Monday, June 22, 2009
8 Days To Go
...until my favorite festival of the year, that is. Next week we'll be packing up and heading to Cornerstone Music Festival, from Tuesday- Saturday. I'll be reuniting with good friends from across the country and from Canada, sitting in on interesting discussions and seminars, and of course listening to lots of great music.
This event has kind of become how my husband and I recharge and get inspired for the year to come..its rather hard to explain. There are some folks we've become friends with, some from Minnesota, some from Philadelphia and some from Canada..all of them are wonderful, passionate people who are more or less part of the 'simple church' mindset. It's so nice to be able to spend a few days discussing challenges, sharing stories and imagining how to do things differently. Plus, its a great big conglomeration of people, and lots from the fringes of Christian society. Phyllis Tickle will be there doing a seminar and a big rountable discussion, Derek Webb ( along with 300+ other bands/musicians) is playing Wednesday night...be still my heart.
This year however, poses a few more challenges. I'm not officially on bedrest but I might as well be. It's pretty obvious that we will have our baby early, at least a week or two, possibly more if my blood pressure doesn't cooperate. So we've rented a dorm room at a nearby college so I've got a place to go with showers, a/c and a real bed- instead of the usual camping situation. I might end up back in the room much of the time, but I'm hoping to be able to catch the seminars and music I want. I've puffed up like a balloon, and I'm learning the true meaning of cankles ( yuck). But all of that's fine with me as long as this little one is still on the inside and growing. To be honest, I'm terrified at the prospect of an early baby. As of this morning's NST and appointment with my CNM, we're looking at possibly from 2-3 weeks if my bp/labs/etc go crazy, and 4-5 weeks if things stay fairly stable. So in the meantime, we need to finish up the nursery, move our furniture in ( because the new carpet finally came, yay)...and just get ready in general.
I'm going to try to cut down as many hours as I can at work, and stay at home laying low. A Phyllis Tickle book on fixed hour prayer is on its way, as well as a new Frank Viola book about actually practicing 'simple church' , so I've got some good thought provoking/inspirational material.
A few weeks ago, I had my first experience with buying bulk herbs online. I purchased a pound of red raspberry leaf and a pound of spearmint from morethanalive.com, and both have been great. I'd been wanting to try RRL tea but the price was steep at the local health food store. I've been using my infuser and brewing a pot each day, some to drink hot but mostly to drink cold since it's so hot outside. Anyone else drink RRL when they were pregnant? I've got a baby sling on the way as well, one I ordered from Etsy- love that website. http://ny-image2.etsy.com/il_fullxfull.69609766.jpg Isn't it cute?Oh yeah, I bought a nursing cover too. Hmm..maybe me being at home a lot with access to a computer/online shopping is a bad thing?
This event has kind of become how my husband and I recharge and get inspired for the year to come..its rather hard to explain. There are some folks we've become friends with, some from Minnesota, some from Philadelphia and some from Canada..all of them are wonderful, passionate people who are more or less part of the 'simple church' mindset. It's so nice to be able to spend a few days discussing challenges, sharing stories and imagining how to do things differently. Plus, its a great big conglomeration of people, and lots from the fringes of Christian society. Phyllis Tickle will be there doing a seminar and a big rountable discussion, Derek Webb ( along with 300+ other bands/musicians) is playing Wednesday night...be still my heart.
This year however, poses a few more challenges. I'm not officially on bedrest but I might as well be. It's pretty obvious that we will have our baby early, at least a week or two, possibly more if my blood pressure doesn't cooperate. So we've rented a dorm room at a nearby college so I've got a place to go with showers, a/c and a real bed- instead of the usual camping situation. I might end up back in the room much of the time, but I'm hoping to be able to catch the seminars and music I want. I've puffed up like a balloon, and I'm learning the true meaning of cankles ( yuck). But all of that's fine with me as long as this little one is still on the inside and growing. To be honest, I'm terrified at the prospect of an early baby. As of this morning's NST and appointment with my CNM, we're looking at possibly from 2-3 weeks if my bp/labs/etc go crazy, and 4-5 weeks if things stay fairly stable. So in the meantime, we need to finish up the nursery, move our furniture in ( because the new carpet finally came, yay)...and just get ready in general.
