2 months old today!

Today is full of mixed emotions. We are so excited that our baby boy has met another milestone, but it is passing all too quickly. I only have one more week left with him at home, and I can't imagine leaving him even with the best babysitter. I am however thankful that I don't have to take him to daycare and ready to be back at work. This week has been pretty eventful, well for us anyway! Zeke is actually playing now when he has belly time rather than just laying there and falling asleep. He loves mirrors and can always tell mommy and daddy's voice, that is so amazing to me. On Thursday, we went to physical therapy and Friday we went to Granny Fannies. Then on Friday Auntie, Nannie, Emma, Granny, Penny, Rob, Rachel, Bryan, and Abbi came to see Zeke. We had fun visiting. Today has been another one of those photo shoot days, lol. We took some naked pictures since he has some fat now.

Lydia and Kaylyn finally got there hands on Baby Zeke!

When the girls got to the house today, they noticed his arm for this first time. They were looking at it and had lots of questions so I explained to them that God made him special and he didn't have a hand on that arm. He was all wrapped up in his blanky so the first thing Kaylyn (mother hen of the two of them) did was to take off his blanket and check to see if his legs were ok. I told her that all that was wrong with Baby Zeke was his arm and then they wanted to know if they could hold it, so that is what Lydia was doing in this pic, how sweet are they!
Kaylyn's first time to hold Baby Zeke, you can tell he loves her look at that grin!
Here we are checking out all his parts again, it looks like they are ripping him apart but I promise they weren't!
Kaylyn was trying to make sure she had a good hold on Baby Zeke, she couldn't even take her eyes off him to look at the camera.
He fell asleep on Lydia and we got a good pic!

March for Babies!

Today was the March for Babies at Jacksonport. Ginger and the change for babies collected at Jackson County School District was $3000, the GT donated $300 and Mitzi headed up the Blue Jeans for Babies bringing in $600. That was a total of $3900. Rachel, Cheryl, Ginger, and I all walked and raised $500 of our own. Team Church hit it big for the March of Dimes! We are so thankful to all the little ones who sent their money in to support the March of Dimes! Their research helps so many! Here are some pics from today, I didnt get a whole lot! The first two are of his ambassador signs, we get to put them up in our yard now!

A visit with the fam...

Most of Granny's Grankids! Emma is looking in this one, which is a miracle.
Daddy and Zeke, how sweet are they!
Mama and Baby Zeke!

Lots of new stuff

Zeke loves his Granny! These are some new ones I took yesterday!


Look out hogs here I come!

Meeting Cous Caden!

What a week, Zeke got to meet his new cousin Caden on Monday. Caden is having some trouble with jaundice and has a bili light at home with him so please keep him in your prayers! Zeke is doing well with his physical therapy and is making progress with his leg. He is doing better letting me mess with it. Still having trouble with his BM's, haven't had one since Saturday! He does have the loudest smelliest gas though so he gets points for that, lol. He has avoided the stomach virus so far, so thankful for that. I had my 6 week check up Tuesday. Dr. Hong wanted to hold what he himself called a miracle (how great is it to have a dr. who believes!) The first thing he said though was boy he looks a little like his daddy doesn't he? lol, he does, good thing his daddy is handsome. More to come.........

The time has flown by........

It has been a while......On Tuesday, he was circumcised, he screamed when he was being tied down, and then slept through the procedure. I could hear him crying from way down the hall. I always wondered how you would know your baby's cry from others, but you do without a doubt. I made it though! We also had physical therapy that day. He did really well and is doing better when I do it for him. He has been more awake this week, thinking he would have been born this week if he would have gone to full term. He is now 6 pounds 9 ounces and 21 inches long (or at least I think, hard to measure his legs), as you can see in the pictures he is a porker (which I love). He has filled out so much since we have been home. Not much else to speak of until Friday morning when baby Caden arrived. Zeke is very excited that his fav cous finally decided to get here, we have been waiting for this one too! Later that day, I woke up with the stomach virus which was quite a scare due to his weakened immune system. He is still doing good today and I am well so we are praying things will stay this way.

A Month has passed.......

One month has passed since I started going into labor and Zeke was preparing to enter the world. My how time flies, we are loving every second of it. We are so blessed to have such a perfect little one ( I know everyone thinks their's is perfect, lol). We had a wonderful shower on Sunday, getting most of what he needed and plenty of money to buy the rest! It was wonderful and we want to thank everyone. Then on Tueday we were off to Memphis. We had physical therapy first and then an ortho appt. The pediatric orthopedist thinks that for his arm he may eventually need a splint to keep it working until he is old enough to work it himself. He thinks his legs are going back nicely and wants to see him back in 2 months. In the mean time, he will have PT in Jonesboro 1 to 2 times per week and in Memphis once a month for his premature needs. We have our first PT in Jonesboro tomorrow! While in Memphis, we went to Babies R Us to get a playard, high chair, monitor, bouncy seat and swing. We also picked up some little things. For now, we are enjoying spoiling our boy!

25 days old

Today has been a rather boring (in a good way). We didn't have to go anywhere or do anything today, that was great! We got to stay here together and spend some Mommy Zeke time which Mommy really enjoys, Dustin wants me to go back to work so he can stay home with him. I keep telling him if he wants Zeke to have a home he has to keep his job, lol. I think we are both used to just spending time with each other and family and not working, we decided we really enjoyed all that time together in the hospital. Zeke is still having problems with his BM's, the thermometer/cotton swab idea isn't working as often as we would like, the dr. said to do it twice daily. I got birth announcements printed today, they already don't look like him he is growing so fast. I mention that to say I have them and if you don't get one its not because you aren't important I just have a really large list of people to remember and know I have forgotten someone, so just ask me and I will get you one! Well, have a good Friday, I know we will!

24 days old!

Each day that passes is another blessing from God and I try really hard not to let one second go by without thought of that. It is so easy to get caught up in the feedings, changings, and day to day routine that days just start to pass and before you know it they are a month old. I try really hard to cherish every minute and not take it for granted ( I would have taken lots of days for granted if not put in this situation). Yesterday, I got a card that said it all Miracles Happen, I thought how true is that. We went to a different doctor today, the other dr said we couldn't be circumcised until 6 months of age and he would need to be put to sleep. This dr is going to do the circumcision on the 16th of this month using a local anesthetic. He was really good and seemed to know alot about premature babies and their needs. He told us to use a cutip to help him have a bowel movement, he isn't constipated just doesn't understand how yet, how crazy does that sound, oh well if it works we will do it! They have an appointment set up for him to see a pediatric physical therapist and he already had his ortho appt for next tuesday. I am anxious to see what each will have to say about his legs, keep that in your prayers! That is all of the news for today...

