The last few days...

have been crazy, to say the least.  At 5 am Tuesday morning, I woke to a contraction.  I had a full bladder so I went potty and went back to bed.  I only had a few more before it was time to get up and start the day.  I wasn't worried about them.  It was more uncomfortable than anything but not painful.  I went to work.  At 11, I went to the clinic and got my first shot of 17 alpha - hydroxyprogesterone caporate.  That is the shot that I am taking.  250 mg or 1 mL every week for 20 weeks.  The 10 mL vial was delivered to my house on Friday.  It wasn't until I was at the appt that I actually looked at the stuff and read what was on the box and paper work.  It has a castor oil base.  Now, if memory serves me right which I am most certain it does, there is an old wives' tale that drinking castor oil during pregnancy will induce labor.  (An ex-coworker of mine actually tried this on a couple of her pregnancies...didn't work either time!  DISGUSTING!)  I began to wonder about this shot that I would soon be getting.  Then I moved the vial to the side, sloshing it around inside the bottle.  It looked like Karol syrup watered down a little.  It was thick!  SO thick in fact, that it took the nurse 15 minutes just to get the 1 mL dose in the syringe.  Then another 5 minutes to inject that crap in my arm.  Oh my goodness, the pressure and weight of that in my arm was unbelievable.  My arm hurt the rest of the day.  I had the shot given to me at 11:15 am.  At 3 pm, I got pounded with contractions.  The same as that morning.  They were just pressure and uncomfortable but were one right after the other.  They lasted pretty steadily until 5 the next morning when they abruptly stopped.  I was a little freaked out but the only thing was that they didn't hurt.  There was absolutely no pain just pressure and more annoying than anything.  Late Wednesday afternoon, like right before 5 pm, they started back up regularly (I had a few scattered ones throughout the day).  After picking up the kids from daycare and in the car heading home, those darn contractions got worse.  They actually started to hurt and there was ton of pressure.  I got a wee bit concerned at that point.  However, once I laid down at bedtime, they quit.  They've pretty much been gone since just a few scattered ones throughout the last 24 hours.  

I didn't call the doctor, against all advice.  I didn't call because there was no pain until early Wednesday evening.  But primarily, I was afraid of what he was going to say to me.  I was deathly afraid he was going to put me on bedrest for the next 20+ish weeks and I didn't want that.  I had a regular OB appt scheduled for today at 2.  When I talked to the nurse, told her what had been going on, she asked me to undress because Dr. B would want to check me.  Now, my fellow friends and family, that freakin' hurts.  It doesn't matter if you're 16 weeks or 36 weeks, it plain hurts.  However, he found no dilation.  He then gave me 2 options, go home for the next 20 weeks or wait and see how these pan out.  I chose the continue my daily routine as long as I can and see how this pans out.  I don't want to be laid up for 20 weeks.  I don't want to be laid up to 1 week.  2 weeks with each of my children has been bad enough.  He said he wants a boring ultrasound next time.  The heartbeat was lower this time...143 bpm.  Kris and I were talking this afternoon, we both think that it's a boy.  The way that I am carrying this one is the same as with Troy.  Troy's heartbeat at this time was 148 bpm.  I wrote in the belly book that at this same appointment with Troy that I declined the blood test that tests for Downs Syndrome.  I declined it again today.  I will love this baby no matter what.  The test is not 100% therefore I don't even want to chance dealing with a positive reading.  What Kris and I dealt with this last year with Rylee was unexpected and no matter what, couldn't have been prevented.  We dealt with it better, I believe, having it thrown at us.  If that is the case again, I know we can handle it.  I am not afraid of Downs Syndrome.  It wouldn't make a difference to us if we found out now or in 20 weeks, I would still give this baby a life.  Therefore, no need for a lousy test. 

On to kids news!  This past weekend, we demoted Troy back to his crib.  We lowered it practically to the floor so now he can't get out.  He also can't roll out of bed.  We've decided to be strict with ourselves and make him sleep in his own bed, in his room.  We also have Rylee sleeping in their room also.  (They share a room) A week ago, all 4 of us were sleeping in the same room, 3 of us in our bed, and we're were cramped.  Now, the monitor is hanging on their wall, doubling as a night light for them, so I can hear each of them.  Now, after sending Troy to bed 1 hour ago, Troy is rolling around in bed, whining, while Rylee is peacefully sleeping in her bed. 

We decided that we would leave the time to start potty training up to Troy.  I didn't want to push him before he was ready...well he's ready.  He woke this morning and told me he had to potty.  So we rushed off to the bathroom and I didn't think he would stop piddling.  It's another step closer. 

My co-worker Sue's niece had a baby last weekend.  That night that it was a snowy mess.  She woke thinking that she had to use the bathroom then she found that she was bleeding.  She and her boyfriend decided to head to hospital.  However, their baby had other plains.  During a snow storm, Jaime gave birth to a 1 lb, 10 oz , 12 inch long, baby girl named Samantha in the backseat of the car.  The ambulance had to meet them and follow a snow plow to get to the hospital.  They are at Meriter in Madison.  This little girl was born 15 weeks early.  She is breathing on her own.  Amazing!!