Update

Not much has changed from my last post. We are quickly approaching 36 weeks. I am still contracting like crazy and taking the medications diligently although they don't seem to help. My hands, feet, and ankles have begun to swell more and more every day. Jeremy had to help me take off my wedding ring today. It took a lot of painful tugging and lotion. I am enjoying my lightened work schedule. Our last childbirth class is Tuesday and we had our last shower today with the flock. I am washing all the baby's clothes, bibs, and blankets as I write. Hopefully I will get them all folded and put away tonight or tomorrow and get the nursery tidied up. After a lot of praying and debate I got my H1N1 shot last week. I feel at peace with the decision. Jeremy has promised me a few date nights before the baby gets here and I plan on holding him to it. Well, I should get back to the laundry.

Flock Shower

The Guys gathered around the food!


The girls



Two new Daddies getting into the diaper games

Here are a few pics from a fun afternoon of celebrating this little boy's life with our new small group (aka flock).

NSTs and working less

I had another NST on Friday at 8am after working all night. I was contracting once every 4minutes with the Procardia and brethine on-board. I was sent home to sleep and take more meds although I did drop in to Employee Health before heading home to see if they had any H1N1 shots. Miraculously they had vaccinations but only for pregnant employees and those working on the mother and baby floor. I met both criteria! So after much prayer and anxiety the last few weeks I got my shot.
On Saturday I finally petitioned my manager to let me cut back on my work hours just enough to help me get this baby to full term. So now I will be working 1-2 12 hour shifts and 1-2 8 hour shifts a week. All nights.

A long day of taking care of baby and mommy

I went in to Baptist for my first Non-stress test (NST) today. Our appointment was at 2pm. It was 2:55pm when we were finally taken back to begin the test. After hooking me up to the monitors the L&D nurses were shocked to see that I had 6 contractions within the 20 minute test. I nonchalantly said, "I know. I have been doing this for 6 or 7 weeks." I also told them that I have been taking scheduled Procardia and Terbutaline for the contractions. Our nurse quickly got on the phone to Dr. Houk. Dr. Houk wanted me checked to make sure I wasn't dilating, to take another Terb and go to bed. But I had a appointment with Dr. Mirabile at 4:20pm and then Childbirth class at 7pm. Mirabile could check me there. It is 10 times more painful to have the mean L&D nurses check you than the doctors, believe it or not. So off we went to my appointment with Dr. Mirabile, and by we I mean Mom and I. She volunteered to accompany me to my appointments since Jeremy was at work and I guess she enjoys sitting in doctor's offices for long periods of time.
We arrived at Dr. Mirabile's office at 4pm and waited until 5:15pm to be taken back for the ultrasound. Jeremy thought he was going to miss the appointment due to not getting off work until 4:30pm, but since we waited so long he was able to be there for the whole thing. While climbing up onto the table I had a contraction. I paused and had to breathe through it. The tech asked if I was okay and I told her I was having a contractions. She quickly rushed out of the room to tell the doctor and the drama began all over again.
Dr. Mirabile came in with a resident and said "I hear there is some excitement in here- ha, ha" and flashed a cheesy smile.
Long story short, the baby was reacting fine with accelerations on the NST, looked good on the ultrasound and is head down(they estimate that he is 5lbs 3oz), I am 60% effaced, not dilated, and they performed another fetal fibronectin test (FFN) and it was negative. So we only have a 3% chance that the baby will come in the next 2 weeks, but he is getting ready. All these contractions are just a big annoyance to mommy and baby. We now have to do NSTs twice a week. My mom also got to experience how much fun the last 8months of waiting all day in doctor's offices on a weekly basis has been.
By the time we got out of the appointment with Dr. Mirabile it was after 6pm. Although it is nothing like waiting 2hours 40minutes for Dr. Merrill, my rheumatologist, it was making for a long afternoon. We rushed to Panera for a sandwich. My mom drove the accord back to our house and Jeremy and I ran back to Baptist for our first Childbirth class. Personaly I found the class to be a snooze and a repeat of nursing school OB class, but Jeremy learned a lot and was diligently taking notes:)

The Family Car

Today Jeremy and I went and traded in the Montero for a new vehicle. Both of our cars are getting older, very high in mileage, and not as safe for our little man as we would like. Jeremy was a little sad to see the Montero go. He was comfortable with its quirks including a hole in the gas tank (you could only fill it up to 1/2-3/4 full otherwise the liquid gold would spill out all over town and you definitely couldn't park it on a hill), only 1/2 of the right rear fender flare, severe hail damage, fading paint, one broken cup holder, the driver's side window whistled above 50mph, and the driver's side door never locked. I could go on and on, but I think you get my point.
Jeremy, being the car guy that he is has researched this purchase for probably over a year. It came down to either a Honda Pilot or a Toyota Highlander. We were very happy when we drove away in our new gray Honda Pilot with leather, only 39,000 miles, lots of safety features for little man, and no odd quirks. As soon as we pulled out on the highway we both looked at each other with huge grins. It was so quiet. We could actually carry on a conversation while in the car. The Montero had so much road noise that we could never talk to each other while in the car without one of us getting crabby and frustrated that we had to yell. Jeremy said "I think I could whisper and you could hear me". I said, "I think you are right".
So yes, we are in love with our new Pilot and Jeremy is learning to like driving the Accord. It only makes sense that the person with the shorter commute and that will be hauling little man around more would drive the bigger vehicle, whether it is newer or not, right.

Out with the old:

In with the new:

Thanks Kelly, Becky, and Carol!

I enjoyed a wonderful shower this afternoon hosted by Kelly, Becky, and Carol. Pics to come soon. I am so grateful for all of the parenting advice from my new Edmond friends and our little man will be very well dressed and warm.