3 weeks old!

Gosh, how time flies, I can't believe we celebrated another week today! We had a sick baby yesterday and I didn't get a chance to blog. He was constipated and very upset about it, but his Nana (Melinda) came and fixed it with a suppository sure glad she did it and not me. I went to Newport yesterday to get a few groceries and I heard a baby crying and I started crying, so no more leaving for a while. It is so crazy cause I miss work alot, but I don't really want to leave him to go back either. Don't get any crazy rumors started though, I will be returning to work, LOL. I have to or we might be homeless, lol. God has blessed us so richly, I see new blessings every day. Today, Zeke finally let mommy do his Physical Therapy, all of it. He usually gets to fussy or disorganized for me to do any of it, much less all of it, I was so excited and I could tell it helped his legs some. He was so relaxed, glory to God. I also have to tell everyone what a great Daddy Zeke has and if you have seen him in action you know what I mean. We fight over who will change his diaper or feed him. He tries to tell me how to feed him or burp him, I just smile because I know I must be thankful that he is doing what he is doing I know lots of Dads don't, even good Dads. He used to feel uncomfortable about breast feeding and now he says if he sees someone doing it he would just simply ask can I help you clean your pump parts? He has a good sense of humor too, lol. Anyways, a lot of babbling to say we are doing well today, much better than yesterday. Have a good night and a good 4 day work week!

Day 20

Well today has been filled with visitors. I believe he had 21 today, LOL. He did better with the visitors today, in days past they have kept him awake but he did better today! He is still eating well, still praying for a BM though. This will be our first Sunday at home, how we would love to take him to church tomorrow, but I guess we will wait a few weeks until the doc says he can be out in public. Nothing else new today, more tomorrow.......

Day 19

Today has been very uneventful. Zeke has taken most of his feedings well, he is eating around 2 ounces every four hours now. He has developed a diaper rash, or at least I think, I'm not very skilled at this mother thing yet. I think it will be really hard to get rid of because he doesn't straighten his legs out and so that moisture just hangs out between his leg and his belly. He also stays awake for a long time in the afternoon/early night. He stays awake for like 3 hours straight, I don't think he is supposed to do that. He got his first real bath tonight, what a trip, he doesn't like baths! It didn't take a genius to figure that one out! That is all the news I have to share today!

This says it all.....

New pics

Day 18

Boy it has been a long time since I have been able to update, but we finally have our internet turned back on. I know most of you already know that we came home on monday afternoon. He was having some trouble eating like they wanted to this past weekend when we roomed in with him. The problem is that he sticks his tongue to the roof of his mouth and therefore couldn't suck, now that we know this we know how to get him to eat. Once he started eating there was no stopping him. We had a dr visit yesterday and he now weighs 4 pounds 10 ounces, BIG BOY! We are thrilled that he is gaining weight. The orthopedic pediatrician says his hip ultrasounds have all been normal and that he wants to see him back in two weeks for another one. We don't see the geneticist again for 6 months. We will be starting physical therapy hopefully next week to work on his legs that way to see if it will help. About his arm, they think that what caused it was an amniotic band. These bands are in the fluid of all pregnant women and can place themselves on any part of the body. For us it was the arm, for some they aren't so lucky it can deform the face or the trunk of the body. We feel very blessed to have such a special boy and know that this won't keep him from doing anything he wants to do! God still has big plans for him, we just don't know what yet! Well, I hope to blog more often now that the internet is back up, it may be boring day to day events from here on out so if you stop reading I will TOTALLY understand, lol. Have a great day!

Day 6

This morning comes with more good news. Since I last posted, Zeke got jaundice pretty bad and was on double light phototherapy. He had to stay on it a couple of days and is now down to one light. He has been having trouble digesting his food, but with the feeding tube is now up to 34 ml every four hours which is a little over an ounce. He is using his left arm and even puts his paci back in his mouth with it, it is AMAZING! It has almost been a week and it has flown by even faster since we don't have him at home. We have seen him almost every day, we stayed home Thursday to rest and when we came back so many things had already changed. He looked at us an stayed awake during all his feedings yesterday. We plan to stay today and come home tonight and then I will be coming back for a few hours each day next week while Dustin returns to work, so say a special prayer for him. We plan to come over together at least a couple of nights per week. Zeke is doing great and God is still working in his life, so keep sending prayers up for him. We don't have internet at home right now, so I won't get to blog every day, but will ocntinue to post updates when I can. Have a great weekend, we have a boy to go see!

Our Miracle--Meet Zeke Allan Church!

Zeke's Birth Day and Today

At 2 am on Monday morning, I started contracting, not a suprise. The doctor checked me at 3 am and I was dilated to a 2. He said that I had to go to labor and delivery so I am thinking so what. Then he says you can have an epidural whenever you get ready since you already are feeling the contractions, so I decided maybe they weren't kidding this time. By 5, I had my epidural. By 6, I had some spots that weren't numb and were called hot spots, which don't get numb. By 7, i was dilated to 4 and by 8 I was dilated to 10 and ready to start labor. At 8:39, Zeke came out screaming and boy could he get loud. They put him over in the bed and started checking him out. They called Dustin over to talk to him. They told him that he was breathing on his own and was looking good, but that they had a few ortho issues. His left side was very constricted in utero and his left arm is missing from the elbow down. His left leg also appears to be turned outward, but they aren't sure if it is because his hip is out of place or if it is just his foot. They take him out of the room to be admitted to the NICU. The nurse brought him over for me to look at and told me he was 4 pounds 1 oz and 17 inches long. Once he was gone, Dustin and I got some much needed time alone. We talked about how glad we were he came out screaming and he explained to me what the doc had told him. We both thanked God for our little blessing and then we decided that we should tell the family before we went upstairs to see our little man. We told our parents and they informed the other visitors we have that our boy had a couple of problems. When we got to the NICU we were overjoyed to see he still was breathing 100% on his own. He was happy and healthy from what they could tell. I spent the next few hours in my room with family while Dustin took each one in and out of the NICU to see him. Dustin was completely exhausted so we decided to go in together and visit with Zeke alone. It was wonderful to get to be together as a family, we both even got to hold him. We came back to the room and after the family left we crashed. I woke up several times to call the NICU and each time we heard good things. He started eating 6cc's of formula every 4 hours last night at 8 pm and has been doing that ever since. We are so excited about that too.

