18 Months/31 Weeks

I can't believe my little girl is 18 months old today! It is sad in a way that she is growing SO quickly! Although as we prepare for a second child, I am glad that she is as old as she is:). I don't think I could handle two babies! She is learning more and more words, but I'm not sure she's hit her "word boom" yet. Around a year she suddenly picked up a lot of new words, but I think typically around 18 months they also start saying a lot more words. She's just had a steady increase in words--not tons all at once, so we'll see if she hits that stage or not. And she pretty much just says single words--she doesn't put words together yet. She finally started calling her pipe a pipe (well more like 'pie')--up until now for some reason she's always called it 'ba'. Sometimes it's still 'ba'. Her favorite characters to talk about and watch/point out anywhere she sees them are Elmo and Minnie. I don't think she gets that Mickey is different than Minnie b/c we've only focused on telling her Minnie and getting her Minnie dolls. I can see how it's confusing for her:). She still loves toys that play music and loves dancing to them. She loves her shape sorter (if you tell her which one goes where) and the Good Night Moon book (actually she has two identical ones and loves to read both of them). Just recently she's gotten more into books again. She doesn't like messes. Often when I get out of the shower, my clothes that I left on the floor have disappeared--sometimes she puts them in my hamper, but other times she places them in random drawers. It teaches me not to leave clothes out or I might not find them back for awhile:). She loves Elvis and although she tries to disipline him with "down" and "no-no", for some reason he doesn't listen to her real well:). Most days now she is down to one nap, but it's only 1.5 hours, maybe 2 if we're lucky! And then she sleeps like 12-13 hours at night still. I'm hoping she learns eventually how to take at least a 2 hour nap! We've been doing time-outs with her for awhile now and they normally seem to really help settle her down and stop her from whatever naughty behavior she's doing. Next week is her 18 month check up, so I'll have her stats then. I'm curious to know what she weighs. She's typically a good eater (she likes all sorts of foods), but she always has been--she just doesn't put on weight. If only I could be that lucky! :)

I can not seem to locate my camera cord, so I haven't been able to download any pictures recently. It's very frustrating--I know I put it in a "good" spot, I just can't figure out where!!

I'm 31 weeks tomorrow! 3 more days puts me at where I had Layla--so hopefully we get there and then some! Last night was Steve and Heidi's wedding--I was sad to miss out on it, but thankful I didn't go into labor during it so that Joe could be there:). We praise God that RV is still in and pray for his healthy arrival whenever he decides to come!

Update

Thanks to all that have offered help!! It is much appreciated! I didn't mean for my previous post to sound like I was begging for help:). We've actually been doing good with help with Layla--so don't take it personally either if I don't take you up on your offer to help:). I know that dealing with an 18 month old for an entire day is a lot of work for anyone!

I had an appointment today and I am actually less dilated!! I was 1 1/2 when I left the hospital a week and a half ago and today he said it's closer to a 1! He said that makes sense that it'd go down since my contractions have been a lot less. And my effacement hasn't changed--still 40%. He was so pleased by this that he didn't schedule me for another appointment for two weeks. Maybe this kid won't end up being a preemie! Right now our goal is another two weeks, but then we'll keep hoping for more weeks after that. I'm only a little less than a week away from where I was when I had Layla and with her I was I think maybe at like a 2 1/2 and like 80% effaced a few days before I had her. So I know things can change quickly, but since I'm only at a 1 and 40% effaced I feel like I at least won't have him for a little while now--at least not on Heidi and Steve's wedding day:). 36 weeks is where they no longer would try to stop labor since that's close to full term--so if we make it that far he'll take me off of Procardia and bedrest. He also discussed with me "the plan" of what to do if I do go into labor early again. Last time my water broke, so I knew to head to Spectrum. I was almost fully dilated by the time they got me hooked up and checked me and sent me immediately to the delivery room where I started pushing and about 30 minutes later she was out. Typically the second pregnancy goes even quicker, so especially if he's a preemie and has breathing troubles, we obviously don't want to be having him in the car! I pray my water breaks again so that we know I'm for sure in labor, then depending on the severity of my contractions, if they're really bad, we'll stop at Zeeland and they can always then send RV to Spectrum or if I think I can make it to Spectrum, we'll keep going. Hopefully there's no snow storm:). If I'm closer to 32/33 weeks, then heading right to Holland would be an option since they have an intermediate nursery there for 32/33 week+ babies. If I just start having worse contractions, we'd just go to Zeeland first to see what's going on. So we don't have an exact plan laid out, but we pray that all goes smoothly when the time comes and that we have a healthy baby boy no matter when he is born:). His heartbeat today was 150.

Double Stroller

So I've been trying to figure out what double stroller to go with. I don't want a sit n' stand as Layla won't be old enough for that. We have a Graco infant carrier so I'm thinking a Graco stroller would probably be best. I was thinking of getting the Duo Glider. Anyone have any opinions on double strollers based on experience??

Also, I'm still just chillin' on bedrest. Layla got a cold on Saturday and Joe is now sick so hopefully they get better soon! We were trying to be careful about getting sick in case we end up having a kid in the NICU soon (and obviously wouldn't want to get him sick and they have strict rules about how long you have to stay away if you are sick) but apparently that didn't work! So far I'm not sick though and Layla is on the mend--she just had a runny nose and cough. Maybe Layla and my flu shots worked:).

