Hallelujah!

THAT was the longest 2 1/2 weeks of my life. No e-mail. No blogs. No instant connection to my "blogosphere." Finally, with the help of a not-so-helpful data security department, Patrick was able to get the whole internet connection via work thing figured out and I'm back up and running. I feel like a kid in a candy store, I don't even know where to begin. But, if something should happen again, please be patient (this is mainly a note to myself!) and I'll be updating as soon as I can. The verdict on our home computer is not good right now, so we are going to get a second opinion, or have to buy a new one. So, no picture updates for a while, sorry.

Even though it's been a couple of weeks... there really isn't much to update you on. Bedrest is bedrest, and it pretty much blows goats. I try to nap, I read, I watch tv and I watch movies. And that's about it. For the sake of my back and hips, I have to get up and move around, so am naughty and still do a bit of laundry and such now and again. Don't even think about chastising me until you spend over 2 weeks laying around doing nothing! I'm trying to "enjoy" some time alone before the chaos of adding another child to our family begins. So I stop and listen to the quiet and take a bath now and again to remind myself of the simple things that I may not be able to do soon. But it is very hard to say goodbye to my husband and little girl every morning - I miss them terribly during the day and would much rather have them here with me.

Let's see... I had my 35 week doc appointment on June 30th. I had lost 1 lb. since the previous week, my belly still measured at 34 cm and my blood pressure was good. The doctor did not check me as his philosophy right now is to "leave well enough alone." I had not been having regular contractions and he's going to hold off checking to see what I'm dilated to until 37 weeks. Oh - and he gave me the option to decide whether I wanted to stay on the Terbutaline until 37 weeks, as well. Which I did decide to do to give baby the best shot at being able to latch on so we can successfully breastfeed, since Josie was not able to.

And I made it to 36 weeks! Yahoo! I had my check-up last Friday, blood pressure was 112/66, my weight was up 3 lbs. since the previous week and belly measured right on 36 cm. So far, so good. I was feeling some regular contractions before I got out of bed that morning, and had also felt a bit crampy on the 4th of July, so was a bit anxious as I waited to see my doctor, but all is well. I will be going off the meds this Thursday, and will have another doc check that day, too. And this time, he will check my cervix to see if anything is going on "down there." So... my nerves are a little rattled as we approach the big day. It's hard looking ahead to the next few weeks - and days - and not know what to expect! Although, we, or at least, I, am feeling ready. We're very excited to meet our new little one!

Miss Josie has been doing very well through all this. She's had a great time hamming it up with some of my family that has been able to come up and spend time with us during this fiasco. We're being challenged by her every day, and seeing new facets of her personality all the time. She is such a big girl now. She's sitting in a booster chair and loves to be at the table with us, and is getting pretty good at using a spoon and fork to feed herself. She loves to dance, and still relishes any time she can spend playing outside. Of course, along with that, the tantrums at having to come back inside have intensified, but we're trying our best to hold strong and ignore the fits. She's a riot running around the house yelling "go, go, go!" and has gotten good at putting books and toys away when we ask her to - most of the time. Still waiting for her to start using more words so we can understand what it is she's trying to tell us she wants, which usually ends up in a fit because we just don't get what she's pointing at and whining about :) The highlight of my day is hearing Daddy and Josie walk in the door and to see her run across the kitchen yelling "Mommom" coming to give me a hug. I could just eat her up.

That's probably enough for now. I'll do my best to keep the updates coming. Thank you all so much for your support and to all of you who have called, sent flowers, sent messages or stopped by.

Oh - and no, we do not have a name picked out yet. Sore subject. Perhaps we'll pass a street sign or something on the way to the hospital and be inspired with the perfect name. *sigh* :)

Love and miss you all terribly. Later - Carol