Today has been another good day for him. We woke up and tried to get to his first feeding this morning but there were too many people in and out of our room to make it! The resident came in first thing this morning and said I had to go home and I asked if I could stay one more night, because I hadn't walked that much the day before and would feel more comfortable. He told me I had to get back to the real world and that wasn't happening, well guess what he is a resident and he has a boss. When the attending came in I was sure to tell him what the resident had said and he said he wasn't letting me go home today anyways. I was thrilled because there was still so much to do and learn before I would feel comfortable going home. We saw several doctors in the NICU today. The first was a ortho pediatrician. He explained the xrays to us. The left arm has the ulna, but not the radius bone and he has mobility so that is a really good sign. His legs are not dislocated, they will ultrasound his hip joints in 6 weeks to determine if they are growing incorrectly or if it is just his feet that are. If it is his feet, he will be put in a series of braces from 2 months of age to 10 months of age to straighten them out. If it is the hip, he will wear a brace for that too, didn't say how long on that. Then we saw a geneticist who told us that he was going to do ultrasounds on the abdomen and brain, and get a cardiologist to do an ECHO and compile that with our history to determine if the problem is genetic but he believes it is not from initial review. He believes that since the arm forms before 21 weeks that it is not due to the PPROM. He said the blood flow was restricted to the arm and that is probably why it didn't continue to develop. He said we were lucky because the blood flow could just have easily been restricted to the head or legs or any other body part. He said our boy was lucky, but I say he is just meant to be! The cardiologist did an ultrasound of his heart and had all normal findings. They have an IV in his head so they haven't done the brain ultrasound yet. They hope he will be able to eat enough not to need the iv soon. Tonight he is having trouble digesting his food. His tummy can't digest all the food they are giving him because he isn't stooling quite enough. So he throws up at every feed. They decided they needed an accurate measure of intake/outake so they put in a feeding tube, this will also keep him from aspirating if he throws up. Now that he has seen all his doctors he is in a closed bed to keep him warm and quiet, this is a good thing, the open bed is for babies that are at high risk for problems.

We will be going home tomorrow, how you go home and leave your baby here I am not sure. We will figure it out together just like we have everything else. God has pulled us past every obstacle and I know he isn't about to stop now, he is so AMAZING and so is our miracle baby. My momma always said I would never know how much she loved me until I had a child of my own and she is so right, the love of a child is more amazing than I ever imagined. Please keep remembering all of us in your prayers. Zeke is a fighter and I can't wait to see him again in the morning or in the middle of the night if I want, lol! Sorry it took so long to post, we have been doing so much and are exhausted.

Day 87-5 days to go!

This morning I woke up sick at my stomach again at 5 am, but luckily after a little while was able to go back to sleep. We didn't go to sleep until around 1:30 because Dustin wants to watch every event on the Olympics, they are on all the time though, lol. Then at 8:30, ultrasound came for us so we didn't get much sleep. When we came back, I was feeling really achy all over so the nurse practitioner came in to check on me. I didn't have a temp or any tenderness so they gave me some tylenol and I was able to go back to sleep. Dustin was very sweet and watched the USA vs China with the tv on mute so I could rest. I slept until around 12 and then he fixed some soup for me. He really is a great guy! I am feeling a little better now and we are watching the movie Rebound. The day is approaching quickly, so hard to believe it has been over 12 weeks. Hope everyone has a great day! : )

Day 86-6 to go!

The orders have been made and there shouldn't be any reason that I won't be induced on Friday morning! The chief of staff was in today and said that an attending doctor would be in the delivery room with the resident which makes me feel very good. I was concerned because a new group of residents just started, first year residents that have never had much hands on experience is a bit scary. The resident that came in this morning was obviously a first timer, poor thing was as nervous as could be, they are very thorough though, lol. Our ultrasound today was good, 2 buzzes but no prodding to get him to practice breathing. I am still having contractions, hoping that means he comes out quickly and easily on Friday. We have had plenty of company today. This morning Terry and Perry came by, then Dad and Granny got here right after they left, and finally Michael and Heather came to see us. We visited from 10-5 which pretty much knocks out the day, so glad to have visitors. Tomorrow, no one is coming that we know of, then Monday is Rachel and Bryan, Tuesday is Mom, Wednesday is Robby and Angie, Thursday-day before he comes probably just rest and freak out that we are about to be parents, and then Friday is birth day. If everything goes as it is now, I will get to come back to my antepartum room with "my nurses" after delivery. If these rooms get full, I will have to move down the hall with the post partum nurses. That is our week in a nut shell. Now that it is coming to a close, I have all sorts of feelings. I feel anxious and excited to see him, but I also feel strange to think I won't be pregnant anymore. Keep praying for us and having faith that God will continue to work miracles.....

Day 85

What a wild night! It started around 11 last night with contractions that were more painful than usual. They put me on the monitors, a new resident came in to see me, but he didn't make us go to l&d. I contracted all night until around 6 this morning, then I went to sleep for a couple hours before it was time to move. We moved upstairs around 9 and I went to get my ultrasound. Zeke was very awake at ultrasound and got all his points quickly without being poked, which I loved. Our new room is good! Today we have been resting from last night.

Our nursery is now painted and ready for furniture. Dustin and I can't wait to put our crib together and add a few finishing touches when we get home! Rachel, Bryan, Abbi, and Robert did a great job and we REALLY appreciate it. I have added some pics for you to see!

Day 84-8 days to go

Today is going great, Zeke looked good on ultrasound today. We were starting to get worried the last few days he hasn't been real active, guess he heard us talking about that to the docs and decided to wake up more often, lol. The resident that accepted us as a transfer patient that first night hasn't been here in a few months because he has been on a different rotation. He reminded me this morning that he told me that night I would deliver in a few days and continued to go on and on about how amazing this is. He and the maternal fetal medicine doctor both talked to us about delivery today. The plan is to induce early on the 15th, if not needed before, and see how things progress, if I haven't delivered in 24 hours then I will have a c section. They are hoping that I will be able to have a quick and easy delivery since i have had contractions all this time. Tomorrow is the big move, we have to go upstairs so they can do major cleaning and remodeling down here, so we will spend the night packing up. Thanks for the encouraging words and prayers they are what get us through, more tomorrow.........

Day 83

Today has been a good day, Zeke is moving around really good today, he has been a sleepy boy lately. He did pretty good on his ultrasound, but has been moving alot since then too. Our nursery is coming right along, thanks to Rachel and Bryan. It is painted red on top and white on bottom and will have a chair rail in between. I just saw a pic and it looks really good guys! When we go home in 12 days or so, we will be able to get the furniture in there and we will be ready for Zeke. Not that the furniture matters, he will be in his bassinet for a while in our room. We are glad that it will be painted and fume free when he gets to come home. I will be happy as long as the nursery is finished by the end of the year, he won't know the difference anyways! We picked a pediatrician today and called to make sure they would take him. They said they would and told me to fax his records every day or so from the NICU to them so he could be ready for him. The best part is Angie will be our nurse, expect some phone calls Ang, lol! The days are going by slower and slower, but I am still trying to remember to savor every moment of the pregnancy cause I know I will miss those little kicks! God has been such a blessing to us and I know it is because of the large amount of prayers that have went up for us, thanks to everyone who is praying it means more than you will ever know. Have a good evening!

