Big Wheels Keep on Turning

A lot has happened today. For starters, I'm pretty sure Henry is having a growth spurt. In fact, if I think my belly is twice as big today as it was yesterday. The masseuse even commented on how it looked like Henry has grown since Friday. So maybe he weighs around 6 lbs by now? Henry has also enjoyed snuggling in uncomfortable positions all day long making my back hurt like crazy. Add this to the fact that I'm uber tired and unbearably hungry, (and having hot flashes), and I've been pretty whiny. Apparently, most pregnant women have swelling in their ankles, but bedridden pregnant women have their swelling in their back. So this makes my back even more uncomfortable. But the end is in sight...

I got new privileges today as I'm 34 weeks tomorrow. I get to take wheelchair rides for 30 minutes to an hour a day and now get showers every other day. Yippee! The plan (at this time) is at 35 weeks to give me some walking around privileges. At 36 weeks I would have no restrictions but would need to stay here for a couple of days to work on my strength. (This is important seeing as just sitting up to eat gets me winded and lightheaded.) At 37 weeks, Dr. Murray said she would send me home with an induction scheduled for 38 weeks. So my prayers have changed. Again. When I first got here it was that Henry would stay put for as long as possible. Then, as he has grown larger, it has been that he would enter the world as soon as soon as his lungs and innards were ready. Now my prayer is that he'll give me at least a couple of days of sleeping in my own bed and setting up some things at home.

For today's wheelchair ride, I took a tour of the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (the NICU) and spoke with a Neonatologist. I was very encouraged. Apparently, Henry has about a 15% chance of having immature lungs and that all of the scary long term issues have subsided. He said that there is even the possibility that Henry could bypass the NICU entirely and go straight to the Progressive Care Nursery (which is the step between the NICU and the regular Newborn nursery.) Tomorrow, Sloan and I are planning on taking a tour of the PCN.

Once it rains and some of the pollen washes away, I hope to wheel around some outside.