Week 26!!

As I post this I'm actually 26 weeks 3 days (each day counts ya know!). Slowly my tummy is getting a little bit bigger. I'm starting to wonder if my belly button is actually going to "pop" like they say it will, it's not even stretched to the same amount that it was before my water broke but we'll see what happens.

So here's a quick update of what has happened in this past week. Last weekend I experienced my first time being frustrated with my doctors. Well not technically my doctors, the doctors that were filling in while my doctors were both off for the weekend. Apparently the dr. that filled in looked at my sonogram from the day my water broke and couldn't believe that my water had actually broken because I still had so much fluid. So he decided on his own that he was going to retest (after my ob had told me they weren't going to do a test like that for risk of infection). Tyler wasn't here and I just felt helpless and didn't know what to do. So they did the stupid test and guess what? It confirmed that my water had broken, imagine that! When my ob found out abut the whole thing she was very frustrated and couldn't believe that he wouldn't believe my lab results etc. Anyway all that to say that I've never felt so helpless and and upset that a dr. would come in and not believe me or anything that the other dr.'s had already done.

They are doing a daily NST (non-stress test) to monitor Lincoln's heartbeat and make sure he's still doing okay in there. Well lately he's been a little ornery and the nurses (yes nurses, not just one it usually takes at least three of them to try and finally find him!) I'm sure just dred coming in here each morning because it usually takes over an hour to track him down and keep him from "escaping" the monitor! Friday they had tried twice and then ordered a sonogram to be done just to check on him. We found out from the sonogram that he's doing just fine but my fluid level has dropped from 14 oz. to 3oz. It seems like a huge drop but my ob has assured me that as long as Lincoln is doing fine then the fluid level doesn't matter. She was actually surprised that I had any left. She was sure they were going to say it had all leaked out. This means that he's still producing fluid so that's really good!

We also got a tour of the NICU here and that was an experience that I didn't expect to have such a strong reaction to. Although I know that no matter if I make it to 34 weeks or not our lil guy is going to to be there for awhile. I think actually seeing it made the reality of it all set it. If nothing else it was a boost of motivation for me to be content staying in here. My ob told me that every day I can keep Lincoln in there takes 2 days off of his stay in NICU. So if that's not motivation I don't know what is! So I'll continue to do my best to keep him content in there!

14 Days and Counting!

Wow I can't believe I've made it two weeks here! Each day I'm here is a blessing because it gives Lincoln another day to grow bigger and stronger! I've had so many visitors and feel so blessed to be surrounded by so many people who care and love us SO much! For memorial day, Tyler's parents and Kelsey came down to spend some time with us. They wheeled me down to the courtyard and we spent the majority of Monday afternoon playing "Golf" (It's a really fun card game and very easy to learn). It felt so good to be outside and soak up a little sun for awhile.

Since I've had two straight weeks of hospital stay so far I've had lots of time to pray for and think about our little Lincoln. I never realized how much love I could have for a little boy that I've never even met! I just love this guy so much and am doing everything I can to help give him the best chances once he's born. I know God has some big plans for this guy and is already using him to teach me things about myself I never knew before. I've realized just how selfish I can be. The first week I was here was so hard because I kept thinking about all the things that I am going to miss out on. I won't get the summer I had planned, I won't get to wear cute maternity clothes, I won't get to lay out at the pool this summer, ME, ME, ME. Wow can I get any more selfish? God's really teaching me that my plans are not HIS plans and that HIS plans are so much better for my life. If I look at the big picture, this is such a short time in my life and because of this sacrifice I am going to get to enjoy my little boy for the rest of our lives!

My Belly Is Still Growing!

So this isn't the best picture of me but I had to get a 25 week picture of my belly to try to keep up with the other pictures I had taken. I didn't know if I was going to keep taking these because I thought I was going to have to wear a hospital gown for the duration of my stay but they told me I could wear my own clothes so we'll try to keep taking these! I didn't take one for week 24, for one it was a crazy week and I wasn't allowed to stand up much at all and two my tummy was smaller!!! It makes sense though since I had lost lots of fluid but it was still discouraging to essentially go backwards. The good news is, this week our lil guy has grown and so he filled my tummy back in! yay! Lynda told me she was praying now that I would get stretch marks, since that would mean that we've made it almost to week 34! Never thought I would wish for stretch marks!! :) Oh how our perspective changes when things don't turn out the way we thought they would!

Not Quite Your Normal College Graduation

After attending 3 different colleges/universities in both Nebraska and Kansas and five years later, I have FINALLY done it! I graduated from college!!! I actually thought this day would never come but if finally did and now I can say........it feels............no different really. Since this whole thing happened with my water breaking, I haven't really had time to really process the fact that I won't be going back to school in the Fall when classes start up again. The more I think about that, the more real it becomes but I don't think it'll all sink in until August/September roll around and I'm at home with our little guy instead of starting Fall classes. That'll be the best feeling in the world!!
Here are some pictures from my graduation day for your enjoyment :)

Change of Pace

Well I finally got around to getting a blog set up for us. I've been meaning to do it for quite some time now and with our little guy on the way I thought now would be the best time to start and help kept family and friends updated (especially now with our special circumstances).

For those of you reading who haven't heard what happened, my water broke last Thursday May 14 very early in the morning. I woke up to what I automatically knew was my water but was in denial for a little while and tried to go back to sleep. Eventually I got up to go to the rest room and everything gushed. Knowing that I was barely even 24 weeks pregnant I was horrified! Tyler called my OB and we left the house for the hospital. Little did I know was that would be the last time I would see or be at my house for quite awhile.

Well we arrived at the hospital around 6am and called my parents on the way so they could pray and pass it along. After getting to the hospital and getting examined they realized that I wasn't in labor and put me in a room to monitor me, thinking I would go into labor at any point. The first five days after a woman's water breaks preterm are the most crucial because they hold the highest chance for her to go into labor at any time. So I've made it past those five days and now am on day nine and am 25 weeks 2 days! Every day that goes by that I can keep this little guy in there is a blessing!

I learned yesterday that there is absolutely no chance for me to be released to bed rest at home instead of the hospital. I knew that in the back of my mind but was kind of holding onto a little bit of hope that it would be possible if things sealed back up. So for the sake of our little guy I hope this is a long stay for me here in the hospital.

I will try and update this regularly since I don't really have anything better to do! :) Please continue to pray for us through this next phase as we wait on God.