March for Babies

I have started a team for the March of Dimes March for Babies which will be at Jacksonport State Park the first Saturday in October. I am recruiting team members, everyone is welcome to join our team and walk with us for Zeke or a baby in your family. The money that is collected is not to benefit us but the March of Dimes in their efforts to research prematurity and how to lower the numbers of premature births that occur each year. I am not sure that I will be able to walk, but wanted to have a team anyway to support the March of Dimes so that someday mothers might not have to go through what we and so many others have gone through. The address where you can go to join our team is www.marchforbabies.org/jilldustzeke
Please join us to help the March of Dimes!!!

Day 82

This morning we woke up a little earlier to be ready for our ultrasound. We ate breakfast, then lunch, then.......we got our ultrasound around 1, usually its more like 10. That passed a big part of the day. They were much softer today, that other lady wasn't here. He made all of his movements after some prodding. Dustin has gone out for movies and some Sonic food. This Friday we have to move (not sure if I have mentioned that or not). They will be cleaning these rooms from top to bottom so we will move up one floor and then back down to a different room when we deliver and then back up to a different room after delivery, Dustin is not at all excited about packing! We have been sending stuff home for two weeks trying to thin things out, but there is still quite a bit. Only 10 more days.......exciting!

Day 81

Today has been a rather eventful day. We woke up this morning and got ready for ultrasound. We went to ultrasound around 11 and we got a new girl that was doing our ultrasound. She didn't know how to use the machine, didn't seem like she knew how to look for the pockets of fluid and didn't try which aggrevated me, and was kind of rude. Everyone here has been so friendly and good to us, guess we have gotten spoiled. She didn't find any fluid pockets, she had long nails and kept scratching me, and she hit my baby too many times (boy lifes rough, lol). When we got back, I ate my lunch and then it was off to the NICU for our tour. The tour went great, we even got to see some of the babies that their parents were on our floor over the past few weeks. They showed us the ICU which is where the babies stay until they get stable, some stay there a long time. The next room was the step down unit or the CCU where the babies have their own cubicle and the parents do almost everything such as feeding changing, etc. We found out that we CAN be in there 20 hours of the day we have to leave during shift change. There can only be two visitors at a time and the visitors must wear gloves and a gown and can't enter if they are sick at all. We don't have to wear gloves, they want us to touch the baby and get him use to our feel. You have to scrub down your hands and arms each time you enter for two minutes, which I do remember doing when Abbi was born (oh yea and don't forget your antibacterial gum, lol). The rooms they have for us to stay in are on a day to day basis. I think the needing a place to stay thing has resolved itself, because I think I am going to need to be at home resting more than I had anticipated. I thought I would just come up here and sit by his bed all day, wrong. I got winded in the wheel chair for 30 minutes. They did say I could call every hour and check on Zeke if I wanted. We will probably try to come every day, but I sure won't be at his side for 16 hours a day like I had thought. I am not sure how a mother leaves a child as it seems unnatural to me, but I am sure we will figure it out just like we have everything else, through God! When we got back, I slept and am now ready for my supper, lol, eating is the highlight of my day. I have gained 22 pounds all together ( I won't mention that I have gained ALL of it since I have been in the hospital, actually it has ALL been in the last 6 weeks.) The doctor said its okay to gain 2o-25 pounds and I said yea in a 40 week pregnancy with fluid and he just laughed and said the bed thing was most of it. We laughed and then he said my face was swollen, I guess he was trying to make me feel better about the 22 pounds. He said it would be about 6 weeks, if I deliver normally, before I would be close to normal activity level. If I have a section it could be closer to 10 weeks! He also said I could drive after a week for regular delivery and 4 weeks for a section, I sure hope Zeke handles the delivery like a strong little boy and that I won't need a section! This is the longest blog, we got so much info today that I needed to pass on, hope your night is great!

Day 80-12 to go!

Today we have several visitors, Travis, Dad, Chan and Nick (they haven't made it yet)! All is well this morning, a few contractions but what's new? We only have 12 days to go, I am still in awe and so are the doctors. They have even begun to use the word miracle, how great is that? We are ready to see our little stubborn boys face but I will gladly wait 12 more days! If they make me wait longer than that I might get cranky though. We should still get to go for our NICU visit early this week, can't wait to ask some of the questions we have been wondering about. Dustin and Travis went to look at a motel again yesterday, it was in a safer neighborhood than the ones they looked at the day before. They thought they were in an okay neighborhood but then the nurse said she wouldn't stay there without a gun so we decided that was not a good place for us! We know God will provide us a place to stay that is safe, he hasn't brought us this far to give up on us now, but please keep that need in your prayers also. Enjoy your sunday, updates tomorrow!

Day 79

Today has been a really good day. We woke up this morning around 10, then around noon the boys went out shopping. They went to the mall to look around, to look for motels, to get movies and then to Kroger. They got some groceries and now we are watching Shutter. Last night was the funny part of Travis' trip, they went out to get Breaking Dawn (the new twilight book). For those of you who haven't read it, it is about vampires and werewolves. Dustin called Hastings and they told him you had to be there before midnight to be able to buy a book at midnight and that they would be having a party for the book. When they got there, people were dressed up wearing team jacob and team edward shirts and other assorted costumes. There were people in there forcing buttons and stickers upon them, Dustin kept saying he was just buying the book for his wife but they kept on. They were asking him trivia questions to which he said he didn't know. All in all it was quite an experience for him. I tried to tell him it wold be like when the Harry Potter books came out, he said no way any book would be that popular but when he came back he had a different view. Travis was telling me all the crazy stuff they did and I think whether they will admit it or not it was kinda fun to see how crazy everyone was over the book. We are gonna watch movies all night and be lazy, what better to do on a saturday anyways! Enjoy your night!

32 weeks today!

How exciting, we made it to 32 weeks, God is great. It has been 11 weeks since our journey began, that is so hard to believe! Only 2 more weeks to birth day, which is hard to believe too. When he gets here he will have to go to the Neonatal ICU (NICU) where he will be evaluated for a few days, if everything is ok we might only have to stay here a couple of weeks (they really don't like to send them home until at least 36 weeks gestation). We pray that he will be a very healthy little boy with strong lungs. They pretty much know he will need extensive physical therapy because he didn't have any fluid to move about in (thats another reason to stay in the NICU). Anyways to the point, we are supposed to be getting to go up and check out the NICU, hopefully by at least early next week. I remember being up there to see Abbi, but I don't remember much about it. I hope this will keep me from being so shocked when we go there to see Zeke. It is impossible to comprehend God's grace and mercy, but I am so thankful that he provides it to all of us. I am just in awe of his power, as I am sure you know by now because I seem to go on and on.

