26 Weeks!

Today has two great milestones-I am officially 26 weeks and it is the last day of February. I look forward to turning over my calendar. The palliative care doctor met with us on Friday and commented that 26 weeks is a "respectable number." The closer we get to 30 weeks the further we get from the complications of extreme prematurity. Of course the ultimate issue of hypoplastic lungs will not go away with time, but my feeling is if her lungs are borderline she will have a much better chance if she is not dealing with many preemie issues as well.

This was a fairly uneventful week for Baby Girl. She kept up her routine of hiding from the nurses for several days straight but this weekend has been easy to find for heart rate checks. She had a non-stress test Friday that we were on the verge of failing but at the last minute she had a nice acceleration. I am REALLY hoping tomorrow's NST is a much easier experience. It is a non-stress test for her but full of plenty stress for me.

After a very annoying oral glucose test (involving 8 blood draws and many hematomas) I officially have gestational diabetes. Blech. It is really a challenge to find vegetarian options on the hospital menu that are in the right carb range. I told the attending doctor today that I was afraid I would have to start eating chicken and he said they would medicate me first to allow for greater carb consumption. Many chickens were relieved to hear that. So far it has been easily controlled with diet. Steve and I have been placing bets on each blood sugar level and making a game of it. We are eerily accurate. I was concerned about the daily glucose checks (4-5 a day currently) because they can only use my left hand for sticks. Luckily my fingers have not become sore though so hopefully it will not be an issue.

Annie continues to handle this change better than her parents. It does seem to be testing her patience, however. Tonight she had difficulty saying good-bye and kept saying "I just want you to come home." She also informed me that when I do come home I am making her lunch.

I have heard from many people that they have asked their parishes to pray for our little girl. It means a great deal to us that so many people are thinking of her and praying.

I am trying to face tomorrow with more optimism than I usually have for Mondays. I have decided to stop thinking about the big goal of 35 weeks and focus on getting to 28 weeks. We've already completed over two weeks in the hospital so another two weeks does not seem so overwhelming.

Right now I am enjoying the solitude of my room after 5 straight days with a roommate. Oh, the relative privacy!!!