The Vertical Version Week 2

A few pictures from our week+half since bedrest. I like being out during our mornings right now. It may be a while until I can have the freedom to do that so easily. Hope is lots of fun, and such a good girl.

We've played at the SC Art Center, the mall, the cemetery, Little Sioux Park, Moville park, our house and yard. We decided last week that if we were still without a baby girl by May 20-22, then we would head over to Orange City for some Tulip Festival fun. Looks like we'll be doing some traveling. Hopefully the weather will be nice.

I'm thankful for this time, but I'm also ready to meet our little lady. I'm sleeping well and feeling well, but boy, sometimes it's hard to get from point A to point B, literally.....aches and pains!

Hanging in there!

The Vertical Version

I'm full-time vertical now.

It feels really good.
I'm enjoying performing the normal tasks of being a mommy.

Here is how my week has been...first week off of bedrest:

MONDAY: Successful procedure reversal at the doctor's office. I was really thankful to have Grandma Demarest along to take care of Hope because I ended up staying at the office for a long time! They again noticed a low heart rate, so we monitored for about an hour to see if we could establish a base line. They were a little concerned when her heart rate continued to fluctuate. Then my doctor was consulted and she said it was fine. When I see her next week, I'm going to ask her why it is that this little one has a heart rate that tends to be fast, then slow, then fast, then slow...

TUESDAY: Full day at home alone with Hope. First time that has happened since February! I posted some pictures from our day--it was almost 100 degrees that day. We went on a walk and swam, all before 10 am. After that it was just too hot. I was really sore and tired by the end of this day. Hope is wearing a hat in the stroller picture above. She picked it out and didn't want to take it off. Cute.

WEDNESDAY: I was excited to attend the last BSF meeting for the year. I had started going to this Bible study back in the fall, but have been gone for 10 weeks. My small group has been faithfully praying for our family, and provided some good food for us. I was anxious to thank them in person, and to take Hope to play with the nursery ladies for the last time. Well, we got there at 9am, and there was no childcare. I decided to take Hope to Target for an hour, then we came back to hopefully catch the ladies upon their dismissal from large group testimony time. They found me, and we were all really happy to praise God for how far I had made it. It was really fun to walk around Target with Hope...I wasn't inconvenienced.

Wednesday night was our last Jr. High meeting at church. Luke and I volunteer with the middle schoolers. It was a really bittersweet night. I was so happy to be able to come back and see my girls that I have been investing in for three years now. I've always felt a deep care and concern for them over the years, but haven't always been able to be there with them full-time. They've seen me through three months of bedrest total, and one month of maternity leave. So, my heart was overjoyed to celebrate our time together, but also sad that I had missed out on large portions of time with them. Three of my girls were former students of mine. It was especially fun to get to continue a relationship with them through Jr. High church fellowship. I'm happy to know that most of them will be continuing in high school ministry next year, and that I'll see them at church.

THURSDAY: Well, that's today. We are having a good day. Tonight Luke and I will leave Hope with Grandma while we go to the hospital to take a free class.

My prediction for May 30 still stands, and Luke's for May 16 does too. He has to be out of town for work on the 16th, so I'm hoping he's not right. As of Monday I was dilated to 2cm. I've felt more contractions this week, but nothing regular, so I can't say that anything will happen soon. We'll see.

Praising God for His help!

Bedrest Blogs Week 10

Week 10?!?!?!
Week 10????!!!

Wow, we made it.
I cried a little on Feb. 27, at 26 weeks, when I realized I had 10 weeks of bedrest ahead of me. My mind was racing thinking about what we would do with Hope, how we would eat every day, and how Luke would manage being mom AND dad in many respects. I honestly disliked the thought of being so dependent on others, and that I would need to talk to people a lot more. Ha! That sounds bad, but it's true.

It's been hard to not be as active in Hope's life. It's just been plain hard, but I made a conscious decision to not speak poorly of bedrest. I hope I succeeded most of the time.

Bedrest was God's provision for us; our road to sustaining this pregnancy, and I was thankful for it. I practiced my faith throughout bedrest. I read this today about faith: "Faith does not say, 'I see this is good for me; therefore God must have sent it.' Instead, faith declares, 'God sent it; therefore it must be good for me." That is how I tried to view bedrest...OK God, here we go, thank you for your goodness and help.

"When I said, 'My foot is slipping,' your love, O Lord, supported me. When anxiety was great within me, your consolation brought joy to my soul."

Psalm 94: 18-19

But we have made it!
Praise the Lord!

"Come, let us sing for joy to the Lord;

let us shout aloud to the Rock of our salvation.

Let us come before him with thanksgiving and extol him with music and song.

For the Lord is the great God,

the great King above all gods...

Come, let us bow down in worship,

let us kneel before the Lord our Maker;

for he is our God and we are the people of his pasture,

the flock under his care."

Psalm 95: 1-3, 6-7

So, today, Cinco de Mayo, we are 36 weeks along.
Little baby girl can come anytime.
On Monday, May 9 at 10am, I have an appt. to reverse the procedure I had done in December. After that is done, I can walk, drive, pick up Hope, prepare all meals, clean, do whatever I need to do. I will be incredibly tired and sore for a while, but it will be good to hopefully build up some muscle again before labor/delivery.

Luke told me last night his guess for a delivery date is May 16. That is one week after bedrest is over. It is also Hope's half birthday. My guess is May 30. I think it will take a little longer.
I need to pack a hospital bag, narrow our name list, pick out clothes for our baby to wear home, get a bag ready for Hope, and rearrange my 'bedrest room'.

Dr. appt. : This week's appt. was routine. Things are going well. Wonderful!

Best: My last full day of bedrest will be Saturday! It will be hard for me to stay down that day. I was given premission to go to church and have lunch out on Sunday for Mother's Day. We will probably also do some grocery shopping since our fridge is empty, and we want to have dinner options in case the baby comes swiftly.

Worst: Nope.

We're so thankful for your prayers and support and help!