Week Five - April 29th - May 5th

Day 28

Today was a very nice low-key Sunday. It started out with a surprise visit from Chad and the boys before they went to church.  Chad had a speaking assignment in another ward today, so he took all the boys with him. I didn't think I would see them till later in afternoon, so I was delighted when they walked in! They only stayed for about 10 to 15 minutes, but it was a great start to my day.

Not too long after they left, I was able to Skype with Chad and Michelle and their family. It was fun to talk with all of them. It was weird to think that I had just been at their house right before this happened.

After I got off the call with Chad and Michelle, my Relief Society president called to see if I would like to listen to the third hour of church. I told her that I would and I enjoyed listening to the lesson for the next hour. What a blessing technology has been since I've been in hospital.

During the afternoon I spent my time reading a book called Heaven is Here by Stephanie Nielson.  Some of you may be familiar with her story.  She and her husband were flying in a small plane when it crashed.  Stephanie received burns on 80% of her body as a result.  Her husband also got burned, but not as bad, he also broke his back. I am at the part of the book that is talking about her recovery in the hospital.  It makes my hospital stay seem like no big deal. It is a good book and it is well-written. It really puts things into perspective and makes you thankful for what you have.

Chad and the boys joined me for dinner again tonight.  They brought a soup that a lady, in the branch they visited today, made for them. She wasn't signed up to bring them dinner, she just saw a need and filled it. We are surrounded by so many wonderful people. What a wonderful blessing it has been for our family. I know you wish you could be here to help, but just know that the Lord is blessing us through our friends, neighbors and church members in your behalf.

Another little highlight of the evening happened right as Chad and the boys were about to leave for the night. My sweet friend stopped by with a plate of cookies and a little sign sticking out of it that said "Happy 31 weeks".  It was so cute. She thinks of everything.  She said we needed to celebrate, so she and the boys sang happy 31 weeks to me and Ashlyn!  She started to sing happy birthday, but we quickly reminded her we didn't want it to be Ashlyn's birthday today!  She agreed and quickly changed it to happy 31 weeks!

It really is a celebration.  I can't believe I've been here for a month.  Chad, the boys and I are thrilled that Ashlyn has stayed inside of me for so long. I continue to pray that she will stay inside for three more weeks, but I feel really blessed that she has made it this far! The Lord is watching over us and is truly answering our prayers!

We love you and we are thankful for your continued prayers.  We pray that the Lord will bless you in return!

Day 29

Well, it's been four weeks. I can't believe I've been here a month already. It has actually gone by really quickly. Visitors, phone calls, the computer and books help the time go fast for me.

Ashlyn got an eight out of ten on her test today. She didn't want to show her breathing again.  She did breathe, but only for about 15 seconds. I asked the doctor if he was worried about her not showing her breathing three times in a row.  He told me he wasn't concerned because she is still really active and has a good heartbeat and if they let her go for longer (on the test) she probably would have shown her breathing. My fluid level stayed about the same - it is 8.45. They also measured her today and she weighs about 3 lbs. 7 oz.  My doctor previously told me that he thought she would probably be around three and half pounds, so she is looking good. Plus, she is still head down!!

I was blessed again today with several visitors and I also got to talk to several of you. It made for a great day. The boys weren't able to come over tonight, but I was able to talk to them before they went to bed. They all needed a good night sleep!

Speaking of sleep, I should be heading there myself. I love you all and thank you for everything you've done for our family!

Day 30

Today was a nice quiet day. Chad came over this morning and we talked about some of the things we would have to start getting ready for our baby girl.  We are looking for a new infant car seat, because our 12-year-old one isn't going cut it anymore!  I wish we had thought about more of this stuff before I got in the hospital, but then again I thought I had several months to do it all!

For most the day I finished reading the Heaven is Here book.  I really liked it, but I shed several tears.  I was glad that none of my nurses came in while I was tearing up. I didn't want to cause alarm! Although my experience is very different from the authors experience, I found many parallels and insights. She shared a scripture that I had already adopted and I appreciated her insights. The scripture is 1 Nephi chapter 1 verse 20. Nephi is telling the reader that the tender mercies of the Lord are given to those that are chosen and are faithful unto the power of deliverance. I think I liked it at first because of the last phrase, but I truly really like it because of the tender mercies.  We have received so many tender mercies during this last month and I'm very humbled because so many people are praying for us and helping us out.

