The Zoo

No babies yet.....And that is a good thing. I went in for my tests yesterday and they were OK enough for the doctor to send me home for another two days. It has been so frustrating being on bed rest and barking orders to Katie and Corey. I'm not one to be like that, and now that I've been doing this for a couple of weeks, I hope to GOD that I am able to deliver these girls naturally so that it doesn't continue after they're born. Maija has started to take her time off so that she can be with Cooper during the day while Corey's at work. I will continue to be on strict bed rest until the girls arrive, which will be in the next 8 days. We're still shooting for the 35 week mark, next Friday, because if they decide that I need to have them sooner, they'll send me to Portland. I'd rather not, but at the same time, whatever is best for the girls, and me.

I do have to tell the story of the crazy hospital visit that I did have, though. I got to the hospital, and it was raining cats & dogs. When Corey drove up to the lobby entry to drop me off the valet offered to park the car. Yeah, valet, at the hospital. I'd seen the signs before, but never needed it and never thought about it. Corey was thrilled, as I don't know if he would have found a close spot, and I don't know if he's ever even used valet parking. It was great. So, we get up to the maternity ward and the nurses immediately know who I am. I've been there so much that they can all recognize my belly walking through the double doors before they've seen my face. Corey suggested that I get comfortable on the bed, but I informed him that because of the twins the nurse would need to put another belly monitor band down, and I'd still have to pee in a cup. He looked at me like I was crazy, but as I headed to bathroom the nurse pointed out that the cup was already in there, and she headed over to put the third belly band down before my return. It's funny, because Corey hasn't been there for all the NST's - He hasn't needed to be - and he just laughed at me as I was telling him all the little details of how the visit would go down.

The nurse got me hooked up, and when she couldn't find the heartbeats for a steady amount of time single-handedly she called in another nurse to help. Just after the second nurse began to work on the task of finding our stubborn girls, the Phlebotomist arrived for the blood draw. Here I was, on the bed, so careless to all that was happening, and Corey was in the glider laughing hysterically. I was so used to this, but he hadn't seen it. On my right was one nurse attempting to find a baby, while at the same time trying to get a blood pressure on me. The second nurse was closer to the lower part of my belly trying to find the other baby and also hooking up the contraction monitor to the top part of my belly. The lab tech was banding me up on my left arm to get ready to draw the blood and I had cords, needles and hands all over my mid section - It was quite a zoo.

Before the chaos took place the first nurse actually did have me all hooked up and the readings on the babies were great. But the blood pressure cuff had quit working and she decided to go find the portable blood pressure machine. She had all monitors and belts in place, stood up, took a step and found that every single cord that was hooked to me was wrapped around her ankles. She tripped, of course, began to fall, but caught herself on I believe the baby warmer that was close to the bed. I asked if she was OK and she asked the same of me. She mentioned that she was surprised that she didn't yank me off the bed. Corey quipped "Cara's pretty anchored and I doubt you could pull her out of that bed if you tried to." This, of course, was his comical way of reaffirming how enormous I really am. All three of us started laughing till we nearly cried. The nurse had to plug everything back in because though I was "anchored" the plugs into the machine weren't so much. Once plugged back in, I still couldn't stop laughing and each time I laugh, my belly bounces. Which, in turn, sounds on the monitor. So in the hall I'm sure everyone heard the laughs, the ultrasound booms from my bouncing belly and maybe even a snort from me. It was a great way to relieve some of the stress we were feeling about the visit and gave me something to blog about!! Thanks, Pam!

So....the tests. My blood pressure was 139/89, platelets had dropped to 151, still a trace of protein in the urine, and though difficult, they were able to get some good readings on the girls. Corey described this scenario as "Just a pinch below where everyone freaks out." The doc on call today, Dr. Adsit, decided that I was still in the safe zone, and that I could go home to be on strict bed rest again, and return in 48 hours for another round of the same tests. I go in tomorrow morning, and I hope that the report is still good. I'm just ONE week away from being able to deliver here in Hood River.

In the meantime, I'll just continue to lay in bed, count contractions, eat bon bons and watch soap opera's all day. No, Corey, not really. I'm bloggin!!! Hopefully we'll get good news again tomorrow. Till then.......