Hospital Bound.

That picture is a week before that ill fated Doctor appointment...
I think I slept for maybe an hour the night before I left for the hospital. I cried alot of the night, out of fear of what was next, out of fear that the baby wouldn't make it. Granted, she hit the point of viability, but so much was already going wrong. I packed two bags before I left that morning. I packed one full of clothes, being as that I planned on boycotting hospital gowns entirely, and a second bag full of books, gameboy, and some other things for entertainment. I had set up for someone to let me borrow a lap top so I wouldn't lose my mind entirely. I left my house around 8:30 that morning, and had no idea I wouldn't walk back into my room for another 32 days. I checked into St Joe's, went up to Seton 3, where I would be calling home for a while. I was put into room S306 -and assigned a nurse named Lori, who would end up becoming one of my two favorite daytime nurses. They put me in a private room, which even I have to admit was nice. I was by myself, had my own bathroom, and was permitted overnight guests. My Mom spent the entire day with me that day, and Scott came that afternoon. They both left around 9:30 that night. I had never been admitted to a hospital before, hell, I'd never been there for myself other than the broken foot incident and the tampon incident - and no, I will not elaborate further on that matter. Once they left, my night time nurse came in. Joella - I really really liked her as well. Being as that I was a high risk pregnancy, but not so high risk that the baby would just fall out, they were in and out when need be. I had IV fluids hooked up, had to have shots of blood thinners everyday, had one ultrasound and three fetal dopplers per day. I saw them often enough, believe me. I honestly became everyone on Seton 3's favorite patient. One does not mess with those who's mercy you are at, I knew that going in. And honestly, they were so good to me. So nice and so sweet and really did care about my health and more specifically the health of my baby.

That first night tho - woo. Rough only begins to cover it. I'd never slept in a hospital. I had a few panic attacks that night, which with my history of anxiety was a given to happen. I did my best to relax, but its hard when your a paranoid mess. Needless to say I made it threw that first night, and the irony of it is when it was time to leave the hospital, I didn't want to. I have to say as well, I was blessed with a ton of visitors. A family that never left my side, my sister stayed there EVERY weekend with me, Scott would stay when I asked him too as well. My Mom spent a small fortune on hospital parking by being there every day. I could call anyone and they would bring me food, so I wouldn't have to just live off of St Joe's food. Even tho, not all of it was bad. I actually enjoyed some of it. I was a very lucky person to have such wonderful people in my life, and I am well aware of it. I grew to enjoy my time at St Joe's. Who else can say that they got to see their baby everyday on an ultrasound? Or got to hear their heartbeat for a half hour three times a day? Sure there were the negatives too tho, the constant flow of Doctors'. I saw two residents,plus my OB, plus my Peri EVERY day. Dr. Ibraham, the one resident, enjoyed waking me up at 5 AM everyday. The nerve. I endured alot of needles, alot of scares with my fluid levels fluctuating horribly. I also knew I was in the best possible place if anything were to God forbid go wrong. There were several times that they came in and told me, well if things don't improve in the next hour or so, we'll be forced to do an emergency c-section. After 4 weeks in the hospital, of them keeping me and the baby stable, Dr Khoury came in and told me that the baby was 'baked enough' so that we wouldn't have to worry anymore about levels and whatnot. I was given two shots of steroids to mature her lungs. I even had the pleasure of an allergic reaction to the steroids. Nothin' says love for yoru baby quite like your skin turning fire engine red and burning. I was told one week before she was born that this was the game plan. I would be taken in for a c-section at 7 am on the morning of November 29, 2007. The countdown began.