update..

The girls are gone today to "Answers in Genesis." Before my life got so limited I had planned to go along, so I was really bummed when that didn't happen. Mom and dad offered to keep them last night, so they got the job of taking them to the church before 6 am. Apparently, my parents enjoyed this, because the kids were so excited. It is fun to watch them grow, and as they mature, watch them enjoy all the new things that go along with that..like traveling 3 hours on a church van with their friends, something I remember fondly from my years in the youth group. At any rate, I have spent the day with my husband, and it has been a treat. He works 24 hr on and 48 hr off, and he is not due back to work until the morning. We are both well rested, and he got most of his "chores" done yesterday. We ran some errands, but it was just the two of us, and we have had a good day together. I do look forward to the girls arriving home tonight. I am sure they will be exhausted, but excited to talk about their day.

I am now almost 24 weeks into this pregnancy. I cannot lie and say that I have enjoyed being pregnant. While I have way more freedom with this baby than I did with the twins, there are some vast differences. The biggest being that the twins are here. I have responsibilities for them that make relaxation harder, and I am grateful that I am not totally house/bed bound. While James and the girls are a huge help (I cannot say enough about how much he has worked to keep everything going for the past few months), it is still difficult not to be busy with the girls' lives. Also, I was home and bedbound in January and February when I had Paige and Peyton. If you have to pick a time to be stuck on the couch or in the hospital, those would be the best months to miss out on the outside world. Not so much with July and August!

However, I am pleased that things are going so well. I am still receiving weekly progesterone injections, which James gladly administers. I went into the doctors office Monday because I had so much trouble with back pain and cramping on Sunday. I had a test (called a fetal fibrinectin) that basically tells you how likely you are to start labor within the next two week. This test, which did not exist 10 yrs ago, is a huge indicator or impending premature labor. Thankfully, I had a negative result, which is great news. I also had another ultrasound that measures the cervix. This number, which is about 2.4-2.5 cm, has not changed in the past 3 weeks, which is also great news. The previous month, it had dropped from 3.7 cm, which is what landed me off my feet in the first place! Even though it has been a big ego blow to me that I cannot go to my job (which I find pretty rewarding) and I am limited in what I can do around the house, I feel trememdously blessed to be carrying this baby. I have great benefits at work, so lots of sick time, I have a great family that cares and doesn't complain (ok, maybe the girls complain occasionally), and I know that I have lots of people that are praying for all 5 of us!