Bed rest update: 5 weeks and counting

Tomorrow marks five weeks since I was put on bed rest because of a risk of preterm labor. The good news is that it's working--which is also the bad news, in a way, because it means I have to stay on bed rest for the foreseeable future. I'm not sure how long exactly. Baby V's lungs should be fully developed by 34 weeks, but she won't be full term until 37 weeks. Which would be 12 weeks from now. The idea of 12 more weeks spent in bed kind of gives me a bad feeling in my chest, so we won't dwell. Instead, we'll try and think positively: maybe the perinatologist will be so impressed by my progress at my appointment tomorrow that he will set me free!

But just in case he doesn't (Sigh: he won't), at least James and I have fallen into something of a routine. James works from home, so he's around to make sure I have things like food and water when I need them. Every morning he brings me breakfast and I get up and shower--I'm allowed one a day--and move myself from my bed to the futon set up in the corner of our living room. James goes to work, and I try to fend for myself until lunchtime. Luckily, this is easy because everything in the world I could possibly need (vitamins, hair ties, Atomic Fireballs) is set up in baskets on the coffee table next to my bed.

Rapidly running out of lap room for the lap top.

When I'm not reading or weeping over a House Hunters International marathon (someone found their dream vacation home in Bulgaria! Sob!), I am somewhere on the internet. Usually immersed in a blog or website that has something to do with pregnancy or child-rearing. I spent a lot of time researching baby products. It can get a little scary, to tell the truth, with charts and lists and Excel spreadsheets. James is a little afraid that he will look over one day and I will have covered the wall by the futon with pictures of strollers and car seats, all connected by bits of string with scary red letters and words scrawled over everything.

And I am lucky to know or be related to so many nice people who make sure we're getting everything we need. Lovely friends and family are running our errands, doing our laundry, showering us with food, books, Starbucks, old-school Nintendo games and lots of well wishes and prayers. When I think about it, it makes me want to cry, and I'm sure it would even if I wasn't coursing with pregnancy hormones. We are so grateful for everything.

And we are grateful that Baby herself is doing so well. At her last visit two weeks ago she was measuring right on track at 15 ounces. Today, according to my baby book, she's almost 1.5 pounds! Which I refuse to get teary about. Under the circumstances, I'm glad she's growing up so fast!

And did I mention that I'm grateful for company?

This is your life (so far)

Most women get one or two ultrasounds during their pregnancies, one at 12 weeks to check for birth defects and another at 20 weeks to check the anatomy of the baby. The one good thing about having a high-risk pregnancy is that we've gotten to see our baby a lot more than the average expectant parents. Today I was looking back at all of baby's pictures and realizes that it's really been so cool to be able to see her at so many different stages of development!

6 weeks

7 weeks

9 weeks

10 weeks, or "WOW, there's actually a BABY in there!"

12 weeks

15 weeks

19 weeks

21 weeks