34 weeks and Counting Down the Days....

Well Well Well 2nd pregnancy. Oh the surprises you have for me. People say no two pregnancies are the same, so I guess my body is just proving that to me.
Here's my normal update, and then I can elaborate on what this week has been like.

How far along? 34 weeks + 3 days (because each specific day really counts now)

Maternity clothes? All the time. And the more pajama like they are, the better.

Weight Gain?  + 23 pounds so no real weight gain in the past month...

Stretch Marks? nope

Sleep? I've had a terrible cold for 2 weeks now with scratchy and burning throat, deep cough, red eyes with some gross eye boogies, and just a general appearance like I've been hit by a mac truck. Needless to say, sleep has been very hard to come by. Even for James, who says I snore when I'm sick :(

Movement? Yes, little Neil moves a lot, which I love and is very reassuring. I remember once Ian was born, it was a little sad that my belly was so still... so empty. Took some getting used to again.

What I Miss? Being able to nest and prepare. I will elaborate more below these questions, but I am now on complete bedrest until baby arrives, so I'm gonna say I miss pretty much everything.

Symptoms? Well, there's no doubt I'm pregnant, but this week's symptoms have included bleeding and cramping. No fun.

Food cravings? Having this cold has kept me from being able to smell and taste things for the last few weeks, so no real cravings. But as I'm on bedrest and people ask what they can bring me while I am in the hospital, I just keep mixing it up with my normal favorites and they've been so delicious. Thanks to everyone who's visited, but you get an extra gold star for bringing food (or flowers).

Food aversions? None in specific. But sometimes lifting the little hospital tray is disappointing and I just can't eat anything.

Best thing this week? Getting to spend time with my mom. Even though she's only come to visit for about an hour each day (she's on Ian duty), my mom's really been in this with me in the past couple of days and I feel like we're really bonding.

How Ian's doing with everything?  I haven't been away from Ian like this ever. I mean, he's done weekends away with grandparents, but this feels just so weird. We've had to have someone with him 24/7, as James continues to work, serve at church in prior commitments, and try to care for me as well. So while James sees Ian some, we've been creating a schedule of caregivers. It's so hard to know how long to keep scheduling as well. Is it a few more days? Weeks? We'll still need help after baby comes too.... soo... But Ian is doing great. 

What I’m Looking Forward to? Meeting Neil. At this point, some of the joys of nesting and preparing have vanished, but I am trying to soak up this bed rest time and see what Jesus may have for me in the quiet moments..

Weekly Wisdom? Go with your instincts. For some reason, I began very slowly packing a hospital bag a few weeks ago. Even though most folks wait till much closer, I just felt a nudge to get things together. I even put my shampoo and conditioner into little travel bottles, added in some of my favorite comfy clothes, and tried to think through other items I might need. Turns out, when I needed the bag quickly- it was there ready for me. I'm so glad I didn't wait or think it was too early to get stuff together.

Milestones? Neil is still cooking. That's milestone enough for me. We did have to go ahead and schedule the c-section at my last apt, so my April baby will officially be a March baby. Now we wait and see if he can wait until his scehduled date, or if he'll demand to be out sooner.

Next Appointment? Being in the hospital currently, every day feels like an appointment! But my next one in his office is scheduled for March 18th.

Sooo... Long story short- I had my OB appointment Monday and they confirmed I definitely need a c-section. We scheduled it and my heart was really ok with it. Now we had a clock, a countdown of sorts, and I had 21 days to get prepared for baby. And then the next morning I wake up bleeding and call my dr, who sends me to get checked out. I spent 4 days in the hospital, and then was released home to be on complete bed rest- only allowed up to use the bathroom and shower, and can sit up during meals. NOT the way I envisioned my month of March for sure. What's hard is that I really feel fine, so watching everyone cook and clean for me is a challenge. Plus, Ian is all around me at home, so I'm not actually free to watch Netflix or read books as people have suggested. BUT I do understand it could be years before I ever get time to put my feet up and really rest, so I'm trying to find those moments and soak them up as best I can. My number one job at this point is to keep baking this baby, one more day at a time.
Any of you ever been on bed rest and have any tips or pointers?

L J