My friend who has come to visit me almost everyday came by again today and this time she brought the boys some activity books.  She knows they are getting a little bored while they are here, so she came up with a plan to help remedy the situation!  She is so thoughtful and creative!

I don't know if I've mentioned it before, but one of the perks of being here is every Tuesday and Thursday I get a massage.  It is a wonderful free service they offer here. I look forward to it and it also makes me feel like I have some sort of a regular schedule!  Can you believe some mothers actually pass up this offer.

At the end of the evening I went on the monitor that tracts Ashlyn's heartbeat and any contractions I have.  I think Ashlyn knows when she's going on the monitor because she starts to kick and move around more.  I think she likes to see how many times she can kick the monitor in 20 minutes! I don't mind because that means she is doing well!  Just as a side note, I haven't had any contractions.

I'm thankful to have another day with Ashlyn inside of me. I'm so grateful for how long she has stayed in so far.  Thank you again for all of your prayers, I know they're helping. I love you and I pray that the Lord will bless you.  

Day 31

Well, another day down! Every day she stays in is a good day. Even though we don't know when she's going to come, it's good to know she'll be here by May 21st. With so many unknowns, it's good to know at least that!

It's been another quiet day around here. Chad came to see me in the morning and at lunchtime. I really enjoy his visits. I told him it kind of feels like we're dating again, because we only see each other for short time and then he has to go home to a different place. He didn't quite agree, because he has to go home to a house full of children!

I spent my afternoon trying to make hair bows for Ashlyn.  Lindsay sent me some supplies, so I gave it a try. They don't look too bad for my first try, but I did learn several things. I added them to my hair bow ribbon that hangs on my bathroom door. They help brighten up my room.

The boys have also given me some things to brighten up my room.  Devon and Kaden have made me several drawings.  I love to look at them during the day.  They bring a smile to my face!

Family Tree by Devon

Kaden has really been into drawing birds lately.  He is getting so good!

Tonight Chad and the boys couldn't come over because they attended Tanner's honors awards night. Tanner received a 4.0 for the entire year. That makes two years in a row. His goal is to do it again next year. If he does, he will be awarded a plaque for achieving a 4.0 grade average for all his middle school years. Tanner has worked really hard and we are very proud of him! I was a little sad that I wouldn't be able to see Tanner get his award, but my sweet husband Skyped with me right when Tanner was getting his award.  It was a little fuzzy, but at least I got to see it!

Tomorrow is my test again. I'm always curious to see what the fluid level is and if she is still head down. We're hoping for good things! Who knows, maybe she'll even show her breathing tomorrow :)

We love and miss all of you.  Thank you for your continued support and prayers!

Day 32

Today has been a really nice day. It started out with a really good test score! Ashlyn topped the charts again - she got a 10 out of 10, plus she is still head down! My fluid level went down a tad bit, but not too much, it was 7.9.

When I got back from my ultrasound a friend was waiting for me.  She gave me some delicious chocolate and then took me out on a wheelchair ride!  It was a beautiful day outside.  It was a little warm in the sunshine, but in the shade it was perfect.  I loved feeling the breeze!

After my friend left, Chad came for lunch, it was nice to have him here. Then after Chad left another visitor came by.  I love it when I have several visitors, it makes my day go by faster.

As a nice close to my day, Chad and the boys came to visit!  The boys told me about their day.  We enjoyed talking and laughing together.  We also did little activities - Devon and I played hangman together. It was nice to do something more interactive with the boys rather than just sitting here.

I'm thankful for another nice day.  I'm amazed and grateful that after being here for over a month I still have several visitors a week. It's another blessing. I'm learning a lot through this experience and I hope to pay it forward for someone else in the future.

I have been given so many wonderful things while I have been here.  My room has been like a garden with all the flowers I have received!  I love it and it makes me so happy to look at them all day.

I know I say it every night, but I thank you for all of your prayers.  I feel I can't thank everyone enough. I pray that the Lord will bless you and each of your families.  I love you all!

Day 33

Today was a pretty quiet day.  There's really not much to report. Ashlyn continues to look good on the monitor. All the nurses comment that she looks great!

