What A Day

Yesterday was a crazy, crazy day. It started out like any other one. I took Livi to the library for story time, then we hit up the grocery store for a few items and headed home so Livi could take a nap. Sometime between leaving the grocery store and arriving home I started to have a really sharp pain near my sternum. I tried to brush it off, but every time I tried to take a deep breath, cough (which I have been doing for the past two weeks) or basically move my body at all, I would get this mind numbing pain in my chest. I called Phil and my mom to complain and they both were clueless as to what it could be, but Phil came home from work early to help me out. By about 5 it was unbearable. We weren't going to the ER by any means, but I was miserable. I was sitting down watching TV while Phil finished dinner and was cleaning up the kitchen. Side note: Phil has finals this week and he doted on me hand and foot last night instead of doing some much needed studying. I felt guilty the whole time, but there wasn't much I could do. He's a keeper.

Anyway, I'm watching TV and start to notice that I am having quite a few contractions. Not painful by any means, but they are pretty consistent. I mentioned it to Phil and so he starts timing them. They are coming every two minutes almost like clockwork. I figure they are just Braxton Hicks so we stopped timing them after a while. A little after 7 I realize that it's been an hour and they are still coming on just as frequently, again, not painful, but really consistent. I decide to call my Dr's office and speak to the Dr. on call. She tells me that I better come into the hospital just to be safe. I have obviously not packed a bag or anything at this point because I still have 10 weeks to go. We (Phil) hurry and throw a bag together of some stuff I might need in case I have to spend the night. So at 7:30 we head to the hospital. I change into the robe and the nurse gets some samples, checks out my cervix (really fun) and hooks me up to some monitors. One of the tests they ran can basically determine if you are going to be having a baby in the next two weeks. Thankfully that came back negative, I wasn't dilating at all, and the baby looked great on the monitor. The Dr came in and told me that I was probably contracting so much because I hadn't drank enough water. I felt really stupid. Then she checked out my rib/sternum which was a little swollen at this point, and said that I either had a small fracture or the ligament connecting my rib to my sternum was inflamed. Both of which have no treatment other than time. So my best friends for the next few weeks are going to be Tylenol and a heating pad. We got home at nearly 11 beyond exhausted. Unfortunately, any position but sitting feels like someone is jabbing a hot poker into my chest so I ended up going in Livi's bed (she was in our bed due to our sheer exhaustion) and stacking up a bunch of pillows behind me trying to be as upright as possible. I probably got 3 or 4 hours of sleep last night. It was hell, seriously.

But I do have wonderful news! On a previous ultrasound Jack was measuring small so my Dr ordered another ultrasound just to be safe. This freaked me out, mostly because my Dr. is one of the most relaxed people ever, basically nothing phases her. So the fact that she was concerned about his size made me really concerned. So I had another ultrasound a few weeks ago and today at my check up my Dr. told me Jack is exactly where he is supposed to be now! He is actually in the 76th percentile! I am so happy I almost don't feel the intense pain in my chest! (I wish)

Yesterday did give me a preview into what a little gem Livi is and how wonderful she is going to be once Jack does arrive. At the hospital I was trying to get back into the bed but was having a really hard time due to the searing pain in my chest, so Livi runs over and starts lifting my legs onto the bed for me. She then covered me up with the sheet. She helps me get off the couch and gets me anything I need. Basically she is a nearly perfect child and I adore her.