Compartments

Ancient History

Follow Me?

Instagram

Bed ahoy!

Today was my follow-up ultrasound. My fluid was checked. Here are the three scenarios I was facing:

1. Fluid level increases a respectable amount. No more bedrest, but I’d get advice to not go crazy traipsing around the countryside with heavy laundry baskets and kids hanging off me. Still, I could resume a more normal life. Whatever that is.

2. Fluid stays the same or only rises a digit or two. Another week of piloting my bed.

3. Fluid drops a digit or more. Mr. Baby’s birthday has arrived.

The answer?

Bed ahoy! Is that an iceberg off the starboard bow, or everything I was planning to do last week and this week? Yes.

Fluid was up, but so unimpressively that the doctor said to stay on bedrest, do kick counts faithfully, and we’ll see you next week for another ultrasound.

One week is now going to be two weeks. I’ve experienced many things. Is that a list on the port side? As surely as there are crumbs on the poop deck.

1. I do not know how women deal with months of bedrest. I really, really don’t. You ladies are so strong.

2. The movies I’ve watched via Netflix streaming on the laptop: The Awful Truth, The Palm Beach Story, How to Marry a Millionaire, A Room with a View, Raising Arizona, The Prince and the Showgirl, Holiday, The Breakfast Club.

3. I have to drink a ton of water. I can only choke it down if it is loaded with crushed ice. I have outpaced our refrigerator’s ice maker several times, which ends up making me very depressed. My husband is going to buy a bag of ice from Sonic this afternoon. It’s the most romantic present, ever.

4. Reading I’ve managed: The Great Divorce by C.S. Lewis. Stunning, quick read. I heard they are making a film version, which seems impossible. Will audiences sit through 2 hours of discussion on the nature of Heaven, Hell, self-pity, grief, fear, love, Love? Maybe if Snooki is in it. I also read the August Real Simple, plus nearly everything on the internet. Next up, I’m reading The Screwtape Letters. I want to read more, but I find myself being sucked in by things that aren’t challenging.

5. I’ve played innumerable games of Solitaire, both on my phone and on the laptop. I am quite good. My strategy has been refined.

6. My mom has been here for the past week and will stay for the upcoming week as well. She is such a saint. She’s done laundry, cleaned, cooked, looked after the kiddos with love and with care. She has to be tired. Yesterday, we sent her out of the house for a break. She agreed, taking herself to see Dinner for Schmucks. This strikes me as incredibly funny. She gives it a thumbs up.

7. Meanwhile, my dad is back in Grand Junction. My parents talk on the phone at least twice a day. I feel bad that they are apart and I hope my dad isn’t too lonely.

8. I’ve been treated kindly and pampered, too. A friend brought a gorgeous bunch of yellow freesias to brighten my bedside. My husband painted my toenails. My mom brings Dove chocolates and cookies she baked with the girls to me. The kids constantly shuttle ice water up the stairs.

9. I’ll do whatever it takes to take care of Mr. Baby. I want to keep him baking as long as possible, as safely as possible. That’s what keeps me going when I am feeling lonely and worried. I’ve had a lot of time to think, pray, contemplate. That hasn’t warded off meltdowns. I had a doozy on Friday night. I could not stop crying. Being in bed is not restful, really. When you don’t do anything all day, you aren’t really tired enough for deep sleep. It caught up with me in a huge, ugly, heaving sobs kind of way. I felt much better when it was over. The next time I feel a meltdown coming on, I am going to roll with it and get it out of the way.

Please continue to keep not only Mr. Baby and me in your prayers, but the whole family—especially my husband and my mom.

Bonus news: My brother-in-law and sister-in-law are expecting their first baby at any moment. Her water broke this morning. So we are anxiously awaiting happy news from southern California sometime today, we hope. They are aiming for a homebirth with a midwife, but she’s been warned if her contractions don’t start, it’s hospital time. They really don’t want to go that route, so if you are inclined, say a prayer that Amy in California’s contractions show up in a big way ASAP. I’ll post an update when their baby is here.

17 comments to Bed ahoy!

  • I got your back, yo.

    PRAYING!

    I remember those last days when you are just worried sick. PRAYING.

  • Jenn

    Continued prayers for you, your Mom, hubby, Mr. Baby, and California Baby & family. 🙂 Will keep an eye out for an update!
    Xoxo

  • Praying for you friend. Of course, you will do anything for Mr. Baby and of course, bed rest still stinks. You’re a great mom to all your brood!
    .-= Kristin´s last blog ..You Capture- Play =-.

  • Your husband painted your toenails AND brought you a bag of Sonic Ice? That is DEFINITELY true love! 🙂 Praying for you and Mr. Baby!

