The Greatest Gift

Last night I found myself lying in bed with butterflies in my stomach. I was really anxious to see what would happen the next day at my doctor's appointment. The good news is that for the first time, I wasn't scared of what might happen at the appointment. I think the fact that I am 30 weeks along gives me some much needed confidence that all of this might just turn out okay in the end. One of these weeks, I am going to get news I don't want to hear. I am doing really well with modified bedrest right now and am able to feel like I still have a life. My anxiety was over whether or not I would be put on full bedrest today or not. No one wants to be put on full bedrest. It is really restricting and frankly, boring. However, if the doctor told me it was time, then I would rise to the occasion and make my new home on the couch.

The appointment went well. First she did the Fetal Fibronectin test again (which I get every two weeks). Then she did an examination and said that it felt like the stitch was still holding, which is great. Then she did an ultrasound and she said that things hadn't changed since last week, which is really encouraging. The baby looked great and was making breathing movements which is an indicator of the baby's well being. We learned this week that the length of my cervix isn't as significant as it has been in prior weeks. It isn't a true indicator of how I am doing and since I am already on modified bedrest, the only change would be going from modifed to full bedrest. What matters is if the stitch (cerclage) is holding or failing. And since it is holding and things look good, she said she'd see me next week! We had to drop off the Fetal Fibronectin test at a lab and my doctor told me that I would hear the results from her before 6pm. The appointment at the office was good, now we would just wait for the lab results. The day went by smoothly but I was still nervous about the results. Finally at 6pm I called and told the office I hadn't heard back from them. They looked at my charts and told me that the test had come back negative!!! So, I shouldn't go into labor in the next 2 weeks, which would get me to 32 1/2 weeks. I am so hopeful that this is true and feel refreshed and ready to get through this week!

We are all so excited for Christmas. The spirit of the season has filled our home and our hearts as we wait for Christmas and the birth of Jesus. My grandmother wrote me a card this Christmas and told me how special it was to not only be waiting for the birth of Jesus, but for the birth of our baby as well. It is so easy to be swept up in the spirit of Christmas and to focus on the gifts, the food, and Santa. I was very thankful to be reminded by her to keep my focus on the true meaning of Christmas. This is a Christmas I am sure I will never forget. The thought of being home with my husband and children on this special day is truly amazing. And the greatest gift I could receive this Christmas is still being pregnant.