This afternoon we will have some visitors, my Granny, Lisa, Tommy, and Travis. Travis is going to stay with us for a couple of days. I am sure he will think the hospital is the best of all the trips he has made this summer. I think that the boys are going to go stand in line to get the new twilight series book for me, I can't wait to read it! I have all my lesson plans complete for my sub and should have plenty of time to read it before Zeke arrives, unless he surprises me! Enjoy your day as I know we will : )

Day 77

Today has been a good day. They woke us up for our ultrasound this morning. Zeke wasn't awake at all and he was hitting his snooze button, so we had to stay in there a really long time and they buzzed him and poked him alot. They poked him so much they made me sore so I can only imagine how he must feel. He was breathing good, just didn't want to move around. He finally made a couple of small movements so she let us go and gave us a passing score. She said if he didn't get his score for moving they would have us come back in a few hours and try again before they would induce labor. They just want to make sure he is doing better inside than he could outside and if he stops moving then he isn't. We only have 15 days left until he will be here, its getting really exciting. Every day that passes is a true gift from God and I love how God turned this bad situation into something so wonderful. We will be so excited when we get to bring him home, however, we probably will just stay in Memphis while he is in the hospital so I will keep posting since I won't see most of you until we ALL get to come home! Keep praying for our family, it has made such a difference in our lives!!! Have a great day : )

Day 76

Last night was another adventure, but we didn't have to make the trip to L&D thank goodness. I started contracting around 330 yesterday and by 9 I still hadn't stopped. They checked to see if I was dilated and there was no change, in fact, the resident even said she didn't think I was even dilated 1 cm like they had said before. She said she still wanted me to go to L&D to be monitored so we began preparing to move rooms again. A few minutes later the resident came back in and said I have been talking with your nurse and we are both sure you will be able to come back over here in a little while so we are going to let you just stay here if you promise to tell us if there is a change. They should know I would tell them, I tell them EVERYTHING, LOL. I guess they have to make sure because just yesterday they went in to check on the patient next door and she was gone, she had just left the hospital without telling anyone. People never cease to AMAZE me. This morning the contractions are slower. I have been reading and Dustin had to go get Chinese again, this is the third day that he has eaten it for lunch and supper. We are all doing good right now!

Day 75

Today has been a good day! We have had all good reports from the doctor about Zeke's heart tracings and I haven't had alot of contractions. I am reading the book Penny suggested "The Shack" and it is really good. Mom is here visiting and Dustin is trying to decide if he wants to go to the mall or not. Hope everything is good back home, more tomorrow.....

Day 74 #2

The dr. just came in and let us know about our ultrasound. He said that everything looks good and that Zeke is a good size. Average size is 3 pounds 12 ounces by 32 weeks so he only has 1 ounce to gain by Friday to stay at the average size. We are so thankful that God is keeping him strong and allowing him to grow before he is born, it would be so much harder for him to grow on the outside. Thanks for your prayers, keep them going up! More tomorrow.....

Day 74-18 to go

This morning we went for our ultrasound. He passed all his tests and weighs 3 pounds 11 ounces. He is still growing and getting stronger every day. The dr hasn't been in to talk to us yet today, but we did find out his weight at the ultrasound. We are excited and will write more this afternoon after we see the dr.

Day 73-19 to go!

Today has been a really good day. We had company today, Rachel and Bryan. They got here around lunch, the boys went out for Chinese and Rachel and I had pizza. We aren't big fans of Chinese food. We visited for a little while and then the boys went back out for ice cream and movies. We decided to go ahead and get the blockbuster pass started back up so we could rent a few more movies over the next few weeks. I think it will really help to pass the time. I got my new book to read today and am about to get started tonight! We have had all really good results from our doctors today, they are all still amazed and so are the nurses, glory to God is all I can say, its nothing that any human could have done. Tomorrow is the big ultrasound, I have had a few to guess, I will let you know who is closest tomorrow around noon after we have been (sometimes it is noon before we get it done though). Have a great night!

Day 72-20 to go!

Today is another good day! Our resident that said if I was still here when he came back in a couple of weeks that he would cry was here this morning, I didn't hold him to the cry though. He was really excited to see us and turned on our lights at 5:30 a.m. for a visit. Dustin isn't used to this, he usually sleeps through my morning dr visit. I have a sore throat and a bit of a cold so I couldn't go back to sleep and he couldn't go back to sleep either after he had talked to the doc for a few minutes. He got out of bed around 6 and decided he would go out and get breakfast and run errands early. He ate at Perkin's and then went to Walmart for some much needed items. I eventually fell back asleep and when I woke up at 9 Dustin had brought in a chicken bagel from Chick-Fila, my favorite breakfast! Then we both took a morning nap before Dad and Cyn arrived. They brought us Red Lobster and visited for a few hours. After they left, we got really bored! We get bored easily these days, only a few more days left and we won't get the chance to be bored. I have all my lesson plans finished and haven't gotten into another book lately, I am awaiting a book from Penny and the next book in the twilight series. I should have time to read both before August 15th. We are about to watch the UFC fights on CBS, how fun is that? Have a good night!!!!!

Day 71

Today has been a good day. We have been visiting with Lisa and Granny Alvalene today. We had a good visit! Our day has been uneventful which I can't say is a bad thing, so that is why today's blog entry is short. All is well, keep praying, today is Friday, lol!

Day 70

Today I want to start by telling you something that happened last night. Mom was on her way home from the hospital and she stopped in Jonesboro to get gas. When she got out of her car a bunch of kids rushed up behind her and said they wanted to give her $25 for gas, she thought they were kidding. When she got ready to pay for her gas they came back and she realized they were serious. She said she couldn't take their money and began talking to them. She said she had been to see us and the kids said they were just out trying to help people. As it turns out, they were a group of kids from Walnut Street Baptist Church in Jonesboro. After hearing about us, they wanted to help so they gave Mom some money and one boy even pulled some money out of his pocket to add to it. Then they asked if she minded if they prayed for us and they prayed with her right there. These kids were out doing random acts of kindness and God's work and I am sure they touched many lives other than just ours. Its so great to know these kids were out doing this when they could have been doing anything else. It really touched my life to realize these kids had the time in their lives to stop and listen and pray for someone they had never met, that is awesome, glory to God.

