34 Week Update

Today I had my 34 week OB and ultrasound appointments, and I feel like showing off our little guy's 3D portrait :) Isn't he sweet and handsome!? We even caught him smiling for a brief second...one of those cute gassy smiles that they do in their sleep...it was priceless. I can't tell you how relieved I felt after seeing his precious face and learning that he is a healthy 5 1/2 pounds already! Everything looked absolutely perfect in the ultrasound. He is measuring in the 53rd percentile and the placenta and the cord both look healthy (which they are monitoring closely because of my blood clotting disorders). At my OB appointment I learned that I still have not started dilating at all, which is a good thing since I'm still too early to deliver at the hospital in town and this baby still needs a few more weeks to grow and develop. I am still on bedrest, but my OB is loosening the reigns slightly. She is allowing me to get out of bed twice a day for 1 hour periods of time--as long as I "take it easy" during those times. She is even letting me discontinue my terbutaline drugs, unless I start contracting more than 4 times per hour. Right now I only have mild contractions once or twice an hour, which she thinks is normal for me and isn't concerned about them. I am so thrilled to be done with those drugs, and I'm feeling confident that I will make it past the 36 week mark now. It's hard to believe that I've been on bedrest for 4 weeks and that I only have 2 more weeks to go! Paul reminded me that I should try to enjoy these last 2 weeks as much as possible, because once I'm off of bedrest and this little guy arrives, my life will be utter chaos and sleep depravation and I'll long for these quiet days in my bed reading, praying, and getting served :) He is probably right, so I plan on doing just that :) A huge thanks to all of you who have been praying for baby and me, calling with words of encouragement, sending care packages, and bringing me Huckleberry smoothies and decaf mocha lattes. I have literally felt your prayers and I am so thankful for each of you.