I did have a couple of visitors today.  My first visitor was Austin.  My friend who was babysitting Austin brought him over to visit with me. It was nice to see him during the day.

A little later my friend brought over Austin's schedule for next week and stayed to talk a while. We joke that she is Austin's personal assistant!  She actually loves the title. She's been a wonderful help throughout this whole experience.

The rest of the day I mostly worked on editing pictures for the blog.  I'm hoping to be all caught up by the time Ashlyn comes. Wish me luck!

Chad and the boys came over again tonight. It was really nice to have them here. I miss them a lot and look forward to when we can all be at home together again.

I hope you're all doing well, I think about you often.  I am blessed to have such wonderful family and friends. Thank you for everything!  We love you.

Day 34 – May 5th

This morning, just a day shy of 32 weeks, I went into labor.

Without going into too much detail, I woke up and saw a little blood (actually a good amount) and the nurses decided to monitor me. Just after they started monitoring me I started having contractions. They weren't too intense, but they were coming close together, so the decision was made to move me to labor and delivery just in case this little girl wanted to come really quickly. So now I'm in labor and delivery and I'm playing the waiting game again. Everything is still looking good with the baby. They're keeping a close watch on her, but they think it will be several more hours. Nothing in this pregnancy has been very predictable though, so we will see what happens. Whatever happens, I feel really calm. I don't know what problems she will have when she comes out, but I feel confident that everything will be okay. The Lord has really blessed us and I feel that he'll keep continuing to do so. I'm very grateful for all the tender mercies he has given us so far.

Week Four - April 22nd - 28th

Day 21

It was a great feeling to wake up this morning and realize that I've made it to 30 weeks! The Lord is definitely answering our prayers!!

Today has been a nice day. I had a nice quiet morning. I usually spend my Sunday mornings watching BYU TV. It's kind of like going to church. They even show a sacrament meeting. Then when Chad and the boys get done with church, they come over to the hospital and give me the sacrament. That is another wonderful blessing!

After a short visit the boys went home to have lunch and take naps. Then they came back around dinnertime. Today they brought their dinner and had it with me. I love having dinner guests! The boys stayed until around 8 o'clock when some of my Relief Society sisters came by to visit.

I said goodbye to the boys and then had a nice visit with my friends. They gave me a recap on todays Relief Society lesson. It was very thoughtful for them to think of me. I have been really impressed with the little things people have thought of to bring me. Hopefully I can repay them by helping someone else in the same way they've helped me.

Tomorrow I will begin my fourth week at the hospital. Many people have asked me if I'm bored out of my mind, but I really haven't been. I really feel like I am being blessed because of all of your prayers. Thank you all so much for all that you do for me and for my family. We love you.

Day 22

Today was a good day, but a little different than the rest. It started off with swollen hands.

I forgot to mention it last night, but my hands started bothering me yesterday. At first they seemed a little itchy and I thought it was because they were dry. Well, by the time evening rolled around they are starting to swell. I told the nurses and they told me just to keep an eye on my hands and let them know if it got worse.  Throughout the night they did get worse and by morning they were pretty swollen. There was also a little pain in my wrist. The doctor looked at it and thought it might be carpel tunnel, so he had the physical therapist come down and look at my hands.

In the meantime, I started to notice other areas getting itchy as well.  I think I was allergic to something.  To make a long story short, the physical therapist gave me some exercise to do and Benadryl was ordered for me. I also got an anti-itch cream. Hopefully by tomorrow morning the itching will have stopped! The swelling and itching haven't been fun, but one of the tender mercies is that I was able to sleep well last night despite my swelling hands.

Enough about me though, I'm sure you want to know how Ashlyn did on her test today. She did well again, except she didn't get a 10 out of 10. She got an 8/10 because she didn't breathe for 30 continuous seconds. She did breathe during ultrasound, but not for long enough, so she didn't get her two points. I haven't talked to the doctors yet about the score, so I don't know if they will do anything differently. Part of me thinks they won't because she is still really active and has a strong heartbeat. Plus tonight she had the hiccups several times for at least five minutes. The ultrasound technician told me that hiccups count when they are checking the breathing, so I'm not really concerned.

My fluid levels continue to be good. Today They went down a little, but not by much. My fluid level is 8.26. I was very glad to find that out. She is still breech but there's enough fluid in there for her to turn, we'll see if that happens.