  • Sorry Gretchen. You are constantly in my thoughts and prayers. Maybe you should look at buying an ice shaver. We bought one at Target last week for Natalie’s birthday so she could make snow cones. It works really well. The ice is perfect.
    .-= Kelly @ Love Well´s last blog ..Is it still a reunion if you never unioned in the first place =-.

  • I’m trying to think if I have any movie suggestions for you that you can watch instantly on netflix. Have you seen Bright Star? Also, Sliding Doors, Jim Gaffigan :), Stranger than fiction, if you haven’t seen those!

    Rest well!

    Steph
    .-= Adventures In Babywearing´s last blog ..Softly- Mother =-.

  • Keeping you in my prayers,and thinking buoyant thoughts!
    .-= Aimee´s last blog ..Time Keeps On Slippin- Slippin- Slippin =-.

  • Oh Gretchen… I am so bummed that the levels weren’t higher for you to be done with the bed rest… Praying they rise this week and that your in-laws baby arrives safe and sound too…

    I just read Shiver and Linger by Maggie Stiefvater – brilliant little fast reads… can’t recommend them highly enough.

    Peace to you – relax and enjoy the solitude… it will be gone for a long time after Mr. Baby is here… though I know it is hard 🙁

    Hugs to you…
    .-= Jill´s last blog ..Our 4-Hers =-.

  • This was funny: “I find myself being sucked in by things that aren’t challenging.” That’s because you are being sorely challenged right now just to keep sane. I’m amazed that you could read The Great Divorce, but it is a gripping one! I will pray for you.
    .-= GretchenJoanna´s last blog ..Bread for Sanitys Sake =-.

  • Amy

    You have a good hubby. Praying for all of you.

  • Praying. Screwtape is an easy, thought provoking read. There’s always Elf, u2’s new concert dvd and Hoodwinked.
    .-= Lexie´s last blog ..Dont Miss the Chance to Let God Mess with You Today =-.

  • Would now be a good time to take up a needlecraft? Will be praying for you!
    .-= Angie B´s last blog ..Things Ive Been Doing Instead of Blogging =-.

  • Will definitely pray for you and your SIL! That is exactly what happened to me with my birth – my water broke and no contractions. So I feel her pain.

    In case you’re interested, I’ve been doing a fair bit of reading lately and a lot of it has been great:
    Run by Ann Patchett
    The sweetness at the bottom of the pie

    These are a little more sad, but still excellent:
    The elegance of the hedgehog
    Snow Flower and the Secret Fan
    A Long way gone

    Next up: The Help by STockett – it’s supposed to be fantastic.

    Anyway….I’ll certainly keep praying. I”m glad things don’t look worse and just know that what you are doing is definitely the best for baby.
    .-= Aubrey´s last blog ..For evidence of how hes growing =-.

  • Look at this way: You have the best excuse EVER not to get all squirrely and stressed out over the back-to-school rush. (And I won’t tell you to “enjoy” it. When I did bed rest, and people told me I should “enjoy” it, I was ready to chunk something at it.)

    If you haven’t already, check out all the Ken Burns’ documentaries streaming on Netflix. There are tons of them, and they’re fantastic.

  • Sorry about the bedrest; I admit it sounds so wondrful when I hear someone has to go on it. You’ve convinced me that it is only great for a few hours at the beginning–it would get old real fast. Bet you are reading tons of blogs–I think I’d get sucked into that pretty quickly. And movies–I seemed to have missed a lot of oldies that my husband says are great.

    Praying it goes really fast, your fluids come up, your kids are helpful and don’t drive you nuts, that you find ways to fill your time, and that you can deliver your little guy healthy and strong!!
    .-= sonja´s last blog ..10 on Tuesday =-.

  • (I believe that Lifenut will let me publish this comment. POSITIVE THINKING!)

    Okay, so as soon as I read your sentence on ice, I thought “Sonic ice!” And then VOILA! Sonic ice! What a man.

    I wish I had some good movie recommendations for you, but all the ones we’ve seen recently are crap. (Can I say that here?)

    What do you like to read? What is good light reading for you?

    I’m praying daily for you and the Little Mister. Thanks for keeping us in the loop!
    .-= Megan@SortaCrunchy´s last blog ..The Spiritual Dimension of Nighttime Parenting =-.

  • edj

    I had a week of bedrest with the twins and nearly went INSANE! Hang in there! Oh and I love both those CS Lewis books you mentioned. Have you read “Till We Have Faces?” You might also enjoy that one.

Leave a Reply to Amy Cancel reply

You can use these HTML tags

<a href="" title=""> <abbr title=""> <acronym title=""> <b> <blockquote cite=""> <cite> <code> <del datetime=""> <em> <i> <q cite=""> <s> <strike> <strong>