The first few days at home

I wanted to share some photos of the past couple days we have been at home. It is very important to Micah and me that we not miss these important milestones with Charlotte because we are grieving. We want to document all these "firsts" with her and make memories, not look back on this time and have nothing to show her of the first days home.

We went to the Peditrician on Friday and she passed with a good bill of health. She is 4.12, an ounce passed her birth weight. The doctor was impressed! We had to get her blood tested for Ammonia levels, not fun for mom and dad to watch, but necessary. She had what the Geneticist at Texas Children's Hospital considers normal, but we still need to be diligent and watch her for any early warning signs that she might be having increased Ammonia levels. Needless to say Micah and I are watching her like a hawk.....trying to get some rest, but on our toes. So far she is eating beautifully, sleeping very well and doing everything that a typical baby does.

Everyone has been so kind to us - the food, flowers, help with household chores have really allowed us the time to bond with our baby girl and process the loss of our baby boy. Each day is getting a little better and concentrating on Charlotte's needs is definetly a welcomed distraction.



First ride in our "Mama-Roo"




Daddy and Charlotte cuddling



A visit from "Great Grandmother"

Not too happy about being in her carseat

Mitchell Beaux Hatley January 21st 2011 - January 27th 2011

Micah and I wanted to thank each and every one of you so very much for your support and prayers through this difficult time. We wanted to share that we are finding peace in the fact that Beaux is no longer in pain and was very much at peace at his time of passing. We wish we had the strength to return every phone call, email, post and message that you all have shared with us. Know that we feel the prayers and the ove that is being sent to us from all of you.

We wanted to share the tribute to Beaux that we put in our local newspaper:



http://obits.victoriaadvocate.com/obituaries/victoriaadvocate/obituary.aspx?n=mitchell-beaux-hatley&pid=148140224

PRAYERS NEEDED

The NICU has sort of a mantra that we have heard several times since our stay here:
 "A few steps forward a few steps back". Doctors, Nurses and Specialists have been using this phrase to give us warning that progress could change at any moment. Unfortunately, we really experienced that today.


Last night Micah and I finished up the 11:30 feeding around 1:00am and decided to go home to get some sleep until the 5:30am feeding. I desperately needed to sleep in my own bed and take a breather from the hospital for a bit. We got a phone call around 4:45am asking if we were on our way and that Beaux was really fussy and ready to eat. We got to the NICU and our sweet little calm baby was not happy. The nurses said that he had been irritated and crying off and on since his 2:30 feeding. I tried feeding him and he just cried the whole time....poor baby was really wearing himself out and exerting so much energy getting upset. Shortly after that his breathing became erratic and you could start to tell he really didn't feel well. To make a really long story short...after many tests (which included a spinal tap) and lots of back and forth discussions with the Doctors we have ruled out a ton of stuff, but still don't have an answer as to why he took this downfall. They started him back on IV meds, antibiotics and some oxygen....so back to square one.

We really need your positive thoughts and prayers right now for our sweet baby boy. He is such a little fighter, but he is tuckered out right now. Please pray for more good test results in the morning and for good rest throughout the night so he can gain his strength and energy back. Also, if you could say a little prayer for me and Micah for mental and emotional strength and courage during this process. We love our Doctors and Nurses and give thanks to them everyday for their patience, love and support while they work on our precious babies.

On a more positive note, Charlotte is doing great! She is going to have her last night in the NICU tonight. She will room in with us tomorrow and tomorrow night and if all goes well...she will get to go home on Thursday! I am so proud of her and am really excited for her to come home. It is bittersweet and we wish her brother was coming home too, but for right now home is the best place for her and the NICU is the best place for him.

Sweet Baby Beaux....go beaux go....

Four, Four and we got more (food that is)

Day #4 and we have made more progress! Both babies got off their IV meds, which makes holding them a lot easier. The Doctor moved up both of their feeding amounts to 35mL. That may not seem like a lot, but we started at 5mL as our goal, so we have come a long way! Charlotte got to make the move to an open bed and is doing great regulating her body temperature.

