Day 11...doing well

I can't believe it is already Friday and I've almost been here two weeks already. Guess it doesn't seem like it when you are drugged and out of it the first week, huh? :) Well, today is starting off being another good one to add to the books and mark off my calendar (Countdown calendar for baby's arrival). This is good news. Each day she continues to incubate is supposedly 3 less days in the NICU. So we are literally taking it day by day. But we are starting a positive trend in the right direction now. :)
Brett was up here for a few hours last night to have dinner with me and hang out. He got to hear the baby on the monitor again. It is always reassuring to hear her strong heartbeat. And he got a free dinner. My favorite nurses gave us some "Splash of Sunshine" gift cards for hospital cafe's etc. That was nice of them. I guess new mothers get to order a special dinner after they deliver (ie, lobster tail, cheesecake, etc.). The nurses were going to mention to the CEO of the hospital to come talk to me so I could see if we could have a celebratory dinner each week we hit another milestone. Goal now is week 29 on Tuesday. :) That sounds like a fair trade don't you think, since we will be paying them plenty as it is. :)
Brett has been busy taking his nephew to preschool, doing my laundry, holding the fort down at home, and taking care of me. He'll probably be up later to have dinner with me.
For those of you that want to visit, I just ask that you call and let me know when you want to visit, so that I can space out visitors.
More tomorrow...

Day 10 in hospital

Today is starting out to be another stable day which is great!! I am only having 1-2 contractions per hour. Baby is doing well on the non-stress tests (NST) with regular heartbeat and appropriate escalations in heartrate. I think they might have figured out the right doses to keep the contractions under control. :) At least I hope. Dr. came in already today and is ordering an ultrasound next Tuesday with the perinatalogist (high risk doctor that sent me to the hospital) to check my cervical length and measure the growth of the baby. That excites me because it will be a longer ultrasound again when they do measurements...and I love to see this baby girl on the ultrasounds. It is just so reassuring to me.
Friends have been to visit and made a "countdown calendar" that I mark off each day we keep this baby incubating, delivered flowers, gave me an adorable "Moses Basket", brought treats, dinner, guardian angels, etc. They have all brightened my room. Every nurse or doctor that comes in comments on all the pictures, goodies, and how good it smells in here. :) So a big thanks to all of you...and especially my mother and husband!!
Today I've got some great, hilarious nurses in charge of me and come to visit often to tell me jokes and just check on me. Some of these nurses are going to become like family to me...I can tell already. I have had multiple nurses come back to visit me, despite not being assigned to me which has been great! (I really am a funny person...not the trouble patient...when I'm not all drugged and mag'd out.) :)
That's about all going on this morning. I'll update more later.
Love...Shawna

Day 9 in hospital

Well, we have made it through another night, to Week 28, and I'm hoping for a couple "stable" days in a row. Monday was my first stable day. I was hoping yesterday was going to be also, but they ended up sending me back to labor and delivery b/c I was having contractions again. We think it was due to a change in meds and needing a higher dose. So after the close monitoring and increased meds, i'm back to my room on Women's Care.
My mom was here for a few days and helped get me settled in with what I need and calmed me down after a roughweek. But I was exhausted when she left...lots of talking, pedicures, laughing, watching the Bachelor...can wear one out. (smile) Mom headed back yesterday exhausted herself.
Brett has been busy gtting me tings I need, taking his nephew to presho and chasing our dogs. We are going to work on falling into some sort of routine. It has been hard to do when we haven't had 2 stable days.
The great news is that our baby girl is doing well and still incubating...every day helps!
Shawna and Brett

My Mother-inlaw is here

Today is Sunday. My wonderful mother-in law is here all the way from Bowling Green KY.
She has decorated shawnas room with photos of our family all over the room. Shawn has received a pedicure from her mother and plucked Chin hairs. My mom and Jim are coming to visit. My Brother and Jen and the boys are going to bring bbq for dinner. We will post soon

hospital update

it has been a tough week in general. Our baby is still in womb and doing well, but i have had some real ups and downs. Let me just say that bedrest is NOT restful!!! I have had some rapid heart rates and cardiologist has been involved. No sure if med reated, bu it continues to be monitored and medicated. Side effects of meds have been horrible...debilitating...so I asked for no visitors until we figure some things out. Sorry. Thank you for your prayers, calls, and wanting to visit, but please give me time to stabilize. I have been moved to another room and baby and contractions are monitored but not 24 hours a day. This is good news! Now I just need my body to adjust to meds and trauma. I'll update asI feel up to it. My mom is comig to visit for a couple days. Hugs, love, and faith! Shawna

Day 2 in hospital

Well, as Brett posted last night, I have been admitted to the hospital due cervix length being full thinned out and having contractions. I did not realize I was having them until the specialist pointed them out on the ultrasound. Luckily, it was all caught in time. I have taken steroid shots to help the baby develop. those should start helping by tomorrow. I am on an IV w/ magnesium med to stop/calm my uterus. things have calmed, but not stopped completely. I am considered stable at this point though.
Funny story (now anyway)...themagnesium meds make me feel horrible (headaches, hot flashes, blurred vision, sleeplessness, vomitting...kind of like a bad drunk or flu). Anyway, I was talking to my friend Anne this morning about all of this. She has experienced it and asked if I was vomiting yet? No...then I dry heaved...then told her I had to go throw up...which I did immediately. The funny part was meeting my doctor for the day (the rotate daily on-call) as I was sitting in a chair (because I was not able to stand like I thought I could)...having already been stripped of my lovely hospital gown due to all the vomit...the doctor walks in and asks how i'm doing. Hee hee! and I even recycled my pills I had thrown up. They stayed down the 2nd time. (Hope you were not eating hen you read this.)
Due to those side effects they reduced my ma dose...and I'm having some more contractions, but they are being controlled and closely monitored at this point.
Today was a day to just recoop. I've answered the phone when I feel up to it, but no visitors except Brett to bring me some goodies and drinks for my dry mouth. Thanks to my nephew, Jacob, I made it throughlst night on the pepermint he left me
If you want to call, the hospital # is 970-495-8300 and ask for me.
Write more tomorrow. Hugs, love, and hope! :)
Shawna

Inaugeration Day,

With history being made, Our lives have changed also. Shawna has takin up residency at Poudre Valley Hospital. When to our bi-weekley check up and shawna's cevix has thined out to much and the doctor sent her to the hospital for a longer period of time. She will be monitored until our baby shows up.

We will keep posting
Thanks
Brett and Shawna