Day 37: T-1

There are bad days, like Tuesday. And there are days when you have to take the good with the bad. And then, there are good days. Like today. Today has been a very good day.

This morning, the kids went on the heartbeat monitor. The instant Bobby went on, I could hear a marked difference. The arythmia is still present, however, he stayed within 130s-150s. But he sounded less like a train rumbling along the tracks (that lumbering sound) and closer to a regular heartbeat with a skipped beat or an added beat along the way. Even the nurse commented that he sounded better this morning than on Monday when she monitored me before. She was able to keep on the monitor for several seconds at a time, but he was moving also, which, with the arythmia, isnt fun for the monitor. But we heard him and he sounded so much better. Even after his 15 minutes of solo monitoring, he would stay on the monitor by himself for seconds at a time. Maya was fine once she was hooked up. It was such a nice way to start the day. They were both very active and just hearing a more normal sound was great.

So, Peter's mom came around lunchtime and, while she was here, Dr. Bailey came. He was really happy with Bobby's monitoring and with how the meds are working to bring his HB back into normal ranges. He congratulated us on reaching 26w tomorrow. He's just as happy as we are! While we were discussing things, I said that I had my baby shower scheduled for the 30w mark and, how would he feel about me leaving the hospital for a few hours on Sept 26th for that. To which he replied, "You'll be home by then!" I asked if we were still looking at the Sept 12th discharge and he said YES!!! That they dont keep mothers for a baby's arythmia unless the SVT is present and that I will need to be monitored for that, but that, assuming my cervix holds, the 12th is good! I cant believe it! I thought I was going to cry! So, as we were discussing what the 26w mark holds, he said that the hospital has a 90% success rate with 26w babies. While we are chatting, a flower delivery comes. I am surprised because, you'd think, if someone was going to send flowers, they would have done it earlier. So, he takes the card out the bag as my MIL asks who sent them. I look over the tag and cant tell (dont you love the new "cards" that arent really cards at all...), so he looks at it and says "Oh, it's here". I look at the card and it reads: "Congratulations on 28 weeks. Love, Dr. Bailey and staff".

I burst into tears. It is a beautiful arrangement of summer flowers in a basket.

I stood up and we embraced and kissed on the cheek. As I said "Thank you so much, I dont know what I would do without you," he replied with "Carol, I love you and these kids. And the kiddos are going to be absolutely fine. Dont you worry." I told him that we loved him as well and were just so grateful for his help. He joked that I'd better get back in bed so I didnt "mess up his stitch", and we finished discussing 26w and this milestone, and how the next 2w bring us even closer to everything being perfect.

As if that wasn't enough for today, I also had an ultrasound. Not only did my cervix measure 1.6, the same as last week, but they didnt see any fluid around Bobby's lungs or heart. And the babies are weighing about 2w ahead still! Bobby is 2lb 3oz and Maya is 2lb 4oz. The MFM doctor, Dr G, who was supervising the scan said, "Don't your babies know they are twins and are usually under 2 pounds for at least another week or two? They must think they are singles!" I laughed and said that we hadn't told them that yet. The tech, prior to the doctor arriving, did get me pictures, which Peter will scan in early next week (he will be here Sat-Mon, so no scanning...) They looked so wonderful. Bobby was sucking on his thumb and Maya was posing for the camera. I couldnt wipe the smile from my face.

So, I may be bruised from IV sticks and battered from not being able to stretch out comfortably in the hospital bed, but I am far from broken... And today, this good news, this is enough to last. The only thing that could have made today better would have been for the fetal cardiologist to suddenly appear and tell me Bobby's heart is perfect. But, I'll save that piece of good news for Monday. :)

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In introspective news... 10w ago, gestationally, Nicholas was born... And tomorrow, 9w and 8w, respectivelly, Alexander and Sophia were born. Each week, it hits me, these milestones we've made, but the big ones... Those are the ones that I ponder. If only... If...

Peter and I watched a Discovery Health program on a set of quintuplets born at 24w3d. I didnt want to watch but I felt compelled to. I needed to see the NICU and what they went through. And it was horrible. Inside, I kept praying "God, please dont let our babies need the NICU. Please let them be born full term, healthy, and safe." But yet, we need to see that too. We need to see and prepare for the "just in case" even as we pray for 10 more weeks.

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My blood sugar is still out of sorts. They keep raising my insulin to try and combat it. The endocrinologist came today and said that she thinks it will take at least another 7-10 days to regulate me. Until then, it's sticks and needles for me! But no complaints. Not a single one.

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Your prayers are working. :) Thank you. We feel so blessed.