A funny first: Micah changed both of their diapers (actually his first diaper EVER unassisted) for the first time yesterday. Charlotte and Beaux both decided to continue going to the bathroom during their change - hitting Micah with a double whammy  - had to change clothes, bedding, etc. Great first experience!

I was officially discharged from the hospital as a patient. We are now what you call "borders". We get to stay in the hospital for free for 7 days since the babies are not released yet. It basically means we have access to a room and can come and go as we please. So some freedom, like we went home for lunch, but still a ton of time spent at the Hospital.

Finally got their pictures done with their "Just Born" stickers - 4 days old

Micah burping Beaux

Charlotte in her new bed

THREE DAYS OLD AND DOING GREAT!

It is hard to believe that these babies are only 3 days old. What a whirlwind of events, milestones and mini celebrations. We are still figuring out their quirks and personalities, but we feel as if we know them pretty well for only a few days!

There personalities in a nut shell:

Miss Charlotte:
She is a sleeper. She is pretty easy going most of the time, but lets you know what she wants when she wants it. She doesn't stay loud very long and is easy to soothe. Definitely takes her time and has many wrapped around her little finger (especially Daddy)

Mitchell "Beaux":
Loves to look around. Very active and squirmy - but hardly upset, only when being burped. Loves to take it all in and observe everything around him. Teeny tiny but very strong. He loves being near his sister and the nurses. Laid back and easy going! I think he is a bit of a flirt ;)

Charlotte's Bed

 **a major goal is to move out of their current beds "the isolates" and into an open bed. They have to be able to regulate their own body temperature before we make the move. Fingers crossed that they will do this in the next few days!

Beaux's Bed

A GLIMPSE INTO THE FIRST TWO DAYS

Charlotte - Day 1

 

 

 

Beaux - Day 1

 

 

 

 

 

First Family photo

 

 

 

Proud "Grandpa" - not sure what his official "grandparent" name will be yet...

 

 

Micah looking over Charlotte

The wonderful Dr. Gonzalez - our whole family just loves her and we are so appreciative of all her hard work and support.

 

Our "Celebration Dinner". The hospital provided new moms and dads with a "nice dinner" their first night as parents. I chose a burger and Micah had fried shrimp....don't be jealous!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Beaux's foot with my wedding ring on his big toe.

 

 

 

 

 

THEY ARE HERE!!!

January 22nd, 2011

Charlotte Elizabeth and Mitchell "Beaux" arrived yesterday morning at 7:47 and 7:48 respectively. It was an amazing experience for both me and Micah. The Operating Room was full of Nurses, Doctors and Specialists that all worked seamlessly to help bring our babies into this world. We went into the surgery at 7:30 and we were back in the room by 8:20! The babies went immediately into the Nursery and Micah and the grandparents all got to follow them into the NICU, where they washed them, weighed them and checked them all out. No pictures from right after the birth b/c of the amount of people working on the babies.

Here are some pics of our last night before parenthood and prepping for surgery:

Dinner out for the first and last time in a long time. I'm actually wearing real pants and makeup!

Before surgery...all smiles, but pretty nervous!

 I was able to finally get up and move around 7:00pm. First things first a shower...then off to meet the babies. I got to see them briefly after the C-Section, but not really a good angle and pretty drugged up. It was so exciting to see them for the first time and they were off oxygen so we could finally hold them.

It is hard to believe how small they both are, but they are PERFECT! I am sure all parents think that, but I am sure they are the cutest babies ever!! They have made tons of progress already:

*no more oxygen, breathing all on their own
*starting eating at the breast and bottle, every 3 hours. So we are pretty darn tired, but worth it when they start gaining weight.
*They are in incubators so they don't have to regulate their own body temperatures
*We dressed them for the first time. The Preemie size fits pretty well on Charlotte but still pretty loose on Beaux.
* Lots and lots rest for them so they can conserve their energy and get bigger

Charlotte and Beaux

Here is a picture of the babies for the night..I will send more tomorrow

DAY TWENTY FOUR

January 19, 2011

We are officially in count down mode! Only  1 day, 12 hours, 55 minutes and 46 seconds from right now! (I did not calculate this myself....there are some amazing "apps" out there)

I am excited, nervous, scared, anxious - basically every emotion you could possibly feel and it changes from minute to minute. Poor Micah, I think he thought that the emotional roller coaster was somewhat coming to an end...just getting started I'm afraid. One minute I am calm and relaxed and then the next minute I am a nut case wanting everything to be spic and span and just right. This whole "nesting" thing does not really work on "bedrest" but I am doing my best to stay put and be really nice about what I need (want) done. 