Today I had several visitors. It always makes my day pass by better and quicker when I have visitors. I was also able to talk to some of you on the phone today, which was nice!  One of my friends brought me a bowl of fresh fruit.  She new I had been getting a lot of sweets, so she changed things up a little.  I loved it!  What a wonderful surprise!

Chad and the boys were my last visitors. They were all pretty tired so they didn't stay very long.  Chad was especially tired today. He is doing a great job, but the busy days are catching up to him. Please remember him in your prayers also.

We love you all so much and hope you have a wonderful week. Thank you for your continued prayers and support!

Day 23

Today things were back to normal. When I woke up my hands felt much better and they looked much better! The swelling had gone down in both hands. Most of my hives/rash stopped itching. Thank you for your prayers.

This morning Chad and I went on a tour of the NICU. Most of the information we already knew, but it was nice to actually go there and see everything.

I had a pretty quiet afternoon.   I read some more in the preemie book and took a nap for a while. Then after dinner Chad and the boys came over and we got to Skype with Grandpa Monroe for his birthday.

I also got to Skype with Lindsay and Misty.  It's almost like they were here, it was fun!

I got a package from the Ashton Family - thank you!  It was filled with all sorts of yummy treats from London - loved it!  The boys also loved seeing the treats.  I was nice and let them sample some of my treats.  I think my favorites were the Buttons and the Revels!  They were all great! It is nice to have treats around for when I just need a little bit of chocolate!  Thanks!

Just in case some of you were wondering, I talked to my doctor about the test score yesterday.  He said he wasn't worried about it.  He figures if the test had run a little longer she would have shown her breathing.  Plus he commented, like I did, that she's still really active and has a strong heartbeat, so he isn't worried. If she scores a six or below then they start to worry a little more.  So all is well!

I have been blessed with so many great nurses.  I have gotten to know several of them.  One of them has been telling me about her daughters upcoming wedding shower.  She told me about all of the arrangements, one of which she was in charge.  She and another one of my nurses were in charge of making cookies that looked like a wedding dress.  She explained to me what they would look like and tonight she brought one in to show me/give me!  I was so impressed.  They were beautiful.  I almost couldn't bring myself to eat it!  It was so touched that they would save one for me.  They also brought me pictures so I could see the whole process.  They stayed up all night making over a hundred of these dresses.

Thank you all for your love and prayers they are really appreciated!!  We love you!

Day 24

Today has been a good day with lots of visitors! I woke up a little tired because during the night my right leg got pretty sore. I think my body is just rebelling against this bed :). Luckily as the day went on my leg felt better.

This morning when I got up there was a little bit of blood in my fluid.  It took me by surprise and worried me.  When Chad arrived I got a little emotional and told him that I was worried.  Chad assured me that everything would be okay, even if Ashlyn came that day.  His words were reassuring.  He offered to give me a blessing, to which I quickly agreed.  The blessing brought back that calm feeling I had experienced so often in the last several weeks.  I am so thankful for the priesthood power.

Chad hung out with me for a little while this morning.  Then my friend, who was watching Austin, came over to visit with me.  They stopped at the store first to get me flowers.  My friend had Austin choose the flowers to get me.  He told her, "Daisies, pink!". So they got me some beautiful Gerbera Daisies!  I love them, Austin knows me well!  I had a nice visit with my friend, Austin and my friend's daughter.

As they were leaving another friend came by. She stayed for a while and then after she left two other friends came by and brought me lunch.  They brought wraps, grapes, drinks and ice cream!  It was great to have lunch with good friends. We had a great time together.

As you might imagine, all the visitors made my morning go by quickly.  I love days like that!

Ashlyn is still doing well.  Today she moved around a lot, especially while she was on the monitor.  She likes to play hide and seek with the monitor, but we eventually get her to stay on long enough and she looks good.

This evening I was blessed with even more visitors! What a wonderful group of friends we have!

We hope all is well with you.  We love you all very much and we appreciate all you are doing for us!

Day 25

So I bet you're all dying to know how Ashlyn did on her test. She did well again this time.  She scored another eight out of ten.  She was shy again, she didn't show her breathing for 30 seconds. The doctors continue to not be worried about that, so I'm not worrying either. My fluid level was good again, it was about 8.6. I am always delighted when I hear that the fluid levels are up!  There must be enough fluid in there because she turned again and she is now head down. Let's hope she stays that way this time!

