Day 27: Last Weekly Ultrasound and Only 6 Days to Go!

This morning we had the last weekly ultrasound we will have before Little Buddy arrives since my ultrasounds are scheduled every Tuesday. He is still head down and was hiding most of his cute little face with his arm today! In his picture, we could see one eye and his nose, otherwise he was hiding behind that arm!

The amniotic fluid amount had increased too so that was good news. As far as we know, they will not measure his growth again by ultrasound before he arrives, so we will just be surprised! I am definitely hoping he is very close to or maybe just a little above 5 pounds!

It is likely that they will check him one more on Monday by ultrasound just to make sure he hasnt turned before they induce if he doesn't decide to come on his own.

We are praying very hard that he waits till Monday to have those few more days of growth and so his Daddy can be here for his arrival! Right now, only 6 more days to go!!

Day 26: Only 7 Days To Go!

Monday, April 29, 2019
It's Monday and a special Monday at that! Today begins Day 26 since we arrived at the hospital on April 3rd and more importantly, today begins the last full week that Little Buddy will ever live in my tummy! Unless he makes his move to arrive before then, we will meet him exactly one week from today! We are so excited and also know that this will bring a whole new journey for our son and our family as he will begin his time in NICU. We are praying lots for his time upcoming in NICU, his safe arrival and hopefully this last full week in my tummy for him to grow even a little more!

33 weeks and 4 days..only 7 days left to go!

Day 23, 24, and 25: Wait, Wait and Wait some more!

Friday, April 26 to Sunday April 28, 2019 were definitely waiting days for Buddy and I. Brent had to be out of town Saturday and Sunday, so we are VERY thankful that all Little Buddy did was wait for his Daddy. I did have a few contractions on Saturday night but thankfully those settled down to just more waiting. We are also 10,9 and only 8 days to meeting Little Buddy as long as he stays in till his anticipated arrival date of May 6th! So we wait with hope and (mostly) with patience knowing that the day he arrives is getting closer!

Day 22: We Have A Possible Exit Date!

Thursday, April 25, 2019
22 days total here and 21 days on the particular unit I'm on that cares for moms and babies and works to keep those babies growing and safely in mom! I spent my 1st full day here in Labor and Delivery with them trying to get him settled and make sure he wasn't going to try to come right away, so 3 weeks total here on this unit. I also reached 33 weeks today and in addition today...
We have a confirmed anticipated arrival date for our Little Buddy!!

                                     MAY 6, 2019!!
This is the day they plan to induce me so he can be born. I will be 34.5 weeks then. At that point he has grown enough that the doctors say that he will be better out of my tummy than continuing to remain inside.
Of course, we understand that at any point this date could change if 1) he decides to arrive before then and I go into labor or 2) if there should be any complications for him or me. We are praying that neither of those two things happen, though we do know that they are possible.
We are praying he stays in and continues to grow healthy and strong and exceed that 5 pound mark and that we will meet him safely in 11 days!!!
So the countdown begins- as of right now, we only have 11 days left till we meet our little son!

Day 21: 3 Full Weeks Here!

Late tonight marks 3 full weeks that we have been here in the hospital! So hard to believe that this has been our life now for 21 days! I had no idea when I left our house that Wednesday night 3 weeks ago that I wouldn't ride in a car, be in the same house with the girls or leave on hospital on my own for what will likely be just over ONE month!! To be honest, I think I am thankful that I didn't know any of that on April 3rd...
So here we are 21 looonngg days later...but thankfully the weeks seem to have gone by a little faster than the individual days. But we have a little son who is still growing safely in my tummy. Because of this hopefully there will be about 60 days less in the NICU for him (21 days in my tummy equals about 63 days less in the NICU). Our girls have been so patient  and understanding and such troopers with the whole situation and so has our extended family who has stepped in to care for them so lovingly when Mom (literally) could not be there! We have had so many people check on us, encourage us and pray for us during this journey too!
Brent has always been a very active Dad with all the girls and helped extra and willingly with them and around the house too even before these past 3 weeks, but he has stepped up in a way this past 3 weeks that has been incredible. He has run his full time job, seen the girls every couple of days to check on them, given the extended family a break, kept me encouraged and has spent every night, except 2, at the hospital with Little Buddy and me! I am so thankful for him!
So while 3 weeks feels like a very, very long time to be in a hospital, there is much we choose to be thankful for in these 21 days as well!
So we press on through 3 and 4 weeks up ahead,day by day, thanking God for His Faithfulness to us!
In exciting news too, we may have a "birth " date (day they will induce if he does not arrive on his own before then) confirmed very soon!