I am trying to spend this last day reading, sleeping and relaxing. Doing everything that I will not be able to do once the babies arrive. I wish I could be banking or storing all this sleep in a secret place and I could pull it out during those really difficult and sleep derived times. That would be a neat trick!


I never posted my thoughts about Bachelor: BORING....what a snooze fest this week. I think it is safe to say we are all tired of the movie/tv set dates, get some new material ABC. At least the Vampire left, even if it was on her own accord. I think we all deserved more of an explanation about the fangs...but don't you worry I am sure it will be addressed in the "Girls Tell All" special. I will be waiting on pins and needles.....

DAY TWENTY TWO

January 17th, 2011

How do you like the new look! My dear friend Carolyn jazzed it up for me. She is very talented and not only does she have her own blog,  http://lifeingraz.blogspot.com/,  she designs personal and business blogs alike. Did I mention she lives in Graz, Austria. Thanks Carolyn for making my blog so pretty!

So the news that most of you have been waiting for.......

We just got back from the Doctor and we will be having the babies on FRIDAY, JANUARY 21st!!!

The Growth Scan today showed that Baby Girl is 4.10lbs and Baby Boy is 3.13. Baby Boy gained 20oz! He did just what we had been hoping and praying for. The S/D ratio number was 3.5 - (still good) and Heart Rates looked great!  The combination of all these factors was great news for us and the babies. The only other thing that would of really made it great was if she released me from Bed Rest.....no such luck. Oh well, I have made it this far, what is 3 more days?

So we check in for the C-Section at 4:30am on Friday and they will start the surgery at 7:30am. So by the time Good Morning America starts we will have brought 2 beautiful babies into this world. ( Note: Due to the amount of television I have been watching I can only reference time by what is on TV)


Thanks again for all of your thoughts and prayers, it really is amazing to see the well wishes, positive thoughts and a whole lot of rest at work. Keep them up....Even though we can see the light at the end of the tunnel, there is still a lot of "unknowns".


Happy Bachelor watching and I will be back tomorrow with my thoughts....I am crossing my fingers that Michelle and The Vampire are gone tonight.

 

DAY NINETEEN AND TWENTY

January 15, 2011

Friday was pretty uneventful but I felt better so that was a plus. Today Brookes, Callie and Allison visited - they came to see the new house and to check on the patient. The bartender (a.k.a -Micah) kept their mimosa glasses filled (not callie or myself) and we had a great time talking about the upcoming labor and delivery - I think we probably shocked the pants off of Micah...poor thing! I was so glad to get advice from them, especially since they are all mothers! I got some good laughing in and as always time spent with good friends lifts my spirits.

Brookes, Me, Callie (due in feb) and Allison

Callie and I bumping bellies

Another pic that lifts my spirits and makes me laugh is the one you will find below:

This is Micah taking the stroller for a test run. He still needs a lot of work on his 3 point turns! He kept running into furniture and doorways....The babies are in for a wild ride!

No real news on the baby front. Just waiting until our appointment on Monday afternoon to find out our next step:

Option #1 - Growth Scan shows no growth and he is still under 10% percentile = C-Section Monday evening

Option #2 - Growth Scan shows some growth and he creeps above the 10% percentile = C-Section on Friday

Option #3 - Growth Scan shows that he doubled in weight and has grown a ton = C-Section re-scheduled for week 37

Until Monday.......unless something really exciting happens, I highly doubt it :)

DAY SIXTEEN & SEVENTEEN

January 13th, 2011

I apologize, another day with no post - here is a combo post for you today. You can probably bet if I don't post on a particular day it is because:

A. I feel like crap
B. I have NOTHING to report
C. The babies are here
D. The sheets from my bed have officially melted into my skin, therefore making it impossible to type.