Now for the technical stuff. We started out with an ultrasound this morning. He scored his 6/8 like usual, but it was harder than normal to get him moving. They used that awful buzzer again, he HATES it. He head butts it when they put it on his ear. It makes me want to cry because I know he hates it so bad. This afternoon the nurse practitioner came in and decided to let me go outside for a about 30 minutes. Dustin wheeled me around for about 20 minutes until I was very tired and needed to come lay down. I took a nap and I feel better now. Today made me realize more than ever that I will not be able to bounce back quite as quickly as I had previously thought. Have a good evening, more tomorrow!

Day 69

Today has been a very productive day for me. I got my lesson plans finished for the first four weeks of school. This is exciting, maybe a few more days and I can be done and have it off my mind until I go back to school. We have been doing very well today, hardly any heart rate drops during the times I was on the monitor. The dr. came in this afternoon and said he was going to do biweekly ultrasounds from now on, so we will be making trips to ultrasound every Monday and Thursday from now until August 15th, how exciting is that? On Monday the 28th and Monday August 11th they will do fetal weight, cant wait to see how much Zeke has grown on Monday. We do a pool here at the hospital what his weight will be if anyone wants in, however, there isn't a prize, lol. My dr. in Jonesboro, who calls about once a week, called today and he asked a question that I hadn't asked the dr yet. He wanted to know how many cases of people that broke their water as early as I did made it this far so I had to ask this afternoon when he came in. He said in the last twenty years, he could count them on one hand. This just goes farther to prove what faith and prayer can do! Hope your day is going well, let you know about the ultrasound tomorrow!

Day 68 #2

Day 68

Today has been a good day, we aree on the monitor right now and he is doing well and I haven't had any contractions so far. The dr. hasn't been by yet today, so no news there. Mom is here to visit today and tom. She brought me some more work for school and I did most of it. We are having a good day, hope you are too.

Day 67

Another quiet day to be thankful for! Today I have had a few contractions here and there, but at least they aren't sending me back to L&D. Zeke is kicking like he should so we aren't worrying too much. We asked the dr. today if we would deliver when we got to 34 weeks or if he would say lets just see how things go. He informed us that the day I turn 34 weeks they would deliver him, so that day is August 15 and we will have a baby within the next 3 and a half weeks. It is hard to believe, so far it has been so natural to take care of him by staying in the bed, not so sure about the taking him home thing, lol. I am sure I will know what to do then too, however, I'm sure we will be extra careful about everything since he has such a high risk of getting RSV which can be fatal to him but presents as a cold in adults. We are excited about the idea of getting to hold this precious miracle. Today has been a pretty boring day, which I love. Dustin has been watching tv and I have been working on lesson plans for my maternity leave. I am finished with the first two weeks, hopefully I can be done by the time he gets here so I can spend all my time with him. Hope everyone is having a great day.......

Day 66

Last night was another rough one! We went to bed early hoping to catch up from the night before. I even was going to sleep and try not to be obsessed with kick counts as that is the only real way I know he is ok when I am not on the monitor. We slept well until about 12 and i woke up cramping. When I got up, I was bleeding so they put me on the monitor. Zeke was fine, but I was contracting about 3 minutes apart. The doctor came in and checked to see if I was dilated and I had only dilated to 1 cm. They sent us back to labor and delivery to be monitored. We went back to sleep as soon as we were settled and left it all in God's hands, we knew we would need our sleep. Around 3 am, Zeke's heart rate dropped to around 60 again for over a minute. Several nurses rushed in and told me to turn on my other side. They were getting out the oxygen to put on me when his heart rate popped back up, music to our ears. They said they would watch closely and might come back in soon if it happened again. It never did! My contractions slowed and stopped hurting as bad. This morning they did an ultrasound and he is still doing good. Then we got to move back to our room, it feels like we are in a hospital in that other room, here we feel at home.

Day 65

This morning has been a little better than last night. Last night was the scariest so far. Zeke's heartrate was dropping with every contraction and once it stayed down for way too long. Just as the nurse rushed in I got in a different position and his heartbeat came back. They sent us back to our regular room which means we will only be monitored three times daily instead of continuously. This is very good because being on the monitor makes me anxious, but bad because I can't tell if he is laying on his cord or not. They have given me other methods to check on the baby and I can get on the monitor at any time I am worried. God continues to watch over us through all of this, we just have to keep that in mind when we worry (much easier said than done). Today I just ask that you pray that our faith will continue to be strong, it is what has gotten us this far. We are so thankful for all the encouraging words that have been sent by mouth, card and through the blog. You really will never know how much we appreciate it! Have a great day!

Day 64

Today has been a stressful day. I started contracting at around 12 and still haven't stopped. As you know, water and turning on my side usually works but today it hasn't yet. They have avoided sending me to L&D but at this point there is no other option because they have to monitor Zeke all night. This afternoon he was having a deceleration every time I had a contraction. They were scared he might have a prolapsed cord, but he is showing signs of doing better now. We had a couple of decisions to make today and we were so scared we would make the wrong decision. We began to pray and God answered quickly, our high risk specialist showed up and made the decisions for us. Then I began to worry about being taken off the monitor since he had been showing signs of distress and the dr. came in and said they were moving us to L&D to be monitored all night. God is so great!!! There probably won't be any updates until we get back from L&D but please keep praying for us, pray for God's will and that he will keep our family safe and healthy.

Day 63

Today has been an okay day, nothing bad to report. Dustin and I didn't fall asleep until 4 am because I was sick with indigestion, a sore throat, an earache and I was having contractions. Then they woke us up at 6, 8, and 9 for doctors or nurses to check me out. We haven't been able to nap today either so we are both a little cranky today. I'm sure we have made wonderful company for Lisa (who slept through most of the ruckus last night). She and Dustin went out to get some groceries and a movie this afternoon and I got some much needed quiet time (no tv on, lol). After they got back we watched College Road Trip which we thought was pretty cute. Now we are just trying to stay up until bedtime so we don't get our days and nights mixed up (as if Zeke doesn't already do that)! Hope everyone is doing well........more tomorrow! : )

Day 62

Today has been another good day! I have been a little stir crazy today and had a bit of a cough and sore throat, but that is no biggie comparatively. They were a bit concerned at first thinking it might be the first signs of a uterine infection and I told them I was pretty sure it was just sinuses, but they came in and did all kinds of checking and found that Zeke looked really good as always. I asked the doctor what day he had planned for me to deliver if I made it to 34 weeks and he said lets just wait and see, I told Dustin it is because he doesn't think we will make it. Only God knows when this little stubborn boy will make his way into this world!