I did get a little scare in the last day or so.  My fluid was a little pink a couple of times. I wasn't sure what that meant. I waited to talk to a doctor, but the hospital was really busy yesterday and I didn't see a doctor till late in the day. The on-call doctor and the nurse both told me that it could be a blood vessel on my cervix that could've broken.  They said it is not uncommon, even in full-term pregnancies.  They said it would heal on its own. This morning my doctor said it could be a sign that my cervix is changing.  Whatever the cause, they aren't concerned until it turns a bright red or dark red or lasts over several days. It made me feel better.  When it first happened I felt very calm about it. When I saw Chad, and had time to think, I started to worry a little.  Chad gave me a blessing and I felt much better about the situation. I still feel calm, but I realize things may happen before I want them to. Either way I'm just praying Ashlyn will be healthy when she comes out.  I know you are too and I appreciate those prayers, please keep them coming!

The rest of my day was very nice. I had several visitors, which makes my day go a lot faster!  I tried my hand at making hair bows with one of my visitors. I didn't get very far because I had to go do the ultrasound.  Hopefully you'll see the finished product soon :)

I love you all and hope you're having a wonderful week.  I thank Heavenly Father each day for you!

Day 26

Today has been another nice day.  I started the morning by Skyping with Chad and Austin for breakfast.  The boys are off of school today because of an unused snow day.  They spent the morning doing yard work and prepping our garden.

After all their hard work they stopped by the hospital to see me.  They even took me on a walk outside of the hospital. It was nice to get out. The weather was nice, not too hot and not too cold.  It was nice for the boys to get out as well.  They were able to run around for a little while.

I did also have a couple of other visitors today, which was nice.  It helps to break up my day and speeds it up a little!  I also got to Skype with my parents.  They are on their mission, working at the mission home, right now.  Everyday during their lunch break they call me on Skype.  It is great to see them almost everyday!

The boys came back after dinner and brought a little treat!  They must have read my mind, because I was craving a little bit of ice cream.   They brought the ice cream cones with nuts on top.  Yummy!!

After they left I got a visit from a good friend and her girls.  One of her girls just had a birthday party and she wanted to share some of the cake with me.  She also gave me a gift bag.  It had some wonderful treasures inside!  I got a magic wand, a beautiful new ring, a bracelet and some candy!  What more could a girl want ;). It was really cute and thoughtful of her.

Tonight after Ashlyn got off the heart monitor, my nurse commented that Ashlyn was the best looking baby of the night (meaning she looked the best on the monitor)!  She is doing great!!

I hope everyone has a wonderful weekend. I love you all very much and  thank you again for your prayers.

Day 27

Today has been a nice day.  Usually Saturday's are pretty slow for me, but today wasn't bad.

Today was my stake Relief Society meeting.  Right about the time it was supposed to start I got a call from my Relief Society president. She asked me if I would like to hear the speakers. She suggested that she could FaceTime with me and I could watch the speakers on my iPad (FaceTime is like Skype). I agreed and it worked out really well. I was very touched that she would think of me in the hospital and want to include me. It has been amazing how many small things people have thought to do for me, while I've been here, that have made all the difference.

I was able to watch most of the speakers. I missed part of it because I had some friends stop by. It was nice of them to remember me, especially on a Saturday!

After lunch I had some more visitors. My friend brought her two daughters over to give Ashlyn a present.  They made Ashlyn a tie fleece blanket. They told me it took them around three hours to make. What was really sweet, was they made it from a kit that one of the girls had gotten for her birthday the night before. Ashlyn is already well loved!

At dinnertime, Chad and the boys came  over. They brought pizza, so we were able to have dinner together. While eating, we sat back, relaxed and watched Pirates of the Caribbean. I really love it when they come over for dinner and a movie. It makes things feel a little more normal. Having them here made my Saturday.

People keep asking me if I'm going crazy or if I'm bored out of my mind.  I really am not, however, today I wondered if maybe I am going a little crazy. I looked over at some flowers I had received earlier in the week and it appeared they were looking back at me. See for yourself.  What do you think, am I going crazy?

