Holy Crap

I am assuming this is spreading like wildfire, but being closest to the situation and for sure going to be rather bored soon...I thought I would send the latest news.

You may have heard that yesterday at 29 weeks (almost 7 1/2 months for you non-prego people) my water broke. Apparently, Pumkin is a little antsy about making a big debut.

Scared out of our minds...but not even sure what had happened, I called the clinic and they hesitantly told me that I was probably having bladder leakage. Less than an hour later it is confirmed as amniotic fluid. Yes, my water broke...which never even happened with Greyson.

Due to how early I was, Borgess couldn't keep me, they only want 32 week plus babies due to facilities. They were concerned about the contractions that I was having regularly, every 3 minutes. They gave me something to slow them/stop them as I was transported to Specturm Health in Grand Rapids. Bronson, which also has a NICU was full and not accepting anyone who had possibility of delivering quickly. At that point, that was me.

Took a quick ride to GR, got to labor and delivery, they did all sorts of monitoring and lab tests, gave me shots of steroids to mature baby's lungs, and administered antibiotics.

Here is what I know, which may be review, depending on who you talk to:

Baby is stable, I am stable, it is possible from what I have heard for me to hang out here for another 5 weeks being on bed rest and monitored and still have an early, but healthy baby
I am here. I will not be going home, until the baby is delivered, which we don't know when will happen, ideally, in 5 weeks, which is what they are looking at as far as a goal
I was having contractions, regularly, but they stopped. They made no progress in terms of getting ready for delivery...cervix is closed, not dilated.
Baby is healthy and reacting healthily as possible to the stress he/she has been thru. Heartbeat stayed very healthy all of my contractions petered out and I am having none now. Which is good.
I was diagnosed with gestational diabetes and initially will be having insulin injections due to high blood sugar levels due to the steriod that was given to the baby to help lungs develop
Every day, week, etc. that I am here, the better for baby. So I am here chilling out, but with all that time on my hands, will have way too much time to think. Had a hecl of a time sleeping last night.

I have wireless internet and will most likely use that as a main form of communication, becuase I can't use my cell and other wise have to pay for the calls on top of how much this is going to cost. I will have my laptop sometime today and I am in room 4409, 616-391-7323. I know it is not convenient to drop by, but I am sure some people will be making at least weekly treks, so if you have read a good book lately send it with them or any low carb or high protien snacks, I have a fridge in here...:)

On the homefront, things are going to be chaotic. Brian is going to for all intents and purposes be a single dad and he will be needing as much help and support that he can get. We love Greyson to death, but he has been quite challenging so recently. I am asking for any help that you can give him. I haven't even had the chance to start my after baby meals that I had planned on doing, I thought I had time!

So if you have time to give him some relief in the form of food, time, entertainment, whatever, he won't ask for it. So I am.

I will be updating as best I can. Here is the link to the blog that I have created for baby pumkin young if you want to follow. Emails and calls are more than welcome...boredom strikes! www.babyyoungblog.blogspot.com

Take Care/Love,

Christi and Pumkin

Got my 3 hour results..

I flunked. Although this is nothing compared to the next blog that you may have read the email about already..

Waiting....

So I made it thru the 3 hour test...it sucked as per usual. Four vein pricks makes one look like an IV drug user. Not so good for the prego. I did bring a book, which I highly recommend to anyone who might have to endure this toruture. Now, the torture continues....waitint g for the results. Test was Monday.

29 Weeks...what's happening inside

You are 29 weeks pregnant. (fetal age 27 weeks)
(This picture is not pumkin, but another 29 week old baby)

• Your baby now weighs about 2 and a half pounds (1150gm)
  and is about 15 inches (38.5cm) long from head to heel.
• Brain is busy developing billions of neurons.
• Baby's muscles and lungs are continuing to mature.
• The fetus can taste and respond to pain.
• The milk teeth have developed under the gums.

The baby's head is growing bigger to accommodate the brain, which is busy developing billions of neurons. The eyes can move in their sockets. They may be able to follow a blinking light. As well as your baby's increasing sensitivity to changes in light, they may also be able to taste. Various studies show that your baby may indicate preferences or dislike for particular tastes at this stage.

Baby is also moving from side to side, but probably still is head up. In the next few weeks, they will move to the head down birthing position. At times you may feel as if baby is performing somersaults for an olympic gold medal. Baby may be performing fewer movements because living conditions in the womb are becoming more cramped. The baby is still doing a lot of kicking and stretching. Some of your baby's kicks and punches may even take your breath away.

Baby hears things better from the vibrations all around, and can now distinguish real sounds and voices. Do not forget to continue to 'teach' your baby in the womb by exposing them to music, literature, and simply talking to them. At this stage baby eyes are almost always blue and can distinguish bright sunlight or artificial light through the uterine wall.

At week twenty nine, your baby measures about 11 inches (28 cm) from crown to rump, or a total length of about 15 inches (38cm) from head to heel, and weighs about 2.5 pounds (1150gm

Registering...

No, I do not expect a shower.... BUT, I was at Babies R Us, oggling baby goodies, trying to remember what I actually will need new and price it out. I run into the most helpful, overly excited about babies guy that I have ever met. Guess it helps to be that way if you are working in a baby "superstore".

He tells the budget concious (aka cheap) Christi that even if no one buys anything off it, once the baby is born I can get a 10 or 15% off coupon to buy anything that is on it. Cha-ching. So excited about that.

I have been eyeing strollers, as it is the only big thing I think I will need. I have fantastic one that I love, but the problem is only one seat. Greyson is getting so big, but not quite big enough to walk independently, especially if I am going ga ga over new baby. So I found this cool one that I have been looking at that has a big boy seat in the back and a baby seat in the front. Perfect right? Well, BRU has the "deluxe" edition of this, which I now think I want. It is $20 more and can convert from a big boy seat to a baby seat, so I have 2 real seats.

3 hour test and 29 week appointment

So, after breaking down in the dr's office, I made an appointment that will be during my 3 hours of torture. I will also be in the same area as my favorite ultrasound tech in the world. I needless to say will be having something to say.

I guess the positive side is, if I do have diabetes, I will be getting another ultrasound with Connie.

So I will have more updates on baby next week, should I actually get in to see the dr.

Hot Hormonal Mess...

Let me preface this by saying, don't mess with a pregant lady....

So I showed up for my 10:40am dr appointment at 10:25, killed time outside until 10:30, as my dr, who I love, is always running a little late. I checked in at 10:30ish and preceeded to do my lab stuff (i.e. pee in cup). I sat back down in the waiting room. I read a magazine, then looked at the clock. 11:00am....

I continued to wait. The lady at the desk called to see how long it would be to get me back. I read a second magazine. My back starts hurting from sitting. 11:15...

During this time, the one person who was there when I got there AND the other 5 who came after me have all been seen and some have left. Couple that with a girl who just had her 20 week ultrasound at the office (where I wanted to and griped about in a previous post) has about 15, no joke, pictures. She is happily looking thru them, I remember the one alien baby shot that I got. I see a beautiful 3-d pic of her little girl...feel the tears welling up.

She calls back again, they can see me in a "few seconds". 11:30, still waiting. I ask to be rescheduled when I go up and they say she can take me back now, but I won't get seen until after 12:00pm.

This is when the hormonal meltdown occurs. I just wanted to know if there was any more info that the dr had about my sugar test results. The let me talk to a nurse, in tears, about my test. I of course got no more info than I did last time I talked to her. They ask me if I want to see another provider now. I am so fed up and crying at this point that I tell them "I just want to go home" when I know I have to go to work....

This would be my second official hormonal meltdown of the pregnancy!