The official reason for the lack of a post yesterday would be option A. Unfortunately, Micah and I had a rough night on Tuesday night. I spent most of yesterday sleeping and recuperating. Contractions started around 9:00pm and were coming every 10 minutes for a good hour or so. We decided to go into the hospital to get checked out. They monitored me for a about an hour and gave me medicine to stop the contractions. After the medicine kicked in and I was comfortable we were sent home. We got a little sleep and then it was time to go to the Doctor again. We were trying to get monitored for the babies heart rates and movement and I kept getting sick. Micah was trying to think quick and the only thing to get "sick in" in the room was the big red trashcan that says "NEEDLES ONLY" in huge writing....oops, sorry Mr. Bio Hazardous Waste Man.

 All in all, after some much needed rest, I feel much better today. Had a good night last night, with minimal contractions and we were both able to get some sleep. We went back to the Doctor this morning had the Doppler Scan and the S/D ratio was a 3.6 - a good number! So here is the "plan" as much as there can be one at this point. We will go back to the Doctor on Monday for a Growth Scan. If Baby Boy has not grown any or is still below the 10% percentile then we will have a C-section that evening. If Baby Boy has grown and is looking good then we will try to wait until Friday, January 21st for the scheduled C-section and for the babies to be 36 weeks. This is all assuming I don't go into labor naturally.

So the long of the short of it is that we will have babies some way, some how within the next 9 days!!!

I think I might have mentioned in an earlier post that I was trying not to watch a lot of TV during the day. I felt my time was better spent reading, sleeping, catching up on work, etc. I also find that sometimes watching TV makes the time pass slower and makes my days longer. Well, I have some what changed my mind after finding my new favorite daytime shows:

1. Police Woman of Memphis/Dallas on TLC

                                                      2. Dear Genevieve on HGTV

                                                                3. An oldie but goody.....What Not To Wear
                                                                                                                                          

At least those are the ones I am willing to admit to at this moment. There are a few others that are just awful. I can't believe the crap they put on TV......I can't believe I fallen into their trap!

DAY FIFTEEN

January 11th, 2011

Would be kind of neat to have the birthdate of 1/11/11....but probably not going to happen. Had a few contractions off and on, but nothing consistent.

I know on a day like today when it is cold outside everyone would rather stay in their warm and cozy bed....but I am sick of my bed. Sorry, but I am. This is how my day has gone today....sleep...eat....read....repeat.....

I might be sick of it, but there are some other members of our household that are loving life!




Bachelor update:

First of all, it is so nice to watch it with DVR - you can fast forward through commercials, rewind to see/hear the things that you didn't believe the first time you saw/heard them and Micah's all time favorite game "Is Madison (vampire girl) wearing her fangs or not". We still are not convinced they are real yet.

I was very frustrated that they spent so much time on Michelle and the fact that it was her Birthday and the stupid little "Manscaper" vs. "Waitress" fights that no one, I mean NO ONE, is mentioning that there is a vampire in the top 15....a VAMPIRE people!!!

Here is a picture that I took last night of the belly. We never did Maternity photos, so I wanted to get a few pics before it is over.

DAY THIRTEEN AND FOURTEEN

January 10th, 2011

Sorry I didn't blog yesterday. I know, I know you were all waiting on pins and needles!! Another busy day of watching everyone else do the work around here. My mom and Micah's mom and dad put the finishing touches on the Nursery, fixed some other stuff around the house and cleaned. Thank you again to Janie, Tony and TJ (and of course Micah) for all your hard work helping to make the house perfect for when the babies come home!

