middle of a big room with an audience.
After 2 days, they stopped the magnesium sulfate and started giving me an anti-contracting pill instead. They watched me for about a day in labor & delivery and then moved me to antepartum. Apparently they are in the process of renovating a new floor for antepartum... but for the last day it felt more like prison. I was bored and tired of watching tv (gasp! I know!). I think I literally saw everything worth seeing on the internet. All the high risk doctors kept talking in "a few days" but nobody really knew what that meant. I wanted to stay until they were sure I was ok, but I was really ready to get home! Finally, on Wednesday around lunch time, the high risk ob said "You're not hooked up to and IV or a monitor, so I really don't see what you are doing here that you can't be doing at home!" Hallelujah! He gave me orders to take it easy, but doesn't want me on traditional bed rest for now because he wants me to stay strong. The resident checked me again and I wasn't any more dilated than Saturday, so I was home by dinner time.
Friday, the back pain started again and I was back to the hospital by dinner time. Steve and I got to just hang out and watch Dateline. It was pretty crazy this week. After more tests and a few hours, they think I might have a bladder infection, so they sent me home with an antibiotic. Thank goodness. I feel totally normal again and I am just praying that everything stays good. I really, really don't want to go back until it's time.
My mother-in-law was here for the week to take care of the kids and the house. She had a trip planned that I really didn't want her to miss, so she went home for that and will be back in a few days. Since Steve's work schedule is so unpredictable, I decided to send the kids to my sister in law's for a few days. That was hard. I know that I have to rest, but it's hard to think that I'm not being a very good mom to the two I already have! I know that they will have so much fun playing with cousins and they will not need to be shuffled around like they would here this week. Liz met us half-way and we traded babies last night. Today has been very weird. I haven't had a whole day by myself in almost 4 years! Luckily, it has gone by quickly. I am just praying that the next month goes by quickly and this little girl stays in.
Until then, I am not really sure what I am going to do... I have watched everything worth watching on Netflix and Hulu (we don't have cable and live too far out for an antenna). They just put a bunch of HGTV stuff on Netflix, so we'll see if I can find enough stuff I have not seen. Any book recommendations are welcome... but I really don't even know if I like to read anymore. I have finished 2 books in the past 4 years and they're kinda embarrassing ("Is Everyone Hanging Out Without Me" and "Ask Wendy").
When we left the hospital on Friday night, we stopped by the nursery window and looked at all the sweet babies. It hit us that we're about to have another one, but it got us both really excited to see those sweet, new babies. This time, we want one in the regular nursery. Wish us luck!