Day 20: Growth Ultrasound Day!!

Tuesday, April 23, 2019

This morning, I got to see our Little Man for his weekly ultrasound. This was an especially exciting ultrasound because the doctors had put in an order to measure his growth and weight during this ultrasound. They only measure growth about every 2.5 to 3 weeks to give these little babies time to show, hopefully, how much they have grown! The last time Little Man had his growth measured was April 5th, the 2nd full day after we arrived here at the hospital. So we were very much looking forward to seeing how much he may have grown!!

We got very good news today from the ultrasound!  They estimate that he weighs 4 pounds and 10 ounces now! That is in the 50 percentile and his growth is measuring at exactly 32 weeks and 5 days!
He was 3 lbs, 5 ounces on April 5th, so he has grown 21 ounces in 18 days!! That means that so far he has been growing just over an ounce a day! So, now my goal for he and I is to break the 5 pound mark, if Little Buddy will be patient and stay in my tummy for a few more days!! We only need about 6 more ounces for him to reach 5 pounds!!
He remains head down and all his organs and systems were looking good. He is still doing lots of "practice breathing" too.

This is Brent's favorite picture from today's ultrasound. This image is looking directly into his little face!

This is my favorite with his little face in profile and his hand right above his face so you can see his little fingers!
We are so thankful that he is growing so well!Praise Jesus for a great report! We are praying that he will continue to stay in and keep growing until he gets past that 34 week mark!

Day 19: 32 Weeks and 4 days

Monday, April 22, 2019
Just a Monday here. It is a no news is good news day to day. We are waiting and he us growing and the other good news for today is that we get to see Little Buddy tomorrow on ultrasound and this ultrasound will include growth measurements so we will have an idea of how much he has grown since April 5th when they last did growth measurements. I am so excited to see his sweet little self on the ultrasound!

Day 18: Happy Resurrection Day

Sunday, April 22, 2019
Well, this is the first Easter that either Brent or I have celebrated in the hospital in our lifetime. We came very close with Allie. She was born 3 days before Easter and we were discharged from the hospital on Saturday evening with Easter 2017 being the very next day.
Celebrating Jesus's resurrection from the hospital today was a good reminder for me of all that Jesus endured for me because of my sin and His willingness to die for me when He was completely without sin. His resurrection also gives me the hope I have here on earth for each day of this situation we find ourselves in, even though it looks so different than what we thought we had planned and not only hope for here, but hope of forever with Jesus!
We also got to see some sweet smiling Easter faces today! Yes, the girls got to come for a visit! It was the first time I had seen them in 8 looonngg days! Brent had seen them 2 or 3 times last week so that was good, but I was very ready for a visit with them too!

Brent and I had Easter lunch together while ww waited for the time for them to arrive.

We started out in my room with Easter baskets. Well,actually, it was Easter umbrellas this year. I had seen this idea online and thought it was really fun. They liked it too when they saw the surprise and now they have umbrellas to use throughout the rest of the year also.

After we spent some time visiting and with lots of hugs,

After the snuggles, we headed outside for a few minutes so that the girls could hunt Easter eggs for a little while. One of the days that Brent took me outside in the wheelchair, we found a little garden type area behind the hospital and I thought it would work for a little egg hunt, and it worked well!

 They had a good time with this! Brent hid the eggs twice and then the big sisters took turns hiding them for the other sisters too!

 I forgot to have Brent bring their Easter buckets but Ziploc bags worked just fine.

 Allie was 2 weeks shy of being 1 last Easter so she only was able to find eggs with lots of help. Not so this year! After she found those first few eggs, she was off and searching for more! As you can tell by this face, she was pretty excited about looking for Easter eggs!