We just got back from a long trip to the Doctor. We had a S/D ratio and Ultrasound done. Both babies look good, good heart rates, good fluid level - but that Restriction number went up again to a 4.3.......uggghhhhhh
We had to wait a long time at the office today because the Doctor had to leave and go deliver a baby. Truthfully, I didn't mind all that much considering it meant I was out of bed and amongst the world. When the Doctor returned Micah and I both thought she might put me back in the hospital, but we were pleasantly surprised when she said I could go home again. Bedrest at home and she means it! So happy to be back in my warm bed on this cold night.

WARNING: For those that get grossed out by "women stuff" then don't read below

I was complaining to the Doctor that I have noticed a lot of pressure "down there". She checked me, as she routinely does, and I am 100% effaced! So basically which is going to come first - labor or scheduled C-section. We are still trying to buy some time with these little guys and each day gives them a little more time to grow and develop.

The only thing else to report is that we have another episode of Bachelor to cringe at tonight. I will be back tomorrow with my thoughts on this awful show and any more excited news from my bed.

DAY TWELVE

January 8th, 2011

The first night at home went well and it was so great to sleep in my own bed. I do have to admit it is harder to "bedrest" at home when there is a ton to be done to get ready for the babies, but I have behaved myself...I promise I have. How could I not when every time I make a move Micah asks "What are you doing?....Stay still!" He is the bedrest nazi and with good reason.

Today was full of preparing the nursery, not me necessarily, but Micah and his mom. They did an excellent job putting together the cribs, bedding and bassinets. I switched back and forth between the glider and the bed and tried my hardest not to "boss" or what Micah calls "being a General" too much. Here are some pics of the cribs. I love the way they turned out and I am so grateful that I was able to be home to be somewhat apart of it!

In action

Taking a break. Yes I let him take a few breaks, but only a few!

                                                                                          

The cribs together

Charlotte's Crib

Mitchell's "Beaux" crib

DAY ELEVEN

January 7th, 2011

HOME SWEET HOME!!!! That's right, I got to come home today! I am treating it like a weekend leave from the "base/prison/asylum". We go back to the Doctor on Monday, but until then I am free woman! It was great to get out, feel the sunshine and of course be home in my own comfy bed with all my things surrounding me.

The Doctor and Nurses have all told me a million times that this is still bedrest....just like the hospital. I plan on listening and cooperating 100% if it means getting to ride it out at home rather than the hospital. I will miss having the comfort of knowing someone is watching the babies on a monitor almost 24/7. The Nurses and Doctors were all so great - thanks again for all your help, advice, support and TLC. (lots of the nurses are now blog followers!)

Here are a few pics of us "moving out":

Night #10 - last night in the hospital bed....for now

It takes a lot to try to re-create the comforts of home :)

Good Bye my old friend, until next time!

On the way home from the hospital I was thinking of numbers for some reason and I thought of a few of the numbers that really surprised me once I started tallying them up:

11 - days in the Hospital

31 - number of suspect hospital meals brought to my room 

33 - trips that Micah took from home to hospital

77 - times I had my blood pressure and temperature taken

3  - the number that we wished and prayed for the S/D test so we could maybe go home

2 - really happy dogs now that we are all home

IVY on bedrest with me

SUGAR - in the chair right next to me

Tomorrow Micah is going to put the cribs together. I am planning on holding my tongue and watching from my bed. We'll see how this goes.....

DAY TEN

January 6th, 2011

Well I must say Day 10 has turned out to be a good day so far. I probably shouldn't even utter the words into the atmosphere, let alone type them out for all to see, but I can't help myself and have to share the good news -

I MIGHT MIGHT MIGHT get to go home tomorrow!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

We went to the Dr. this morning and the S/D ratio (which is that restriction number) we have been following went all the way down to a 2.6! Doctors and staff were all excited and beyond pleased with the progress that the babies have made over the last few days. We are going to monitor every 4 hours the rest of the day and night and if all goes well.....everyone knock on wood......we will be able to go home for the weekend. We will then go back to the Dr. on Monday for more monitoring and another Growth Scan.

Micah and I both found ourselves talking about going home and how excited we were, but we quickly had to remind ourselves not to get our hopes up. As we have learned in the last 10 days, things change around here within a matter of minutes. We have decided to remain "cautiously optimistic".

