Happy 1st Birthday, Dorothy Grace!

Today is a sad day for us as we remember Alyssa's big sister. Dorothy Grace would be celebrating her first birthday today. Even though we never got to meet her face to face, she will always be a part of our family, and we miss her.

Exhausted

Sorry it has been so long since an update. I have been busy playing nurse. Jeff has been really sick, requiring a trip to the ER for a high fever last Thursday. He has the same thing I had before Christmas. He is still feeling awful, but he's on the road to recovery now. His cough is improving enough that he actually slept for a 3-hour period without waking up last night. (I, on the other hand, was awake every hour to go to the bathroom!) :)

My shower at school last Wednesday was SO much fun! I was really overwhelmed with all of the awesome gifts, and it was really neat to spend that time with everyone.

Since our house has been a quarantine zone, no one has been able to visit and see our gifts yet, and I haven't had time to write thank-yous or put things away yet, so our living room is full of gift bags full of presents right now. It looks like Christmas! (Come to think of it, there is still a Christmas tree out there too.) :) Grandma and Grandpa Cook are coming over this weekend to help do some work on Alyssa's room and get things organized.

Since the fFN test was negative, the doctor is letting me keep working, but I have been strictly ordered to rest. I said to the nurse "He said to just rest when I can, right?" and she said "NO!...he said to rest AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE!" I thought that would be difficult, but I'm SO tired right now that it's not hard at all! I even lie down on the couch at work for 15 minutes or so every day during my lunch break. I have never been able to nap much during the day, but right now I feel like I could take a nap anytime, anywhere! :)

All clear!

Just a quick update because I'm still at work...the test was negative, so everything is okay for now. I'll write more later.

Early Arrival?

We saw the doctor today. Since I have been having so many contractions and they have been coming regularly at times, he did a test to check for a chemical called fetal fibronectin (fFN). From my understanding, it's a chemical found in the "glue" that holds the baby's sac to the wall of the uterus. If the chemical shows up in the test, then it means that the "glue" is beginning to break down early, and I have a significant risk of delivering Alyssa in the next 1-2 weeks. That wouldn't be good news this early. I would have to have some sort of treatment, such as stopping work, bedrest, medication to stop the contractions, and/or steroids to mature Alyssa's lungs. None of those things makes an ideal situation right now, so we're certainly praying for a negative test! The good news is that is the test is negative, then the risk of delivering soon is VERY low, and all I have to do is stay off my feet as much as possible. He said that I might be having and feeling more contractions just because Alyssa is so big.

As for the issue of Alyssa's size, I'm still measuring ahead of schedule, but I'm actually measuring two weeks smaller than I was at my last appointment (34 weeks) since Alyssa is dropping. It's still something they want to watch, so I will have an ultrasound in two weeks at my next appointment (assuming the fFN test is negative). The doctor said if she is still looking big, he will be more likely to induce me a bit early or, if my cervix isn't cooperating, to do a scheduled C-section. I have mixed feelings about that last option, but we (hopefully!) have a while before that choice will have to be made.

I'll post a quick update with the test results as soon as I can.

Not all fun and games...

7 1/2 weeks until our due date, and we're counting down. :) I LOVE having Alyssa inside me, and I will really miss having that bond with her, but I'm getting very uncomfortable. Staying hydrated is a constant struggle, and my contractions are almost all the painful kind now. On the 31st, I had contractions every 30 minutes all day long, and they hurt. Thankfully, they stopped, and I am not getting them so regularly anymore. The smallest tasks are getting more difficult now. There are times that standing, walking, getting in and out of the car, bending over, and even rolling over in bed can be really challenging. :) I have to laugh about it or I'd be miserable!!! It's funny to think that THIS is what I have waited and prayed for for so long. Women (myself included) choose to go through this ON PURPOSE??? :) No one tells you about the yucky parts of pregnancy. (I guess if they did, no one would want to get pregnant!) :) In the end, though, it will be more than worth it, which I'm sure is why no one feels the need to mention the unpleasant parts very often.

Alyssa is very active right now. As soon as she hears Jeff or me talk (or cough or sneeze) in the morning, she wakes up and starts dancing. I wish I could see her and know exactly what she's doing and which part of her body is making that big bump on the side of my belly. :) I had another dream the other night that Alyssa kicked her little foot out (though this time she put it out through the right place instead of directly through my belly). This time, Jeff took her foot and pulled her right out. :)

My baby shower at work is this week, and I'm SO excited!!! I have been waiting for this for what feels like forever! It will be so fun to celebrate with my friends. As much as I'm excited to spend every minute I can with Alyssa when she's born, I already feel a little sad that I won't see my work friends every day for at least 5 months. I work in a great place with awesome people.