29w4d – LONG POST - day 2 in the hospital and lots of new information!

NOTE – I’ve been writing this post since early this afternoon but haven’t been able to finish it since things kept happening all day. That’s why its so long because I kept having more to add! Here I am, just before midnight, FINALLY clicking 'publish"!

Hi Everyone! I got admitted yesterday morning and the time has actually flown by.
My room is just fine. I think a little smaller than last time but I’ve got a view of the mountains so that is very nice. The nurses here are great. Its like we all know each other already since I’ve been in and out of L&D a million times for various reasons since week 20.
This time is already much better than my last stay because:
1. I am not sick like last time and
2. I am not on 24 hour monitoring for each baby. Just twice a day now.

Four days of that 24 hour monitoring last time killed my skin on my belly and it made for an exhausting time. Luckily I got to take my IV out just a little bit ago. Thank Goodness! That IV gets old really fast!
I was so exhausted yesterday because I had not gotten much sleep the night before (Sunday night). I was kept awake by the itching! It is so frustrating when you’re exhausted but can’t fall asleep because of the itchy torture. There is no real relief. They checked my liver enzymes and bile salts etc. again yesterday and everything is fine – no danger. Just slightly elevated enough to make me itch and keep me from sleeping! I even took Ambien last night and was up for 3 hours after because I itched all over and the monitoring belt for the contractions monitor was killing my belly skin (I DO have to wear that one 24 hours – ugh). The skin on my belly is so irritated and bright red and there is nothing I can really do. Aaagh!
Anyhow, before being admitted I had my appointment with Lantry. I was shocked and she was pleased that I had gained 7 more pounds since I was last weighed! That is a total gain of 50 POUNDS so far! I really may actually catch up with Brian.
Then they measured my BP which was still great. It has been hanging around 110/70 since yesterday and she is really pleased with that too! She then said that I could go home for the night but then I’d have to come back the next day so DeVore could see me. I figured there was no point since I was already packed and it is so hard for me to get to and from the appointments in the first place. I decided to stay put – its only one extra night anyway.
After being admitted, it was nearly lunchtime and after that the day really flew. There seemed to be so much going on. Brian came and then my Mom came (with food, of course). In the evening when it was time for one of my twice a day monitoring sessions, the circus began. Just to try and get 15 minutes with all babies on the monitors at the same time, there were about 6 nurses in and out of here and no one could get all 3 to stay on the monitors long enough. After over an hour of trying the nursing supervisor tried for herself and got about 5 minutes and made an executive decision that it was enough. They would have gotten out the ultrasound machine and done BPPs for each baby (this would have been much faster and less painful for me) but Lantry was adamant that she specifically wanted the monitoring record and measurements of their reactive heartrates for 15 minutes minimum. These babies will NOT stay still for the monitors anymore and certainly not for that long. I was totally exhausted after that and so out of breath from being almost flat on my back for so long (I have to lay almost flat to be able to find baby A with a monitor – he/she sits so low).
After everything died down, I finished my dinner and then Brian went home. To my surprise, I DIDN’T CRY when he left. This may sound totally ridiculous to you but I hate when he leaves and I get all sad. I hate not sleeping in the same house with him and I feel so emotional when its alone time for the night. I really have no problem being alone but there's something about sleepy time that feels lonely without him. Especially here in the hospital. But, I did good. I didn’t want to cry because I didn’t want to go there yet.

I watched some TV and then decided to call on my old friend, Ambien. I figured, it would help with my unbearable nighttime itching and I would finally get some sleep. Here’s how that went:

10pm – take Ambien and giddily prepare to pass out. I was so excited about actually being able to fall asleep that I was smiling as I lay in bed.
10:10pm – call Brian and say goodnight. Better make it short though, b/c I am going to pass out ANY MINUTE NOW.
10:30pm – close my eyes. I am SO EXCITED.
10:40pm – itching starts to get crazy. That’s ok. I am going to pass out any second now.
11:15pm – ITCHING ITCHING ITCHING. GOD HELP ME.
11:20pm – get out of bed to pee. I better hurry though because I really am going to fall asleep any second now. Scratch. Scratch.
11:45pm – dammit.
12:00am – You’ve GOT TO BE KIDDING ME.
12:15pm – nurse comes in to mess with me and check stuff. I am scratching the top layer of skin off. She asks why I am not sleeping. Grr. Continue scratching and trying to focus on feeling good and praying that God will MAKE IT STOP.
1:00am – give up on sleeping. Begin to wonder if the Ambien was even REAL. It was probably a placebo. Grr.
2:00am – stop looking at the clock because it only frustrates me.