Last night my friend Rachel came by and surprised me with a pedicure! It was just like having a real one in the nail salon - she even asked me to "pick your color" and "you want pretty design?" (said with Asian accent). Thanks Rachel, it was so wonderful and much needed!

So this brings me to the humbling fact that Micah and I are surrounded by the greatest people on earth. We have had a continuous flow of visitors, surprises, treats, eats, drinks, support, comfort and prayers. We are truly blessed and can see everyone's prayers and thoughts really working! 

I will let you guys know if I get my walking papers tomorrow....until then, lets keep all fingers and toes crossed that these babies cooperate the rest of the day and night!

DAY NINE

 January 5th, 2010


Since I did not have much energy yesterday for the blogging world, I have a lot to fill you in on. A lot for my world that is....

First off, a hospital happenings update: I received the most worldly of possessions last night from my night Nurse, Kara. Wait for it.....wait for it.....its a ......REMOTE CONTROL!!!!!!!!!!

 This is the ONLY one on the Labor and Delivery floor. Since the other units in this hospital have flat screens and DVD players, it is essentially the only one of its kind in this whole hospital. This is really going to change my life in this room. Before I had crank my arm up around the bed rail and press this little TV button to change the channels. You can only change the channels forward, not backwards, so if you want to go back to a particular channel you had scroll through all the channels. So say I was on channel 42 and wanted to get to channel 3, I had to push the TV button 39 times to get there. Needless to say I wasn't watching much TV before hand.

Another exciting event that really cracked the Nurses up was that I received mail today. Courtesy of Lindog, I received two packages from Amazon. My day nurse, Amanda, came in and said in the time she has been here, she has never seen a patient get mail. I am officially a resident!

Inside were two books - both look to be really inspirational and I am excited to get started on them! Thanks Lin!

Secondly, a baby update: Not much has changed. The babies are cooperating on the monitors so I have just been on monitoring every 4 hours for the last few days now. The heart rates are looking good and they are moving around a lot. I get to go on a "field trip" tomorrow to the Dr. office and we will look at the Biophysical profile and restrictive flow again. Pray for a good number, it was a 4.5 last time, we want that number to either stay the same or better yet lower.

Yesterday we met with the Neonatalogist and had a really good conversation with her about what to expect from these babies when they are delivered. As she told us several times, it is really hard for them to predict what (if any) major struggles that they will be up against once they are delivered, but best to be prepared for what it could be like. Since they will be born before 37 weeks we have to look at their lung/respiratory functions and their feeding/eating/sucking skills. Those will most likely be the main things they struggle with at the beginning. So, basically we know that realistically our babies will spend some time in the NICU, how long is unpredictable at this point. Again, the longer they stay in the womb the shorter their stay should be in the NICU.


I also wanted to give a shout out to Micah (even though he told me not to). He has been so wonderful balancing the house, laundry, work and court all while making about a million trips back and forth to the hospital. Not an easy task and really stressful. I think he was hitting the wall yesterday, but after a much needed nap he was ready to rally. I could not ask for a better husband and father for our children - love you Micah (he is truly embarassed now)

Watching the Sugar Bowl from his rocker

DAY EIGHT

January 4th, 2011

 Oye Vey, Day Eight! Time has really stood still in the past 24 hours. Had a miserable night last night full of contractions, no sleep and lots of monitoring. Finally, got some sleep from about 10-12 this morning and felt a little more stable after a yummy lunch (thank you Kristi). I swear every person and their dog that works at this hospital decided to stop by today. Must be something about being a resident for one full week that peaks their interest. I had physical therapy twice today - I wish I had video for all of you of some of the stretches they were making me do, especially the "hiney clench". Whom ever came up with some of these stretches was not nor has ever been pregnant with twins.They would say things like "great job" and "only two more" - I felt like I was in a Saturday Night Live skit.

Off to bed, I am beat.....will update more tomorrow!