So thankful to get to spend a little time with my girls and our family be together on this Resurrection Sunday and Little Man made it to 32.5 weeks too! Thankful to Jesus for the blessings of this Easter day!

Day 17: 32 Weeks and 2 Days

Saturday, April 20, 2019
We are checking off another day of 32 weeks today. Tomorrow we will be halfway to 33 weeks AND it's Resurrection Sunday AND our girls get to come for a visit! Thankful for safety for Little Man today and very, very much looking forward to tomorrow!!

Day 16: 32 Weeks and 1 day

Friday, April 19, 2019
It is cloudy outside with lots of rain headed our way, but Little Man and I are safe and warm inside. We are thankful for another day for him to safely incubate! Only about 2 weeks now until we get to meet him! Though the days are long and I miss the girls terribly, I am determined to be thankful for and enjoy as much as possible, each day remaining that I am priveleged to carry our son!

We did make it to the covered porch across from my room to enjoy a little fresh air today even though it was cloudy.

Day 15: 32 Weeks!!

We made it! 32 weeks today! Thursday, April 18, 2019

When the maternal and fetal medicine doctor and I talked after we had been here just a few day, we talked about that 32 weeks was the short term goal and that 34 weeks would be the long term goal. So we have met our short term goal and we are going to begin praying and checking off the days to our  NEW short term goal of 34 weeks!
Unless Little Buddy decides to move up his,arrival before then, it looks like we will be meeting him around the first week of May!

Day 14: 31 Weeks and 6 days

Almost to 32 weeks! Wednesday, April 14, 2019

Because we came in late on a Wednesday evening, just before midnight, today marks 14 days that Little Buddy and I have been in the hospital! Though the days seem very, very long, we are thankful that 2 weeks in, he is still in my tummy growing safely and we are thankful to have these 2 weeks DONE!

Brent takes me down in the wheelchair for some fresh air almost every evening he is here and it is so nice to be outside and have a little break from the 4 walls of my room!
My sweet nurse and nursing assistant took me downstairs today and worked out a way for me to sit in my wheelchair in the sun for about 20 mins. It was wonderful and I needed that sunshine! That was literally the most time I had spent in the sunshine in 14 days!!!
14 days in...onto 32 weeks tomorrow!

Day 13: Ultrasound Time

Tuesday brought around the chance to see our Little Buddy again! He hid his face at first but then we did get a little view. In the picture he is actually looking straight at us with one arm under his chin and another one right beside his head!

He gave us the clearest picture of the ultrasound of his little leg and this cute little foot

He looks like a kicker like his Daddy already!

Most importantly, they checked and he has not changed position, so he is still head down and hopefully this still means no c section when the time comes for him to arrive. I was a little concerned he had flipped since he had been super wiggly over the past 2 days, but all is good!

My fluid levels had dropped a little from the ultrasound done last Friday but still above when I was first admitted to the hospital. My doctor said the levels are considered stable and still good so we were thankful for that good news too.

Little Buddy and I spent a little time this morning and again this afternoon and Brent got me into the sunshine downstairs for a few minutes early this morning before he had to leave for work.  I told him it was the most sun I had been in for 2 full weeks! We are 13 days in, that is including our admission late that Wednesday night. Just a couple more days and we will have made it to 32 weeks!!

Day 12: The Long Day

Today was Monday and it felt like a Monday...all day looonngg! One of the sweet nursing assistant warned me one of the first few days I was here that I was here longer that I might have a day like that. Today was that day. I just missed the girls today and just couldn't hardly believe that we are starting another full week of me being here and not with them. They are ready for a good week and thanks to our great extended family they are prayed for and we have the help we need for their care already scheduled every single minute this week. And for that I'm so thankful, though I surely do miss them!
I prayed all day to have the endurance and wait well through another week. I have had to trust and surrender my plans to Jesus for His plans for our family again. And again, He is faithful and with His help, I've almost made it through the longest Monday ever! Yep, I'm going to bed early tonight!
Two tidbits that encouraged me today:
One is a quote from Paul David Tripp in an article he wrote on suffering:
"The hope we have is more than a theological system or some wisdom principles for every day life. Our hope rests on the willing, faithful, powerful and loving presence of God with us. It is the ultimate gift of gifts to everyone who walks the harsh and bumpy road between birth (or in our case, waiting on birth) and eternity. God has given us no sweeter, more beautiful gift than the gift of Himself. He is the gift that changes everything."- Paul Tripp

