Who needs a hospital tour?

Not this family. Especially considering we have been to the hospital enough times in the past 10 days to pretty much be giving the tours personally.

After my regular PDC appointment that turned in to a 7 hour stint in Labor & Delivery two Thursday's ago (on the 20th), the doctors decided to up my bp medication to a dosage of two procardia XL per day. Then they sent me home the same night.

Last weekend (22/23 January) the doctor had told me to keep tabs on my blood pressure. So my mom brought over her blood pressure machine and I spent the weekend driving myself crazy with the readings. On Sunday morning, 23 January, I took my blood pressure and noticed that it was running even higher than it had been during the previous week. As in it was in the 170's/low 100's. Panicking a bit, I called my OBGYN's answering service and left a message for my OB to give me a call if it was cause for concern. She called me back and we spent the entire day calling each other back & forth on the phone. She called in a prescription for regular procardia (the fast acting kind) and I had Todd pick it up for me. As soon as I took the new dosage, my heart started pounding and I got very light headed. My BP dropped to the 130's/70's in a matter of minutes. Basically I bottomed out, and it scared the *bleep* out of me.

So my OB told me to come in to her office on Monday morning so that she could hook me up to her fetal monitor and check my BP again. She also said she would call PDC while I was at her office, and there was a slight chance they might want me to come in to the hospital for further BP monitoring just to try and figure out a new combo of meds to get my BP down. She said "just pack a little bag with an overnight outfit, just in case...if you pack a bag, they probably won't even have you come in..." Well, sure enough, while I was at her office, PDC said they wanted me to come over to the hospital right away. So I arrived mid-day on Monday, waited in registration for 45 minutes, and was finally whisked back to a room, told to put on a gown, and put in a bed. I was so overwhelmed from showing up by myself, and not being told by the nurses what was going on, that when the nurse went to take my blood and I shared with her that I was afraid of passing out because I had not eaten all day and she snapped at me in return that she couldn't feed me without a doctors order, I burst in to inconsolable tears. Fortunately that cranky nurse disappeared shortly after, and nurse Diane (she should be called Saint Diane!) came to the rescue and calmed me down.

So I spent all day Monday and Monday night, and all day Tuesday having my BP checked, testing out a new BP medication, and doing another (my fifth!) 24 hour urine collection. Finally on Tuesday evening they said I could go home on bed rest. That's when my OBGYN came to the hospital and informed me that the PDC doctor said she did not want me to go past 37 weeks, as I officially have preeclampsia. The protein count in my urine is much higher than before, my BP is stabilized only by the new medication, but it is still slightly high, and they do not want to risk stressing me or the baby any longer than necessary.

Therefore, baby boy will officially be making his debut on Wednesday or Thursday, February 2 or 3! They are going to attempt to induce me on Wednesday, but probably will not let the induction go too long, as it could further raise my BP and stress out the little guy even more. So I'm fully mentally prepared for a c-section, as I have a feeling that is where our birth plan is headed.

Fortunately we were able to make it to the incredible baby shower that my sister-in-law put together this past Saturday, and are now officially stocked up with clothes, diapers, etc. for baby boy's arrival!

So ready or not, here he comes! I think we are ready...but then again...is anybody every TRULY ready for a baby? I don't think you can be completely ready until you are actually holding the little one in your arms, realizing your life will forever be changed. I can't believe how 37 weeks ago I thought this day seemed so, so far away, and now it's here. I've never felt such a mix of emotions in my life. I'm terrified about giving birth...but I'm so excited that the day is finally here and once all is said in done, we will have a son. A SON! I'm also terrified about becoming and being a good mother, but I can't wait to give this little life all that I have to offer, and teach him about the world. I may be scared...but I am also so incredibly blessed. And I'm sure my "mommy genes" will fully kick in on Wednesday ;).

We can't wait to meet you little one! We love you so much already!!