DAY SEVEN

January 3rd, 2011

I waited to "blog" today until I was officially off continuous monitoring. I have been on for 33 hours straight. I am finally off and don't have to go back on for another 4 hours! So I am sitting up in bed and typing away. Feels great! Okay...maybe not "great" but pretty darn good.

So I had a "field trip" today across the street to the Dr.'s office. The restriction number went back up to 4.5 - so that was a bummer, but there is still flow and they have been moving well all day so that is promising. I did get a treat to take with me today -some really great 3D pics of the babies (thanks Linda!). Micah and I had opted not to do the 3D ultrasound since we heard that they don't always turn out well and it is hard to get images with twins - but here is what we got today. (remember this is a picture of a picture so you might have to look at it a minute to figure it out)

BABY GIRL - look at the right side of the picture, you can see nose and lips and chin and that is her little hand by her face

BABY BOY - center of the picture you can see the eyes, nose and mouth

I could literally look at these a million times over again, can't wait to see the real thing!!


Fran, Micah and I had a "bachelor" watching party tonight. Those of you that know me well, know that I have not missed a season since this trash show started. I made a sick and twisted promise years ago that I would watch until ABC ended it....please ABC end it!!! It is like watching a train wreck, can't watch....but I have to watch. I can stand that they let Brad Womack back on and I refuse to feel sorry him and his "rough time" and "3 years of therapy". I know the girls all tend to be a little strange, but a vampire....really? It was extra torturous tonight because we didn't have DVR or TIVO to fast forward through the commercials - we had watch it the full 2 grueling hours, but hey what else to I have to do right? So here we embark on another season full of awkward hot tub moments, the thousand of times they will debate on "who is there for the right reason"and my all time favorite "I'm not here to make friends" girl fights.

Good night folks, off to sleep a few hours...on my side:)

DAY SIX

January 2nd, 2011

What a day.....started out pretty uneventful. Breakfast, visit from the Doctor, some TV, did some work on the computer. Pretty typical Sunday, aside from maybe taking a walk or going to the movies.

Cox and Tobin visited on the their way back from Rockport and things started to go South (literally) from there. I felt bad that their visit was cut somewhat short due to another deceleration in Baby Boy's heart rate. Shortly there after I started contracting. The Doctor on call ordered an ultrasound and for me to go back on 24 hour monitoring.....UGGGGGGHHHHHHHH

The ultrasound went well, other than the contractions. The gave me some medicine to stop the contractions and take the "edge" off. The medicine kicked in and things were tolerable again.

Ann and Stuart brought us a yummy dinner - chicken Ceasar salad, biscuits, brownies, tiramisu tart, baked apples....all delicious and much needed. After seeing how many ways food can be smothered in gravy it was refreshing to see some green on my plate. The Handleys' also came to visit and brought us some fresh fruit....another type of food that I have not literally laid eyes on in 6 days. I take that back I did spot 1/2 a banana on my first breakfast plate. Thank you so much to all my visitors and their wonderful and healthy food!

Fran and Rachel also dug into their cabinets and pulled out their VHS tapes for me....yes that is right folks, no DVD player in here, just a good ole VHS player. I am currently watching "She's Having a Baby"....appropriate don't you think.

And for the biggest news of the day.....drum roll please.......we moved rooms! The nurses kept telling me that if I wanted a change of scenery I could move down to the large room. Fran and Micah packed up my things and we made the move down to Room 232. It is a much bigger room and is a nice change....see the pictures of the move below:

new room - look how big!!

Nurse Jamie....one of the many great nurses here. We have been really blessed to have such great people taking care of us! They are so comforting and helpful and they never miss a beat. I really have enjoyed getting to know them and learn about their families. Similar to teaching, Nursing is a thankless profession - but I hope they know I am thankful for their hard work!

Micah packing up the cart for the move. I think he was even more excited than me about the change of scenery!

My "Michael Jackson" look for the shower (I have to have my hand wrapped so I don't get the IV wet)

Going to finish my movie, then off to try to get some rest. Babies have been pretty cooperative this evening so maybe I will get a little sleep. Night, Night!