Monday, July 24, 2017

(32) Two weeks to go.....



I’m up bright and early as usual, because I have two little alarm clocks.  One kicks my ribs while the other punches my bladder.  Somehow, this wakes me up every time.  They’re getting ready to be born, since both have been “head down” for a few weeks now.  Their positions don’t matter though, since my little passengers are scheduled to disembark by cesarean two weeks from today.  Woot woot!  

My usual daily routine is a little different today, since I have to prepare for the COLD and ICY weather outside!  The roads are icy too, which makes me nervous because we live in a hilly area.  Our daughter Kaela decided to drive home from Corvallis for the weekend, and her driving in these conditions makes me even more nervous.  Nonetheless, I dutifully prepare for my 11am doctor appointment.  My “Pee” tank is ready to go, in a large paper bag.  Poor Tom is going to have to carry that when we get there.  I have enough extra poundage to carry…. Sorry Tom.  As we make our way to the doctor’s office, I get even more nervous about Kaela driving home.  The roads are definitely not ideal.  Luckily, Tom grew up in Minnesota, so he handled it like a pro.  Fingers crossed for Kaela.

When I first get to the office, I supply them with a fresh pee sample as usual.  But it sure seems redundant since I just handed them a gallon of my pee!  Then Tom and I head back for an ultrasound.  Tom really likes getting to be there for these.  I haven’t counted how many ultrasounds I’ve had, but I’ve had a lot!  After seeing the little guys again (they’re pretty crowded in there!), we see Dr. Winkler.  He’s a little concerned with my elevated blood pressure, so he decides that today they will take out my pessary and do the Beta Strep Culture.  This doesn’t sound fun, but what choice do I have?  Everyone leaves the room so I can undress, oh boy.  Dr. Winkler reappears with his nurse, and like the veteran that he is, the pessary is out within a second.   Then he informs me that he is sending me to the hospital to be monitored.  He says it’s routine -- nothing to worry about -- but when you are carrying multiples, you can never be too careful. 

So Tom and I head over to Legacy Emanuel.  The roads are a little better, but when we get to the parking garage, it is an ice rink!  The only parking available is at the very top, where the worst ice is.  As Tom and I are walking to the elevator, I almost fall on some slippery ice.  Let me tell you, this is really scary even when not pregnant.  I am so rattled that my first stop in the hospital is the security desk.  They take one look at me, listen to my story, and are immediately on the phone to have the ice situation taken care of.


Dr. Winkler phoned ahead so they already had a room prepared for me.  It’s now about 1pm so I decide I should let Holly and Darren know what is going on.  Instead of calling, I send a text (that is what we do nowadays!)  I tell Holly “I’m at Emanuel being monitored just to be safe” and  “don’t worry I’ll keep you updated”.  They get me all hooked up and I can see I am having contractions.  Just by removing the pessary, my uterus is saying “all righty then, let’s have these babies”.  I haven’t felt any contractions up until this time, and I barely even feel these.  The boy’s heartbeats sound awesome as usual.  All the nurses are super nice.  They all know my story, and how special the births will be when it’s time.  I have my copy of the birth contract with me.  I started carrying it full time about two weeks ago.  Once these boys take their first breath, they are legally adopted by Holly and Darren.  But we have two weeks to go, right?  Tom heads back to work, leaving me at the hospital for monitoring.  The wait begins…


Hospital selfie

Tom taking secret picture before leaving. Look at my belly poking up!




1 comment:

  1. It's so cool to read these! I really hope the story continues and you write about how you felt after the birth and during recovery.

    ReplyDelete