It's been a while...

So, It's been a while since I have been able to write a new blog, and a lot has happened!! So this is going to be very long!!
I was put on moderate bed rest at home on April 21st because the length of my cervix was shortening and beginning to funnel.  I remained at home on moderate bed rest for 2 weeks before my cervix shortened more.  My maternal fetal specialist put me on hospital bed rest on May 6th.  I was devastated!  I had not been expecting to be put on hospital bed rest this soon, and Ryan was going to be leaving for Knoxville for State Tumbling Meet that night and my dad and sister were in New Hampshire. I had prepared myself to go on hospital bed rest at the beginning of June.  Needless to say, I did not handle this well.  I went and had my "last meal" at a restaurant sitting at a real table.  Mom and I went to Chipotle for lunch, then went to Baptist Memorial Hospital for Women where I was admitted.  They put me in a Labor and Delivery Room for the first couple of days as the Antepartum Unit (unit for the long term hospital bed rest mama's to be) was full.  Saturday night (day 2) they moved me to the antepartum unit into a room that I was told they would move me from as soon as they could as it overlooked the lobby so there was no outside window.  It was dark and depressing all day!  I was told Sunday late afternoon that 2 patients in the unit went into labor and there would be a room with a window to the outside opening up and I would be moved the next morning.  Then the night shift started.  My nurse didn't come in until almost 10:00 and she informed that if I didn't move that night then I would probably not be able to get the room.  I asked her if she would help me pack up and move my stuff as it was late at night, Ryan was home and I didn't want him to drive 30 minutes in to help me move for 5 minutes then drive 30 minutes back home - a complete waste of gas - when it is in my opinion the nurses job to help me.  My mom couldn't come either because Clark was in bed, and she couldn't leave him alone.  Anyways, when I asked my nurse if she would help me move she gave me a look like umm no and said if she wasn't busy then she might be able to help me get my stuff together.  She then left the room to go check on another patient and ask housekeeping how much longer it would be before they finished cleaning the room I was to be moved into... She came back to me about 45 minutes later.  In the mean time I waited a little bit to see if she was going to come back and help me.. she never did so I packed up my suitcase with my clothes, and got all of my bags, toiletries, etc together by myself.  She came in a little after 11:00 with a cart and said I will try and get most of your stuff moved over to your new room, but we may have to leave some in here... I gave her a look like WTF! No you won't be leaving half of my stuff in one room and wheeling me into another room with the other half of my stuff! No freaking way! I think she got the point with my look and moved all of my stuff to the other room dumping the bags wherever she pleased then wheeled me into the room and I never saw her again that night!  The next morning I told my new nurse what had happened and she was in complete shock! She asked me what her name was etc.. I told her that she never introduced herself to me and didn't have her hospital name badge on!  I knew I had done to much the night before and was terrified that my cervix was going to be even shorter... I had an ultrasound already scheduled for that day and new that if it was shorter than before that I was going to have to have a cervical cerclage (where my doctor would surgically stitch my cervix together).  I went for the ultrasound and it had shortened to approximately 7 mm!!!!  3 days prior at rest my cervix was 4.5 CM at rest and 1.5 CM under pressure.  Later that day, right before the day shift was over I asked my nurse who my nurse would be that night.  She went and looked and it was the same nurse that I had had the night prior.  I told her I didn't want her anywhere near me.  She said okay no problem and completely understood... I got to speak with the Head Nurse and explained to her what happened.  She reassured me that she would never be my nurse again.  My specialist came in that evening and informed me that I was going to have the cervical cerclage the next day.  They started an IV for fluids and antibiotics and informed me that the operating room was booked for 5:30 the next night and I would not be able to eat after 9:00 AM!!!!!! 
I also received my first 17P shot that I have to get weekly to help prevent preterm labor.  It's a horribly painful shot in your hip that takes between 2 and 4 minutes to administer because it is as thick as motor oil.  I had a complete breakdown that night...
Tuesday at 5:30 in the morning, I woke up with contractions.  My nurse put me on the contraction monitor and I had 5 contractions in 30 minutes!!  They gave me a shot and thankfully stopped the contractions! I made it through Tuesday without a complete breakdown until they took me into the operating room at 5:30 got me up on the table to do the epideral - then I completely lost it.  I got through the epideral, they laid me down on the operating table, and I lost complete feeling from about my hips or so down.  That is the weirdest feeling ever.  They put my legs in stirrups, prepped me for surgery, and did the procedure.  I laid there with tears streaming down my face throughout the entire procedure - not because I was in pain but because I was overcome with the most humiliating feeling ever. It was a fairly quick procedure.  I went to recovery where over an hours time I slowly regained feeling from my waist to my toes.  As soon as I had feeling back, they took me back to my room where my family was waiting.  Dad went out and got Chick-fil-a for me.  Ryan stayed with me, took care of me, and went home after I fell asleep.  He was absolutely amazing to help me get through all of that!  I have the most amazing husband in the world!!
I remained on IV antibiotics twice a day for 7 days to prevent infections.. Today, I received my last dose of IV antibiotics and FINALLY got to get my IV out of my hand!!!
I now only have a couple contractions a day which they say is completely normal since my uterus is already stretched to full term if I was having one baby. 
I am handling hospital bed rest okay... I have my moments where I want to throw the door open and run out the door, but I don't.  I miss my husband very much!!! It is really hard not being able to sleep in the same bed with him.  He has been very busy with work, and he has been very stressed.  He has been doing a lot of cleaning and beginning to get things set up for the babies at home! He has set up the pack'n'play in our bedroom where they will sleep for a while when they first come home.  He has also been getting the rooms upstairs moved around and started to set things up.. He keeps sending me pictures of what he has done and set up.  It's really hard for me to just sit here in this bed when I want to be home helping set the crib up and organizing the baby things.. but I have to keep reminding myself that I am doing something very important here.. I am growing and nourishing 3 babies! 

My church has been very supportive, and my priest, Fr. Kenny, is coming every week to pray with me and bring me Holy Communion.  I am so thankful for that since I am not able to go to mass every Sunday now.  I have had days where visitors are coming and going all day and it really helps pass the time and helps me keep my spirits up, but then again I never get an opportunity to rest which is what I am in here for..  Other days, no one comes all day long...  I wish there was a way to balance it out, but so far not many people have told me when they are coming so there really is no way for me to balance it out. 

Now that I have my IV out of my hand, I am hoping to blog every day so that I will be able to go back and read this or have it for our babies to read when they are older so they know how they came into this world! 

That's all for today...

Lindsey