32 weeks was my goal at one point, so now it’s 34.  Although that would mean another 14 days on hospital bed rest… but what ever is best for Bacon, right?  I am not sure if I’ll make it that far though, because my blood pressure is slowly creeping up despite the meds I’m on.  The rest of my labs look great though.

I’m getting ultrasounds twice a week still, along with daily monitoring of his heartbeat and contractions.  Every three days they draw blood to run the pre-eclampsia/HELLP panel to see what’s going on.  They also check my protein levels weekly.

While the talk is still delivery at 34 weeks provided everything stays stable, with my blood pressure getting higher, they’ve said that if it hits a certain threshold, they’ll go straight to delivery even if everything else checks out fine.  Since I’ve made it this far, Bacon will be like Ryan and Dylan were in the NICU- basically feeders and growers.

Bacon This Week:

According to the fruit and veggie comparisons, he’s a squash and weighs 2.5 – 3.8 pounds. I’d love for him to be at least 4 and a half or 5 pounds by birth.  He’s head down and ready to go, even though I’m having a c-section.  I guess no one told him.

Gestational Diabetes Update:  Since being admitted, I have been able to control my sugars with diet alone.  I’ve always questioned my diagnosis,  and even the nurses started to wonder if it was truly accurate.  I brought it up one day to the doctors during rounds, and they said that I could always take the three hour glucose tolerance test again.  I did- and I passed with flying colors!  So now I can order fries or a cookie if I want them.

Cravings/Aversions: Sometimes I crave carbonated things- and the nurses will bring me ginger ale or diet Pepsi.  But I haven’t really craved much else.  I thought I’d want all the stuff I can’t eat now that I’ve been un-diagnosed, but aside from having real sugar in my coffee, I’m still pretty much eating the same.

Movement & More:  Bacon is still super squirmy.  He likes to push his butt out under my ribs.  And I think he’s going to be like some of our other kids, because we caught him licking and sucking on his hand during a couple of ultrasounds now.  He also might be a hoarder, because he likes ALL THE THINGS to be by his face.

Sleep:  Eh.  Between the hospital bed not being nearly as comfy as my own, my bladder, and nurses doing vitals every 4 hours, it kind of sucks.  But whatever, soon it will be a newborn keeping me up.

Names:  We’ve decided!

Hospital bathroom cell phone belly photo- so unflattering- but just in case I don’t make it until next week, I wanted to take one quick.

To-Do List:  With us moving so soon after Bacon arrives, we haven’t really thought much about nursery type things.  I’m trying to just stick to the basics of what we’ll need until we get settled in to our new home.  I’ve bought some baby clothes, receiving blankets, and nursing bras.  I need to have Aaron wash his clothes and clean up the infant car seat.  I’d like to get the infant insert for my favorite carrier, a boppy, and a Rock N Play sleeper before he comes.  Once we’re in NJ, then I’d like to get a swing, and we’ll set up the crib and all.

So two more weeks.  If he is born before 34 weeks, even if he comes out screaming and breathing, he’ll go to the NICU for evaluation.  Aaron and I were saying how weird it will be if he actually gets to come home with us when I’m released- that hasn’t happened since we had Lili!  Of course there’s no guarantees even if I do make it to 34 that he will- Mia was a 35 weeker and needed NICU time.

I’ve never had to take care of a newborn right after a c-section though, and that’s a little nerve wracking.  I also haven’t had to deal with the fun stuff like meconium and belly button cords with the last few kids.  I don’t miss those!

What do you guys think?  Will Bacon be born the day after Christmas, or will he make his appearance sooner?