Update on my long night! :)

I sat in triage in Labor and Delivery being monitored last night from 10PM to 6:30AM this morning. Thank you for all the prayers! I am so blessed and thankful my cervix did not change anymore even with all the crazy contractions I was having last night. I am still 50% effaced and dilated to nearly 2. They gave me another dose of steroids to help mature baby Jude's lungs since the first dose I had at 26 weeks. They felt since it has been so long since first dose it would benefit Jude to have a second dose now. It took them a while to get my contractions to calm down enough that they felt safe to send me home.

At 11:30PM I took my dose of Procardia and my contractions calmed down for a short while, but came back and were consistent and strong. Around 1:30AM-2AM they gave me the first injection of Terbutaline. This helped the contractions mellow out for about an hour then they came back with a vengeance! As time grew closer to 3:30AM they had me take my next dose of Procardia and gave me another injection of Terbutaline. This helped the contractions calm so after a couple hours (6AM) of little contractions they checked my cervix again and PRAISE JESUS it had not progressed anymore!! They released me to go home at 6:30 AM. I was quite excited about this because I had been awake for 24 hours and well I was pretty much a Zombie! haha I tried to sleep but the contractions were too consistent some painful and some just too annoying to be able to sleep. Not to mention that the triage beds feel like you are laying on bricks! lol

Of course, once I got home and ate breakfast it was about time to take my next dose of Procardia, which I could tell because the contractions returned. I took it and slept for 3 hours in MY bed!! woohoo! I still need more sleep, but I don't feel like a total zombie anymore! haha. Oh and I managed to sneak in another hour nap! :) Tonight I will be going to bed really early!

Today I have noticed I have a lot of pelvic pressure and pain, and I am still contracting on and off as my Procardia starts to wear off. Sadly, contracting like this as it nears the time to take my next dose has been fairly normal for me with the pregnancy. I always wondered if contracting hard for 30-1hr a day multiple times a day was enough to make cervical changes. Well, now I can say YES because I am making those changes. :/ I have an appt with my OB this Thursday the 5th, but I may try and change it to Monday or Tuesday especially since the OB that was dealing with my labor in the hospital last night was the OB on call for the weekend not my OB.

I will admit it is hard to push through the frustration and fear of the preterm labor and see the joy. I have to remind myself where my true joy really is and comes from. I know that my joy is in the LORD, and that HE will continue to be faithful and give Taylor and me the strength to make it through this trial. I received just a glimpse of His goodness and faithfulness as He blessed me with a nurse who is a sister in Christ. He laid it on her heart to pray over me/with me. So she held my hands and cried out to our GOOD GOD for his peace and comfort, and for His protection over sweet Jude. I have never been in the care of a medical professional who has prayed with me, but it was so needed and such a blessing to hear her pour her heart out to our Savior for me and this baby who she doesn't even know. It was so bittersweet! I say bittersweet because the circumstances of why I was there were not pleasant, but her genuinely crying out to the Lord for my family was beautiful!! Such a beautiful display of the cross! :)

I am so close to the end, but yet it feels so far away. I will be 33 weeks on Monday!! THANK YOU JESUS!!! I am so excited to be this far, and not any earlier in my pregnancy. My OB really wants this little boy to hang in there for 3 more weeks, and I would love that as well. Only God knows when he will be born. I do know that baby Jude will come on God's perfect timing, and He will grant us the grace to get through it whether he is born early or at term. I know that God is good and I have to continue to lay all my fears, struggles, anxieties, and doubt at the feet of Jesus. Even as scary as last night was I was in peace because I was resting in the comfort of my Lord, and knowing He is sovereign, good, and knows what we are experiencing better than anyone else. So I am resting in Him and the shadow of His wings.

Psalms 56:3-4 When I am afraid, I put my trust in you. In God, whose word I praise, in God I trust; I shall not be afraid. What can flesh do to me?

Matthew 11:28-30 "Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burned is light."

I was reminded of this verse last night by one of my sweet friends. Thank you.

Psalms 55:22 Cast your burden on the LORD, and He will sustain you; He will never permit the righteous to be moved.

Even in the midst of this storm I have never felt so blessed. Blessed my an amazing husband who is caring the burden of so much, and still manages to love me well. I am so utterly encouraged by him and so beyond in love with this man. I could not imagine a more amazing husband to be going through this with. He has taken on so much and yet the Lord has sustained him, and he is managing it well all by the grace of GOD. He is still working so hard at work, which has been challenging because it is a busy and stressful time for him at work right now with so many projects and deadlines. He comes home cares for Josiah, prepares meals, cares for me, cleans, prays with me and leads me, leads a city group, serves at church, and the list goes on. I have been so encouraged by watching him grow in his relationship with Christ even if he does not see it!! ;) I love you Taylor more than words could ever express. I so beyond appreciate ALL you do and are doing. Thank you.




One last thing before I wrap this blog up :) I have so many people covering Jude and my family in prayer that it has been amazing to see God work. I feel those prayers. I am so blessed and beyond grateful for all of you who have prayed for my family. Know that this means more to our family than you will ever know!! :)