Also there is a new Building 429 song that has been encouraging me daily. A portion of the chorus says:
"This isn't what I'd choose,
But it's where I'm finding You
When I'm broken and undone
Your mercy's just begun
You overcome my doubt
Your hands are reaching out
You hold me through the storm
And I will fear no more"
-Building 429 "Fear No More"

"Have not I commanded you be strong and of good courage, be not afraid, nor be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you, wherever you may go."- Joshua 1:9

Day 11: 31.5 Weeks

Sunday, April 14, 2019
Today was a rest day after the excitement and fun of celebrating our Allie!
We did reach 31.5 weeks this afternoon so that is a blessing. Though mostly a quiet day, I did have 2 pieces of good news:
First, though they won't check Little Buddy's actual growth for 2 more weeks, they did check mine today. According to the weight check, I have gained a little over 4 pounds in the 10 full days I've been here. We are hoping that all of that is going to Little Buddy and that he is putting on pounds and ounces continually!!
Also, I talked with the OB doctor on call today who is actually the same doctor who admitted late that 1st night I came in and they are counting from April 4, it being 10 full days since I came in. She stated that the 10 full days he has stayed in saves him around 30 days of time in the NICU!! So 10 full days in my tummy saves about a month of time in the NICU! That was such good news to hear!
Because Brent was here with me today, I even got to go outside in the wheelchair for a little while too. That always makes me feel a little better to be outside for even a few minutes! I'm so thankful when Brent is here, he always takes me outside each day for a little break from the hospital walls!
Thanking the Lord for another half-week gone by, a little rest and the good news we did get today!

Day 10: Celebrating Big Sister Allie with Little Brother

Saturday, April 13, 2019

 This little beauty turned TWO today. She and all her sisters got to come visit Little Brother and me today! It was so so good to see them and hug them all!

 I had no idea at all that we would be celebrating Allie's 2nd birthday in the same hospital on the same floor, just in a different spot on that same floor, as where she was born just two years ago quickly! Thankfully, her little brother decided to stay in today and celebrate from my tummy with us. They do have a small room with an outdoor porch in the area of the hospital where I am that can reserved for birthday parties and events. Having found myself in the hospital totally unexpectedly, it brought joy to me that we could still make Allie's day special for her and have cake and fun on her birthday together.

 Minnie Mouse is one of her favorites so I decided that would be easy and fun. Figuring out how to get a birthday cake to the hospital was interesting at first. I called two bakeries near the hospital that were booked up and then tried the 3rd bakery, Imaginary Cakes, on my list. She was booked also but when she heard why we were having a party at the hospital, she wanted to do the cake anyway. Down to the smallest detail this was a blessing: after we talked a few minutes she told me she had already made an extra set of Minnie/Mickey mouse ears for this week in case she needed them! I called on Saturday morning to talk about the pick up time and they even offered to deliver our cake to the hospital!! Allie loved her Minnie cake!

 We had yummy lemon cake

and drank Sierra Mist. After it's not every day turn 2!

 She played puzzles

 All the girls decorated Minnie mouse ears

 She loved her new kitchen set food that she got for her birthday!

It was a blessing to be able to celebrate Allie, in spite of being in the hospital, and a blessing that Little Buddy stayed put for another day too!

Day 9: Ultrasound Update

Today we reached 31 weeks and 1 day. We found out yesterday afternoon that we would be having ultrasound checks twice a week instead of just once. So this morning, we were headed to the ultrasound room again.
The ultrasound checks my fluid levels and Little Buddy's position. Little Buddy is still head down so hopefully, when he does decide to come that it will be without a c-section. My fluid levels had gone up slightly again from Tuesday. It was 5.1 and today is 6.3. This is important because it is better for Buddy and also as there is some fluid remaining it is more likely to predict that he may stay in there a little longer. So also if the fluid level starts to drop it may predict that he might try to come sooner. So we are so thankful that the fluid level was up even a little bit today.
We did get to see his sweet little face in profile, though he was trying to hide his face a bit this morning!

