Home!

Penelope and I are at home. We finally made it home this afternoon, and we are happy to be here! I have eaten, I have showered, and Penelope is kicking and happy -- things are going great!

I was going to be discharged from the hospital yesterday -- and was even in street clothes and my IV out, but I was having a lot of small contractions. I asked to be hooked up to the monitor to be sure that they were as small as I thought they were. They were just little ones, but the doctor wanted me to take some percocet to knock them out to just be sure. I took the percocet, took a nap, and an hour later they hooked me back up the monitors. I was still having the small contractions (every 3 minutes or so), but this time Penelope was having "variable decelerations" where her heartrate would dip during the contractions. The doctor and nurse came in and had to roll to my side. The variable decelerations stopped when I changed positions. Between the contractions and the variable decelerations the decision was made for me to stay one more night, just in case.

I stayed on the monitor for an additional hour yesterday and Penelope was fine, and then had a non-stress test this morning and she was still fine. More than likely, Penelope was just laying on the umbilical cord which caused the heartrate drops. I am told that is very normal at this gestation and an acceptable cause of the decelerations. The concern was that they were indicative of a problem with Penelope, which could have led to delivery. Luckily, Penelope was just being a little picky about how I lay around. I have taken notes and am laying only in positions that Penelope likes.

Speaking of which, I am now on bedrest. I cannot drive, and can only leave the house for doctor's appointments and hospital trips (and we do expect more of those). I can use the bathroom, shower, work from home, and do basic things. I am not supposed to life the kids, etc., but luckily they can now climb up to sit next to me. I am more than fine with these restrictions -- which are much like those I had when I was on bedrest at home with the kids.

The kids did visit me in the hospital the last two mornings, which was awesome. I was surprised at how willing they were to snuggle with me, and I simply just enjoyed watching them be there. The nurses and doctors who took care of them two years ago were also happy to see them! Hopefully they will be fine with visiting me in the mornings if (when) I end up back in the hospital.

Anyway, before I was discharged the doctor checked my cervix one last time, and I am still the same (about 1/2 centimeter dilated and 50% effaced). I hope to stay that way for quite a while. Right now my delivery goal is 32 weeks, but we are all really hoping to make it to 35 weeks (or later). . . . If my technologically challenged brain can handle it, I am going to put up a ticker of how far along I am somewhere at the top of the blog, so keep an eye out for that.

We are not sure why this is happening again. We all assumed that the reason that I had preterm labor before was because I was carrying triplets. So, now we are not sure if I am just prone to preterm labor, or if perhaps carrying the triplets distended my uterus so much that it is a little worn out now, for lack of a better phrase. Regardless, at least things are under control for now and I have some more time at home.

Thanks to everyone for the thoughts and prayers.