Twenty Little Fingers and Twenty Little Toes: 32 Weeks and Lots of Stripes in the Nursery

The further along I get, and as my blood pressure is headed back up - despite the triple dosing of blood-pressure meds - the less positive things I have to say. I am (most of the time) really trying not to complain because: 1) we prayed for this; 2) it won't change anything; 3) it makes everyone around me uncomfortable when I'm not being cheerful. But let the record reflect that we are very, very grateful and thankful for all the prayers, thoughts and help we have received to enable us to make it from 25 weeks and "on the cusp of viability" to 32 weeks and 1 day (I'll just take each day I can get / make it). We couldn't have done it without so much help.

My doctor was out of town for the last 10 days and returned to Idaho Falls today - which was my next personal goal. Our appointment last week indicated high BP again and a few other things that put our radar up for preeclampsia. We even went up to the hospital on Thursday night to be hooked up to the monitors and "just in case". I was feeling horrible (flu-ish, headache, my BP at home was high and the babies weren't putting on their regular evening circus performances). I talked to the doctor's office around 4:30 and they advised me to go up... but I felt like such a drama queen and was trying to talk myself out of it. But then - when the babies weren't really moving like they normally do - we went up at 9:30pm. We were on the monitors for a couple of hours and then came home. The nurse was kind enough to make me promise to come back if it got worse and tried to make us feel like responsible parents and patients for coming up - but it was silly.

We have had so much help in working on the nursery. Anna has been heading it up as well as working on bedding. She has an excellent ability of being able to visualize the finished product. My skill set is in execution... which makes me helpless! It is a very frustrating feeling! Shane and Anna have painted and Rachel, Ruth, Valeen and my dad came over to help Shane tape stripes while my mom tended their gaggle of babies. Several areas of wall had to be re-taped because it was so easy to get off track. Some areas more than once! I was pleased and a little surprised at my husbands "push" to do it right - not to do it easy. "in 2 years we will be glad we took an extra hour to re-taped it correctly". I didn't have much to say because I can't help or do anything. It is very aggravating! The tape has to go in stages about 3-4 days apart so that the new paint doesn't get pulled off my the next round of tape for the next stage of the stripe. The room will eventually be milk-chocolate on all 4 walls with the 2 walls that will have the cribs being striped with a dark brown stripe with a little baby stripe on each side (one pink and one blue). I think it is coming a long nicely. At one point Shane moved the reclining lawn chair into the nursery so I could watch and pretend to participate on some level. Also - Rachel put together the closet organizer stuff that I had ordered. My Aunt and Uncle, LuDean and Maynard Jackson washed a bunch of little baby boy clothes and hung them up for me.