Layla's Time Away

Layla has been spending time away now that I'm on strict bedrest and am only supposed to get up to go to the bathroom and such. It'd be a little tough to take care of an 18 month old without leaving the couch! :) Thanks to family and friends for helping out! This week worked great only having to find baby-sitters for 3 days instead of 5. This coming week will be a little more difficult, but I'm sure we'll manage! Joe's brother and Heidi are getting married this Friday and ever since they picked the date back in August we've figured there was a very good chance that I'd be on bedrest, and we also thought that it was a possibility for me to have the baby the weekend of their wedding (since I'll be 30 weeks and 6 days on Friday and had Layla at 31 weeks and a couple of days), but as it approaches we are even more concerned that might happen! Hopefully not! With the wedding being this week that also means Joe will be gone two nights too which means finding even more help with Layla and it means that Joe's mom will be busy with wedding stuff so she won't be able to help with her. I'm sure it'll all work out though and hopefully Joe can make it to the wedding! Hopefully we don't have to skype in from the hospital--haha:).

We are very excited to have made it to 30 weeks today and while we pray for many more days, we are also giving thanks for the days we've had already! Every day counts in preemieland!

This is from last weekend when Layla was at Gavin's while we stayed in the hospital.
Story time in the basement with Gavin's cousin Ellie...

Chillin' in Gavin's new chair...probably watching Elmo or Mickey and Minnie--both of their favorites:).

Visiting mommy in the hospital...

Name Clue #4

Clue #1 - It has been used to name other nouns besides just people (meaning it's the name of a place and/or thing--like Meredith is not only a person's name, but a name of a college as well--Meredith College in Raleigh).

Clue #2 - It's not a Biblical name.

Clue #3 - A famous person shares/has shared this name (alive or deceased).

Clue #4 - It can also be used as a last name.

Home!

We came home late this afternoon! So not too bad, only about 24 hours at the hospital! I got prescriptions and am just relaxin':). It was nice today to start eating normal food again--while on Mag they put me on a liquid diet that I was having trouble keeping down, so I was ready to eat again once I started to feel a little better! The Procardia I'm on now makes me hot and flushed and of course bedrest is boring, but I'm happy to be i.v. free and away from the hard hospital bed:). I will do whatever it takes to keep RV safe and as healthy as possible! Thanks for the prayers and offers to help!! We will deal just one week at a time finding help for Layla--works out well with the holiday weekend approaching!

Layla had a fun weekend with cousin Gavin. Maybe if Em gets around to sending some pics she took of them, I'll post them. I know she won't be putting them on her blog:) (last updated about 9 months ago!)

Zeeland Hotel

Hey everyone ... it's Joe here. Some of you may know already but for those of you who don't know, here goes. Last night we had the opportunity of spending a night in the premier Zeeland Hotel--aka Zeeland Hospital. Last Wednesday Mere was checked and was not dilated. However, on Thursday and Friday she noticed an increase in the number and the level of contractions. She was debating calling the dr. since only a few days earlier she wasn't dilated at all (just starting starting to thin and still a "fingertip" cervix) and since I was supposed to be leaving shortly for my brother's bachelor party in Chicago (and she didn't want to ruin it). The dr. on call told us we should come in and get checked when we got a chance sometime that weekend. (switched to Mere now) So Joe still packed for his Chicago party weekend, gave the Chicago hotel info and directions to Steve, but thought there was a good chance that he could quick go to the hospital with me and then be on his way to Chicago to meet up with the guys just a little bit late. Wishful thinking that was! We dropped Elv and Lay off at Em and Mike's (threw in pj's just in case). Then once we got to the hospital they hooked me up to monitors and I was having a contraction every 1-4 minutes. Then the nurse checked me and I was at a 1.5 and 30% effaced. So apparently things had changed in those few days! They tried giving me a couple shots of Terbultaline, but it didn't help the contractions--just made mine and RV's heart rates go up and made me super jittery and hot. So that meant it was time for "the mag" as it's often so lovingly called to those that have been on it (magnesium sulfate). I'm not sure if the dose was lower, if it just affected me differently this time for some reason or if having it before prepared me for the worse, but it didn't seem as bad! I was sick as usual, super hot, wobbly and had a headache--but totally manageable! Maybe it was also that I was only it from yesterday afternoon and they are just slowing it down now. They're now trying me on Procardia (a pill) and if that helps keep the contractions further apart and not as strong, then I can go home this afternoon! The dr. checked me this morning and said I'm still at 1.5 dilated and like 40% effaced. That was the same as last night. Oh, and he did a quick u/s last night too and RV's head is down which is good and there's still fluid b/w him and my cervix which means he hasn't dropped to the birthing canal (obviously good). Joe missed the u/s, so he missed seeing his cute little bod:). Joe has been able to finally understand how much RV moves now that he can hear it on the monitor!
Of course I'll be on strict bedrest once home (still on Procardia and only getting up to go to the bathroom and such) which will be a challenge finding help with Layla--but if it helps RV stay in for awhile yet, then it's worth it! I'm 29 weeks and 1 day today--so another 2 weeks and a day would put us at where we were when Layla was born. I have now had both doses of Betamethazone (to help develop his lungs)--that ideally should be in you for at least 48 hours prior to delivery (but he didn't give it to me sooner b/c the effects of it start to wear off when you get to 4 weeks after it). He also put me on antibiotics for strep B (since we won't get those results back for a couple days and another antibiotic for another infection that can lead to preterm delivery--both he is giving just to be proactive in case they are needed and since they do no harm. Well, I think that's all for now! We thank the Lord that we've made it to 29 weeks and 1 day but are boldly asking God for even more days! Every day/week is so crucial for tiny babies! We ask that you pray for many more days/weeks in utero and for a healthy baby boy once he is born!!