Bottom line, I didn’t get much sleep last night and I didn’t get a nap today. I tried but I just couldn’t sleep!

Lantry stopped by this afternoon and said that she sees me going to 33 weeks, which is just over 3 weeks from now. That puts us at a few days before Christmas. She says that the babies look good and big and I am still looking great and that these contractions are not concerning her. In fact, she said that if they get worse she will NOT give me Terbutaline or Magnesium Sulfate to try and stop them. She said that from here on out if I go into labor or my water breaks, she is not going to do anything to stop it. She feels that confident. I am glad she feels so good, but I still hope they stay cooking for a few more weeks! She is just so pleased at my BP, my weight gain, the lab results and everything else that she can see. She said that she saw no reason to keep me (can you believe it) and that unless DeVore sees a reason to keep me, she’ll send me home again for 2 weeks. What??? That left my cervical measurement and the growth ultrasound with DeVore. I had my fingers crossed that both of these would be great and that I could go home.

Later on my daddy came straight from work to visit and then my mom came with dinner for me and Brian. Brian came shortly after and we ate lots of yummy food. Of course DeVore showed up while I was eating dinner so we scrambled to clean up and get scanned. The babies look great!
And now for the good stuff…
DeVore says that Baby A is in the average range for growth and that B & C are growing a bit above average. This is good news!
Also, DeVore was finally able to determine the sex of baby A! Here are everyone’s stats:

Baby A – It’s a GIRL!
Approximate weight: 2lbs 12 oz.
He said that it is likely that she weighs more but since her head is in such a funky position, he couldn’t get her measurement exactly. He’s not concerned with the difference in weight. That was a relief to me.
She is laying transverse across the bottom, with her head at my right side. She is VERY LOW now. The boys are standing on their heads on top of her! Poor thing is holding those guys up!

Baby B – BOY
Approximate weight: 3lbs 15 oz.
He is the bruiser! He is lying vertex on my right side with his head on Baby A’s head. He’s the one that pokes out the most with his butt.

Baby C – BOY
Approximate weight: 3lbs 10 oz.
This is the ‘tall’ one. His legs are measuring longer than the other 2 and have been for a while now. That must be why I feel him kick the hardest! He is lying vertex on my left side with his head at baby A’s feet.

Isn’t it funny how they’re already so different???

I tell ya, when my mom heard that baby A was a girl, she was beside herself! I’ve never seen her so giddy! She was really hoping for a mix and she got it! She wasn’t even expecting to be here when I got scanned (she’s usually at the gym that time of night) so just the surprise treat of getting to see the ultrasound AND finding out the sex of baby A was just too exciting. Too bad my dad missed it. He had to leave for his Tuesday night men’s bible study right before DeVore showed up. Sorry Daddy!

So that’s the good news. The bad news is that my cervix has shortened to 1.5cm with a bit of funneling. So its official…DeVore says I am here to stay. That’s OK. I can do this for another few weeks. I gotta keep growing these babies and if the hospital is the best place to finish the job then I am up for it. I may actually get some sleep in the next couple of days. Let’s hope…I am EXHAUSTED!

******
I just got back from an impromptu tour of the NICU. Earlier, I asked when I would be able to check it out and my nurse came back with a wheelchair and said “let’s go!” I was not prepared for what I saw. I was not expecting to start crying up there. But it suddenly became so real. I don’t know. I just fell apart seeing those warmers and isolettes and the tiny babies in them. It was overwhelming. The staff was so nice and responded so warmly to my meltdown. They were so kind and didn’t make me feel like a blubbering idiot for BAWLING. And I was seriously bawling. I feel confident that my babies will be well taken care of for the duration of their stay there. They really helped to set my mind at ease. But the tears had already started and you know how that it sometimes. Its like a valve that won’t shut. So of course when I got back to my room I called Brian and sobbed on the phone with him. I am fine now. Just a little emotional and weepy. But I am excited too. I am so excited to see my babies. It is so close now, I can’t even believe it! I already love them so much and I can’t wait to hold them! And now knowing the sex of all 3 somehow makes it more real and exciting for me!
OK…This post is long enough. I’ll post more tomorrow. Thanks for reading and for your prayers and comments. They really help and all of your prayers count so don’t stop!

Much love,
Cindy