I'm going to try to cut down as many hours as I can at work, and stay at home laying low. A Phyllis Tickle book on fixed hour prayer is on its way, as well as a new Frank Viola book about actually practicing 'simple church' , so I've got some good thought provoking/inspirational material.
A few weeks ago, I had my first experience with buying bulk herbs online. I purchased a pound of red raspberry leaf and a pound of spearmint from morethanalive.com, and both have been great. I'd been wanting to try RRL tea but the price was steep at the local health food store. I've been using my infuser and brewing a pot each day, some to drink hot but mostly to drink cold since it's so hot outside. Anyone else drink RRL when they were pregnant? I've got a baby sling on the way as well, one I ordered from Etsy- love that website. http://ny-image2.etsy.com/il_fullxfull.69609766.jpg Isn't it cute?Oh yeah, I bought a nursing cover too. Hmm..maybe me being at home a lot with access to a computer/online shopping is a bad thing?
Monday, June 1, 2009
A Little Nervous
A few weeks ago I went for my normal check with the midwife, and everything looked fine..except my bp. Normally, it's fine so for it to shoot up was abnormal. They asked me to watch it, and have it taken again before I left work at the hospital that day, and call them with the numbers. Unfortunately, by that afternoon it had only risen even more.
I'm now on Procardia three times a day in hopes of a. keeping the bp down and b. preventing preterm labor that the high bp might cause. I'm also going weekly for a non stress test, bp check and to make sure I'm not spilling protein. So technically at this point I don't have preeclampsia, but it could develop. My midwife and doctor have told me that if I go into labor on my own after 34 weeks, they will not stop it. At 34 weeks the baby could probably just stay at our regional hospital, and not have to go to the nearest NICU, 45 minutes away. Of course I hope I go longer, though...
So now begins the discussions of worst case scenarios; if my bp doesn't stay under control I'll probably be induced, if bed rest doesn't help. I'm not on bed rest at this point but have been told I will be if I don't take it easy ( not so easy when we're moving, painting, packing etc). As of last week's check up, my bp was much better and still no protein. Last week's NST showed I wasn't contracting much and the baby's heart rate was good. If things keep going this way they'll let me go as long as I need to. And as long as I'm not hooked up to pit with an induction, I can still use the labor tub,etc.
But I won't lie, all of this has me scared. It's getting warmer here and I've started to swell, but every day I check my face in the mirror a bazillion times to see if it's gotten puffy- I'm so worried I'll develop preeclampsia. Mainly I just feel really out of control, like things were a-okay up until recently and now it's a big crapshoot. Obviously, the most important thing is the safety of both baby and I, but my recent high risk status has me creeped out. Trying to move and set up a new house while not over-exerting myself is about impossible, and I feel totally unprepared should the baby make an unexpected early arrival.
So much for a routine, complication free pregnancy/delivery...
I'm now on Procardia three times a day in hopes of a. keeping the bp down and b. preventing preterm labor that the high bp might cause. I'm also going weekly for a non stress test, bp check and to make sure I'm not spilling protein. So technically at this point I don't have preeclampsia, but it could develop. My midwife and doctor have told me that if I go into labor on my own after 34 weeks, they will not stop it. At 34 weeks the baby could probably just stay at our regional hospital, and not have to go to the nearest NICU, 45 minutes away. Of course I hope I go longer, though...
So now begins the discussions of worst case scenarios; if my bp doesn't stay under control I'll probably be induced, if bed rest doesn't help. I'm not on bed rest at this point but have been told I will be if I don't take it easy ( not so easy when we're moving, painting, packing etc). As of last week's check up, my bp was much better and still no protein. Last week's NST showed I wasn't contracting much and the baby's heart rate was good. If things keep going this way they'll let me go as long as I need to. And as long as I'm not hooked up to pit with an induction, I can still use the labor tub,etc.
But I won't lie, all of this has me scared. It's getting warmer here and I've started to swell, but every day I check my face in the mirror a bazillion times to see if it's gotten puffy- I'm so worried I'll develop preeclampsia. Mainly I just feel really out of control, like things were a-okay up until recently and now it's a big crapshoot. Obviously, the most important thing is the safety of both baby and I, but my recent high risk status has me creeped out. Trying to move and set up a new house while not over-exerting myself is about impossible, and I feel totally unprepared should the baby make an unexpected early arrival.
So much for a routine, complication free pregnancy/delivery...
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