Overwhelming

Since I last wrote, we got some great news. Two Pediatric Cardiologists are feeling like our little Baby Z won't need open heart surgery after she's born!! Tremendous news! However, we're putting a cautious cap on our excitement about this, knowing things can change at any minute.

But we've officially made it to 31 weeks. It's a big deal for this sort of CHD, and puts our doctors all in a hopeful place. We're feeling hopeful too. The nursery is starting to come together a little, and we're more comfortable making plans and preparation for the new bundle of joy.

There is a long road ahead of us though. I'm getting really overwhelmed by the increasing amount of doctor visits to manage. Sounds like I'm headed to Columbia at least once a week, and will have some monitoring done closer to home another day a week. That doesn't factor in the Cardiologist appointments, which I still have to figure out, but will happen every other week. It's a lot to handle with a full time job in there. I have to ask my HR department about taking additional disability. It's scary, but it's something I may need to do soon.

The other reason I may need to plan for disability is that I've landed myself in Labor & Delivery twice already. Right after Christmas I had what I thought were gas pains. After walking around and chowing gas-x, I finally called the doc around midnight. He sent me in, where I got loads of fluids, antibiotics for a UTI (surprise), and a shot to stop my contractions (surprise again). Now I know what contractions feel like at least.

On Friday, we went to see our newest OB at Columbia. She's great - very thorough, and very smart. I'm feeling really confident in her care. During the appointment, I was having worsening pain. I mentioned it, and she found I was 1 cm dilated. Yikes! Down to L&D for me and hubby. We spent 7 hours there, getting tested, poked, prodded, and laying on the most uncomfortable cot created by man. It was rough. No TV in the triage room, so we damn near killed our phone waiting for the next Facebook post by anyone just to pass the time. Bringing the iPad and cell phone chargers next time we go to Columbia for anything!

Finally I got to go home, even though they threatened to keep me repeatedly. They released us just in time - I was really starting to lose my mind. No one was doing anything to remedy the situation, I was just purely being monitored. They were giving me fluids - on the slowest drip known to man. I still managed to get them to give me water, and I think that helped. Plus, it was my birthday the next day. I couldn't fathom waking up on that horrible cot on my birthday, AND missing the blissful prenatal massage Mark set up for me. Alas, they took mercy on me, and let us go home (luckily after rush hour...so at least we had that going for us).

So we're feeling good, but now very nervous that this baby could come literally any time. Like in weeks. It's another layer of stress that is starting to really take it's toll on me. I feel like I should just be concentrating on baby, but I can't bring myself to take leave super early.

Today I have to get all my appointments set up pretty much through the end of my pregnancy (however long that lasts).