I was hoping they might check his growth this week, but when I asked the doctor she said that they usually wait about 3 weeks to check because babies have growth spurts and they don't want to check too soon and miss seeing one of those growth spurts. So they will check growth again in about 2 weeks.
So the next question, I was asked is "so, can you go home now?" Oh, how I wish that was the case!! Unfortunately, because my water actually broke there is no way that rupture reseals, so even though there is some fluid, there still decreased fluid from normal and there is still risk of infection for Little Buddy and me. So they are monitoring he and I throughout the day and even doing some checks throughout the night. Also because I have had babies very quickly before, I must be here. So, I will still be in the hospital until he arrives, which hopefully, since it is best for him, will not be for another approximately 3 weeks.

Please pray for Little Buddy that he will reach the 34 week mark, Lord willing, growing each day healthy and strong with no infection for he or I.
Please pray for me. It is hard to wait well. Buddy is doing well right now and that makes it harder for me to not be with the girls. Even though my mind knows he and I are in the safest place for him, my heart and the rest of me want to be able to be with our daughters. I miss them.
Please pray for Brent. He is doing a phenomenal job supporting me, going back and forth and helping with the girls and running a full time job still. Please pray for him as he continues over the next few weeks for strength, safety as he travels and endurance.
Please pray for our extended family as they pray, encourage and help us with the girls during these weeks. They are a blessing to us!
Please pray each of us will continue to trust Jesus day by day. The days are really long to us but God's perfect length for Little Buddy and his growth! We continue to praise God for His Faithfulness to our whole family and pray He would continue to get the glory for how only He can work out all these unexpected (to us) circumstances in all our lives in the days ahead.

"To Him who is able to do exceedingly abdundantly above all we ask or think, according to the power that works in us, to Him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus to all generations, forever and ever. Amen."
Ephesians 3:20

Day 8: 31 Weeks!!

We made it a full week with Little Buddy in my tummy! We are so thankful! The goal is to make it 3 more weeks to get him to 34 weeks before his arrival. Right now, he is waiting very well and we are praying that continues to wait and GROW! We do get to see him tomorrow morning by ultrasound. I found out that I will be having ultrasounds twice a week to keep a check on him so we consider a blessing to be able to see him in my tummy for a few minutes tomorrow! Please continue to pray that he continues to grow strong in my tummy and that we will be able to reach that 34 week mark before he arrives!

31 Weeks!

Day 7: 30 weeks and 6 days

Today was a quieter day for Little Buddy and me. He continues to have a strong heart rate when they check him on the monitor each time so that is great! We have almost made it a full week here and with him still in my tummy so each day we can keep him in they say is usually 3 less days he may have to stay in the NICU unit. So though the waiting seems long to our family, we are thankful that Little Buddy is waiting. He is doing exactly what we need him to be doing right now and so we wait in hope and thank God for each day that Little Buddy goes stronger in my tummy!

Day 6: Ultrasound Day!

 We found out late yesterday afternoon that they planned to do an ultrasound first thing this morning so that they could check his position in my tummy and make sure that he hadn't gone back to being breech. We were so pleased for a chance to see him by ultrasound and check on him. Ultrasound confirmed that he is NOT breech so that is an answer to prayer and we pray he continues to stay right where he is!

On Friday, he hid his face during the ultrasound and he did at first today, but then he turned just a little  and we got to see this precious little face! This was the first picture we got of him since his 18 week ultrasound.

 He showed us his little sweet foot too.

 We think that in this picture he looks a little like some of Rachel's baby pictures too.

We also saw him doing some practice breathing on the ultrasound as well so that was really great to see too.

It was such a gift to be able to see our Little Buddy today and see him doing well in my tummy. Just another day or so more and we will, Lord willing, reach 31 weeks!