This update is a little late in coming but we have been on quite the roller coaster the last few days. As you know, we had a really good report last Friday and things were looking hopeful that we would be able to stay at home until at least 24 weeks and then take each week at a time after that. Unfortunately on Tuesday, God had different plans. He keeps reminding us that we can "think" we know a direction but only He guides it :) My sister and our friend Tori randomly decided to come and visit from Monday night to Thursday just to help around the house and anything else we needed help with. We had a good day together until mid Tuesday afternoon when I began to feel my stomach tighten and then release again. Not frequent, but along with the fact that we had been losing some fluid Monday and Tuesday, we decided to go to Orange City to get it checked out. Upon arrival things looked okay but as they monitored me they concluded that I was having mild contractions. Next thing we knew, Andrew and I were riding in an ambulance to be admitted to Sanford. Tuesday night is kind of a blur since everything was happening quickly, I was hooked to a lot of monitors, and they began giving me fluids & antibiotics. Luckily, even though they said they stop contractions in less than 20% of women....once again God worked a miracle and by early am hours on Wednesday I had nearly stopped contracting.
Wednesday was spent with a lot of the same monitoring and talking to more doctors. We were stable enough that Andrew was able to run home and pick up a few things for us that my sister had forgotten in the rush. He also had to break into our house by drilling out the lock since Dee & Tori accidentally locked the door on their way out. I think he secretly enjoyed doing it and was amazed at how easy it was to get in. Thanks to our friends & family in Sioux Falls who allowed them to spend the night on Tuesday & Wednesday. On Thursday we moved forward with more drugs both to keep contractions stopped or minimal as well as drugs that could potentially help the baby. Normally they do not start these until 24 weeks but since baby has always looked good and we stabilized we all decided we may as well do them and give every effort possible. So I received the first of two steroid shots to help further lung development and a 12 hour dose of magnesium to help strengthen the baby's blood vessels and minimize a brain bleed if I were to deliver in the next few days. This is another reason you didn't get an email yesterday since the drug makes you kind of dizzy and out of it.
Where we are at now: We wait - we continue to rely on God and pray that HIS will be done. It is amazing how many times we have been told "no" or less than 5% and God continues to prove everyone wrong. I am not hooked up to anything at the moment. They completed the two days of IV antibiotics and will continue five days of oral. We monitor the baby and contractions three times a day and for an hour each time. I am also still on an oral drug to help minimize contractions. We have been told that currently I have a few minor contractions once every few hours or once an hour later in the the evening but for the most part everything they pick up is just considered irritation which they can control for weeks.
Prayers: We ask that you pray for time. We are currently 23 weeks and 2 days. Each day is so important for this little baby to keep developing. We are thankful that the drugs have been in my system long enough to at least helped in some way if something were to happen. We were also welcomed with great news by our ultrasound tech this morning. We were told on Tuesday night that we had lost all of the fluid around the baby but this morning the tech was able to get a reading of 3.7 cm again. (The same as we had on Friday at our appt!) We also were able to see that there was a nice pocket by the baby's mouth, fluid in the stomach which means swallowing, and a full bladder which means its still getting nutrients and producing its own urine/fluid. This is yet another thing to give praise! As we move forward please continue to pray for Andrew and I as we may have to face difficult decisions for me and the baby. As of now we are trusting God's plan and we will continue to leave things in his hands and pray that we make it to 24 weeks or more!
God Bless all of you this 4th of July weekend- thanks for being such a great support system through this entire process for us. It is a long journey but we are happy to still be traveling on it!
(To Makinley) We are almost there baby girl. You have almost made it to the 24 week mark that doctors think is the viable stage and that is when they agree to use all means possible to save you. We have fought for you little one. We were so frustrated upon arrival at Sanford when they told us if we deliver we should not use any means to try and save your life. It is not easy trying to convince doctors that you could make it at this stage as well. A few days are not going to stop us from fighting for you. We know that God is in control and we are going to let Him determine your outcome if we deliver soon. We have not based any of our decisions on statistics yet and by no means do we plan to start now. So keep fighting! Keep proving everyone wrong! Keep being a witness for God! Mommy and Daddy are walking along side you!!!
You got your first ambulance ride on Tuesday along with mommy and daddy. Mommy got to watch out the back window the entire way but the gurney was far from comfortable. Lets make a pact right now to never need an ambulance ride again :)
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