Day 61

Today is another good day! Each day I am more and more amazed at how well we are all doing. Each day I see 3 doctors, 1 nurse practitioner, and have multiple exams by my nurse. The first dr. is a resident, then his attending comes by, and finally the high risk specialist. We have shocked the high risk specialist and the OB's every day, so for the residents this is really an exciting case. My favorite resident, who was with us the last time we were in labor and delivery, was on duty last night and this morning. He only makes rounds in this hospital every couple of weeks, so when he got here last night and saw my name on his list of patients he was rather shocked. When he came in this morning, he checked me out and then as always sat down to answer my questions (most of the residents don't have any bedside manner and they never answer questions), he was barely able to talk to me because he just kept saying I just can't believe your still here! He did answer a few questions and told me that he felt like Zeke's foot would move out of the way during delivery and I wouldn't need a section for that reason. Before he left, he said I will see you in another couple of weeks and if you are still here we will have to cry together. I have said it a hundred times, but the power of God is great. I think some of these doc's are starting to realize that too, at least I hope so! Have a great day, keep remembering us in your prayers, and I will update again tomorrow!

Day 60

We had an ultrasound today, Zeke is 3 pounds 6 ounces, he has gained a whole pound. I had 3 cm of fluid which is the most I have had in a few weeks. We are really proud of our little boy! He was still using his breathing muscles and moving about really well despite his lack of movement. While we were in there today, we got to see him move the leg that is up over his head so at least for now it is not fused to his head. Zeke is doing great!

Rachel and Bryan came to see us today and they have kept us entertained. The boys went out to get us Friday's this time, it was really yummy. Mom is here now and will be staying until Wednesday. We are so thankful for visitors.

Day 59

Today has been a busy day! We woke up and had our form of church and a visit from Natalie Moon. After that, we decided today would be a good day to register. We spent the afternoon registering at Walmart and Target. They don't put simple, cheap stuff on the website so I wasn't able to put that kind of stuff on my registry. I had to put gift sets down that included the stuff, like the Johnson's Bedtime Bath set and sets that had brush, comb, tweezers, bulb syringe, clippers, etc. We also put down a set of spoons, forks, bowls, and cups because we were unable to put down the individual items. We put down a few clothing items but are really unsure what size to put down for what season at this point, we already have tons of preemie clothes thanks to what I bought and what Kathy sent. We really enjoyed picking stuff out and we figured we might not have time later! We had a really good day, very quiet, more tomorrow.

Day 58 #2

I just can't believe it! I know I say this often, but when nurses and high risk specialists come in day after day shocked that I am still here it just really puts things into perspective. A nurse who has worked in the antepartum units here and at the Med says the longest she has ever seen someone go is 4 weeks, one of the dr. says 7 weeks, and here we are well past 8 weeks. Around 8 weeks ago, many doctors, with the exception of my dr. who is praying for us daily, suggested that we induce labor and deliver our baby. At that point, all I knew was that it wasn't God's way and I had to have faith. The doctor came in today and said I was his "rockstar" and that he was now using me as motivation to other ladies who come in in my situation, how powerful is that. God is using us in more ways than we realize! Many say how do you just lay in that bed, I couldn't do that, but the truth is NONE of us know what we would do until we are dealt that hand. If you would've asked me if I could be away from home, in a hospital, in bed, not able to do every day tasks and have someone take care of me 8 weeks ago, I would have told you there is no way I could handle that emotionally, but here I am and God is keeping me as strong as ever, its unexplainable. I know that I am here because it is God's purpose for me right now, I can't imagine what his purpose is in Zeke's life but it must be big! Sorry for the long post, just felt the need to share God's overwhelming power with you, have a great Sunday!

Day 58

Another day down, how exciting! God just keeps blessing us with another day and we are just so thankful. We had company today, Dad and Cyn came to see us and as they were leaving to go eat Randy Sheryl and the girls stopped by on their way home from vacation. They seemed like they had a really good time, especially Montanna. We will have another ultrasound on Monday to weigh Zeke, we hope he is over 3 pounds now! Keep us in your prayers!

Day 57

Today has been a slow day, we have been so fortunate to have company that not having any today made the day go by slowly. We have had a little excitement, last night I was having contractions 6 minutes apart again, but they stopped with fluids. Dustin keeps reminding me that someday that isn't going to stop the contractions. This afternoon I had some cramps so they checked my white count and it is still elevated but isn't any higher than the last time so they are just going to keep a closer eye on me for infection. We are doing very well other than that, we are about to start watching Lethal Weapon, we have 1-4. When the dr. came in, I was cramping and he didn't ask us about the shot and I didn't think about it, so I guess that was God's way of answering us for today! Thanks for your prayers, have a great night!

Day 56

First I have a couple of pics to post, this is the pregnant girls and the boys pretending they are pregnant!

Today has been a great day! We had company today, which always makes things better. Lisa and my Granny came to see us. They stayed with us all afternoon. They left around six and then we ate supper. Now we are watching Great American Dog. Chance got a hair cut today which I am sure was much needed and I was excited to hear that he is doing well even after a trip to the barber shop, lol. The doctor did tell us today that we have a big decision to make about getting a booster steroid shot. He explained to us that the steroid shot we got at 24 weeks was the most helpful for 7 days. After that there aren't enough studies to show if it is still helpful. Therefore they give a booster, usually at 28 weeks, to help their lungs again. The only thing is it is still only good for 7 days and there is a risk that this booster can cause more developmental problems because it hasn't been throughly studied. If I don't deliver in the next week, it is virtually useless and could do more damage than it is worth. We are really scared about having to make this decision ourselves, but we know that God will help us! Please pray for this need tonight as we will be discussing it with the dr. further tomorrow afternoon!

Day 55

Sorry it is so late and I am just now posting! It has been raining all day and our electric kept flickering so we had to keep the computer off for a little while and then our internet was down. We are all doing good today, once again we spent the afternoon watching old movies, today it was Men of Honor! We also got to visit my aunt Janet and my Granny (Happy Birthday to her). We had a good visit! This evening, Dustin is playing his PSP and I am about to read for a few hours and then go to bed. Everything just keeps going great, I know that one day I will wake up or suddenly go into labor, but I try not to think about it often. Everyone knows I am such a planner and he is not going to be a planned event, lol! I am dealing with it pretty good though! Yesterday, I got it in my head that I had to get a car seat and I had to get it now. Dustin thinks I should wait and go to the store and look at them and I just felt the need to get it done, however, he won because I couldn't find one that I just felt right about. He is right though it will be alot more fun if I wait and go out and register and look for stuff to buy afterwards! Thanking God for one more day and all of you for one more day of prayer..........

Day 54

Today has been another good day! We got to see our little buddy this morning. Unlike we had been told before, he does still have his leg over his head. He still doesn't have much fluid built up, but he is producing it because his bladder and tummy were full. He was smacking his lips like he wanted some more but he wasn't getting much! The placenta and the cord look excellent. He was moving around alot and hiccuping. He was also breathing (moving his diaphragm up and down preparing to breathe at birth, it confused me that they called this breathing). They said that breathing and hiccuping are two things sick babies don't do. These are usually the first two signs that a baby is in distress. We had all great news today and are very excited. God just keeps blessing us day by day!

