Two weeks down

I'll be frank: My second week in the hospital has not been easy. Most nights, Ted has had to work later than planned (which obviously eats into our precious time together), and neither of us has yet been able to sleep well here. The stress of separation and sleep deprivation have no doubt played a part in the sore throat and general feelings of malaise that we've both come down with in the past couple of days. Add to that my ever-increasing (and grog-inducing) doses of magnesium sulfate, plus some bad news we've recently gotten regarding my mother's health, and it's no wonder that I could sometimes cry at the drop of a hat.

Thankfully, the babies seem to be doing a lot better than their mommy. Their movements are more frequent and stronger than ever, and the daily ultrasounds to check their heart tones confirm that they are not in any distress, despite the continuing contractions. They are also growing well: As of Friday, they weighed approximately 2 lb. 7 oz., 2 lb. 1 oz., 1 lb. 11 oz., and 2 lb. 1 oz. (A to D). I asked the doctor whether we should be concerned that Baby C is so much smaller than her siblings, but he said that she is doing fine and will probably just be a little more "petite" than the others. (Since her femur measures second-longest, though, I am choosing to think of her as tall and slender—you know, like a supermodel!)

Most importantly, we are now just 5 days away from the 28-week milestone. In light of this, a neonatologist recently came in to talk to us about the prognosis for babies born at this stage. Although they would have a good chance of eventually making it, the immediate and long-term risks (including all sorts of breathing problems, bleeding on the brain that could result in cerebral palsy, and a fatal inability to digest food properly) are scary to think about. Knowing a little more about what the babies would have to go through if they were born right now really reinforces our hope that they don't come for several more weeks—no matter how stressful and uncomfortable a long hospital stay proves to be. We can endure anything if it means an ounce less of pain for our babies once they're born.