Barvey Will MARCH Right On In!

In eleven days, I'll be the proud mother of TWO boys.

Yes. Eleven. Days.

I can hardly believe I'm typing those words.

Today was one of two scheduled non-stress test appointments I am required to have. After last week's pregnancy scare, where my blood pressure was pretty high, I've been on close watch by my doctors. I was put on bed rest and told that I need to take it easy.

For once, I listened. Sort of. 

It's quite hard to go on complete bed rest when you have another child. You still have to care for them. Even though people say they want to help, it is sometimes impossible for them to fit time in their schedule to do so.

I get it — we ALL have a life!

As much as I could, I stayed in bed all week. I only got up to use the bathroom. It gave me time to catch up on a few television shows and eat uncontrollably. I must say, it was kind of nice having to slow down and do nothing at all. Everyone should try this at least twice in life.

Fast forward to last night.

I could hardly fall asleep. I was so anxious about my doctor's appointment. Would there be more bad news? Would they want to take the baby even earlier? Would I fall apart completely?

So many questions. So little hours in the night to answer them all and manage to get a good night's rest.

I woke up this morning, got Kaden ready for school, then hit the bed again to rest a couple of hours before I was scheduled to visit the OB/GYN. I wanted to see if I could manipulate my blood pressure by remaining calm. I laid on my left side the entire time. Then, when the alarm went off, I ran a hot tub of water and soaked in Epson salt.

It was just what I needed.

The ride to the doctor's office was nerve-wrecking. I made sure to leave in enough time so that I was not stressed over being late. For some odd reason, I've been super punctual during my pregnancy. That's the one thing I'm going to miss.

Once at the doctor's office, I sat in the chair very calmly. I played a game of Ruzzle, answered a few e-mails and checked my Facebook account. Obviously.

"Ms. Smith," called the nurse, with a smile on her face as wide as my pregnancy feet. "You can come on back. We'll start with a urine sample, then we'll take your blood pressure and weight."

It's the same lines I've heard over the last few weeks. Still, it felt like the first time, each time.

I produced urine (never a problem there), then headed to the nurse.

She placed the blood pressure cuff on my arm and this time I took a deep breath. My thoughts were positive.

As the cuff grew tighter and tighter, I could feel my calmness slip away.

"130/80," said the nurse.

Although it's not the best reading, it was nice to hear a lower number than the week before. We were both excited. Even more exciting was the fact that I did not gain any weight. I must have drank enough water to get my water retention down. Even my ankles gave me a round of applause. Water has been a constant companion on my night stand. I don't think I'll ever drink another soda in my life.

I was hooked to the machine again to monitor baby's heartbeat and to see if I was having contractions. Baby's heartbeat is great. And I'm having contractions.

My doctor was awesome. Very personable. Very friendly. Very descriptive.

I like to ask a lot of questions. Not every doctor likes answering them, for some odd reason. However, this particular doctor made sure I completely understood what was going on and put me at ease.

To sum it all up, there is something going on with either my kidneys or the baby's kidneys. I would be more worried about the baby, but I've been told before from previous testing that there may be something weird going on with my kidneys.

I will be seeing a specialist this week to make sure everything is going smoothly with the baby and to get a handle on what the heck is going on inside.

My pre-eclampsia is mild, but it is causing a bit of concern.

So, next Friday, March 22, 2013, I will be holding a little baby in my arms. 

It's been a fun ride. My pregnancy, up until now, has been a delight. I can't complain.

I continue to ask for your prayers and blessings as I work on my health.

I've been given the opportunity to give life...it's only fair that I take care of mine.

This is going to be a busy next few days. My baby shower is this Saturday, too. I'll keep you posted.

Barvey will MARCH right on in...whether I like it or not.



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