We have spent the afternoon watching a really boring movie, we have seen most of the new movies now. We got several cards and a package today. In the package were several little preemie outfits, they were so cute. Thanks Kathy and family, he will be styling!

Day 53

Today has been another good day! Dustin and I woke up early when the dr came in at 6:30 and did some sort of routine test on me. Dustin was so awake and couldn't go back to sleep, so he had to entertain me. When he decided to go to get some breakfast, I went back to sleep. We are kinda bored today even though we are doing stuff to keep busy. The childbirth class leader came in and had us watch some videos, I think they try to scare you to death telling you all the things that CAN happen. We were watching the labor video and Dustin says " Do we really need this, haven't we already done all that", I told him I didn't really understand either. I really don't want an epidural but when she told us that 99 percent of people do, Dustin said I think you better get one, lol. It was interesting and kept us busy for a little while. We will see the c section video on Wednesday. Tomorrow we will have an ultrasound to see how much fluid we have. Keep us in your prayers and we will update again tomorrow.

Day 52

Today has been a really good day. Dustin and I spent the morning being lazy before our company arrived. Daddy and Cynthia came and brought barbeque and a suprise, Mamaw. It was really good to see her, this was the first trip she got to make! Our lunch was delicious thanks to Dad who is a really good cook no matter what he says. After lunch, Nick and Chandra came in. They brought our crib bedding we had ordered for us to look at and then some stuff for some other projects she is working on for Zeke's room. I am excited about it! We are doing the room in razorbacks. I posted the bedding above, imagine it in red though. Also, we want to do our walls like this with the wainscot at the bottom if anyone knows how to do it and would like to offer Dustin some advice about how to do it. We are going to paint the top red and the bottom will be white as shown or at least hopefully that is how it will end up. All monitoring has been good today........until tomorrow.......

Day 51

Today has been a good day, we had visitors again. Lisa, Tommy, Travis, and Stewart came to see us. We visited and got to see all of Travis' pictures from D.C., what an experience that was for him. He educated us! My magnesium is still low so I had to have another bag of it in my IV. I haven't had many contractions today or much bleeding. Thanking God for one more day, more tomorrow!

Day 50 #2

This afternoon was about like the morning, my heart started racing, it got up to around 140 bpm. They called the cardiologist who ordered blood work and another EKG. The only thing they found was that my magnesium was low again. They hooked me up to an IV and gave me magnesium through it. After about 4 hours total, my heart rate slowed to under 100. They said a high heart rate could indicate I was starting to get an infection. Dustin needs extra prayers because he worries about us so much. Cody and Tanya came to visit which gave us something to do for a little while. After they left, Dustin went to Perkins to get us some supper, it was yummy. He plans to go outside and tape the fireworks so that I can see them! Happy 4th to everyone, more tomorrow!

Day 50-28 weeks

Today is our next big milestone, the one we have been praying for for 4 weeks. We are still going strong today! This morning we were awakened to contractions that were regular and 8 minutes apart, we are getting used to it. They had me to drink as much fluid that would be in 2 bags of fluid in an hour and lay on my side and they have subsided for now. We have been watching a movie this morning. We just got done eating lunch, I had Nachos, how healthy. Dustin is eating "the best ribs in Memphis" or so that is what the cafeteria workers say. He does think they are pretty good.

This morning as I was reading my devotional book, I came across something I wanted to share, you can use it in your life however it fits, but it definitely touched us.

I want you to face the mountain
so that you can see,
when the mountain is out of the way
all that is left is me.

Only I can move the mountain,
only I can push it away,
only I can conquer the problems
that you face today.

Your only job is to believe,
to listen to my voice
and when you hear what I command,
obedience is your choice.

But I will not make it too difficult
for the victory is already Mine,
and I will fill you with My Spirit
and through you My grace will shine.

Not when you are perfect,
like you think you need to be,
but when your heart is willing to
become more and more like Me.

Day 49

Today has been a great day, no bleeding, no contracting, no fever, and Zeke sounds great. We have been enjoying ourselves today, watching movies and reading as usual. We visited with Rick, Melinda, Matthew, Granny, and Gramps today for a little while. They took some pictures, which I hope Melinda will send to me! Zeke got a cute little doll that says a prayer from Granny and Gramps, it is so cute. Now we are watching Tombstone, Dustin has only seen it 100 times, lol. Well all is good for today, more tomorrow......

Day 48

This morning is going well, hardly any bleeding, no contractions, Zeke's heart rate is great, and all vitals were good. The doctor came in this afternoon and said "There she is the girl that defies all odds", I just laughed and thought you must not know my God. The truth is I haven't done anything except relax, watch tv, read, and love Zeke, what all mothers long to do so badly. God is doing all the hard stuff. We are getting so close to the next big milestone of 28 weeks, its Friday, only 36 more hours til then! Keep praying for us!

Day 47 #2

This afternoon the cardiologist came by and said he didn't see anything wrong in the Echo, but that I might have to wear a monitor for a month after having the baby just to see if there is some other reason for the tachychardia. They aren't putting me on any meds as of right now. We are still about the same this afternoon!

Day 47

Yesterday was a very eventful day! When we woke up, I started hemorrhaging blood and contracting. We were really nervous, but all we really knew to do was to start praying, so we did. They drew blood and my white count was up to 14,000 so that meant I could have an infection. At this point, they started getting us ready to go to the labor and delivery wing. Dustin started packing our stuff up, but we didn't have to actually take the stuff with us this time, they held our room. When we got to labor and delivery they monitored Zeke and I closely to make sure he wasn't suffering from the contractions. The dr. came in and checked me for dilation and I had dilated 1/2 cm, this made us think we had no choice but to deliver this time. However, God had other plans for us once again. When the dr. came back later and I was bleeding less, we asked if we could come back to our room and he said he didn't see any reason why we couldn't because Zeke looked really good and my bleeding had slowed considerably. Bryan and Rachel came to see us yesterday, so we spent most of our time in L&D laughing instead of worrying. I had an EKG and an Echo yesterday and the cardiologist should be by today to look at them and see me. This morning's assessment went well. No contractions, less bleeding, white count down to 13,400, Zeke looked good, and no temp. The only two negative things were that my magnesium is low and my total blood volume is down, imagine that! We are just hanging out as usual today, thanking God for one more day and thanking you for your many prayers that were sent up yesterday. Sorry if we worried anyone to bad, hoping for a better day today and will write tonight after the other doctors come by.