We have been blessed with so many tender mercies from the Lord. We are again thankful and grateful for all of your love and prayers on our behalf. We love you all and hope you have a wonderful Sabbath day.

Week Three - April 15th - 21st

Day 14

Two weeks down, five more to go! At least that's our goal! The doctor told me that if I made it that far, they would deliver the baby at 34 weeks. The reasoning is that the risk of infection increases around 34 weeks. They would rather take the baby a little earlier and healthier, then risk taking the baby to term and have the baby get sick. The doctor told me the main problem with babies born at 34 weeks is they don't know how to eat yet. As a result many of them have to stay in the NICU for about 1 to 2 weeks.

Today Chad and Tanner blessed and passed the sacrament for me again.  It is such a blessing to me that they are able to do that. Afterwords I had a nice visit with Chad and the boys. They stayed for little while and then they went home to have lunch and take naps.

Tanner had a fireside this evening, so Chad and the boys came over to visit while Tanner was at church.  Another one of my friends also came by to visit at the same time.  We all had a nice visit together.  My friend brought me a couple of gifts from her kids. Her daughter, one of my Beehives, made me a beautiful necklace with the letter B pendant.  It was very thoughtful of her.  The second gift was from her son.  He wanted her to tell me a joke!  She followed through, it was really thoughtful and funny!

Thank you for all of your love and prayers. We feel them daily. I'm thankful that Ashlyn has stayed inside for this long, and I pray that she will stay in much longer, but I know it'll be okay if she does come earlier than we want her to. I love all of you and thank you for your phone calls and emails and texts.  They make a big difference in my day :)

Day 15

Today has been a wonderful day. It started off with a great morning. I took the biophysical profile test and Ashlyn scored a 10 out of 10 again. I also found out that my fluid level rose again, it is 8.5! Once again I thought it would be lower because I lost quite a bit of fluid a couple days ago, but I was wrong. I also got another piece of exciting use. I found out that Ashlyn has turned and she is now head down (before she was breech). So if she stays in that position I will most likely deliver vaginally instead of a C-section. All of our prayers are truly being answered!  Here's a cute picture they got today during the ultrasound.

Then to make my day even better, I had several visitors. Two in the morning and three in the evening, besides Chad and the boys.

One of my friends brought a bunch of her preemie's clothes for Ashlyn. She also made a little hanger to put one of them on.  She had me pick one of the outfits to put on the hanger and then she hung the hanger up on the closet door so I could, "keep my eye on the prize!"

Another friend brought me some soup and apple pie. She wasn't sue how good the hospital food was, so she brought some homemade food over for me.  It was so thoughtful!  She also brought over the game Guess Who. We had fun playing the game while we visited.

It's been a nice day and I know it has been because the Lord is watching over us. He is hearing all of your prayers and is blessing us because of them. Thank you all so much, we love you!

Day 16

Today was another good quiet day. Ashlyn and I just took it easy.

The NICU has a mobile library that patients can check out books from.  I thought I should probably read up on preemies, so I checked out a preemie book. I read a little bit every day. It has been interesting and informative.

I also keep busy editing pictures from our recent trip.  I am trying to bring our blog back up to date. Once I'm done with that, I will start chronicling my time here.

I got to talk to several people on the phone today.  I was able to talk to Grandma Mahaffey and Aunt Barbara and Uncle Dick.  It was nice to catch up with them.  I also got to Skype with Lindsay.  I love having the iPad so I can talk with my family face to face!

I enjoyed talking to some of you this evening. I received some beautiful flowers from the Monroe's today. They are beautiful pink roses!  I love them! I was also surprised with two late visitors who brought me some ice cream - Ben and Jerry's Chunky Monkey!

I continue to thank you all for your love and prayers. They mean so much to us.  We are being blessed in so many ways, it has been wonderful! We love you.

Day 17

Today was a very nice day. It started off with my friend bringing a candy bouquet for me to give to the boys and Chad. She also brought little note cards so I could write a note to each of the boys. She's so thoughtful, she actually made the candy bouquet and notecards herself! The boys loved the bouquet, of course.  It was fun to give them something!

At lunch time Chad came and took me for a walk. I got to go outside in a wheelchair.  It was nice to be outside and feel the breeze and the sun on my face! Chad was thoughtful and even brought my sunglasses! I could only be out there for 20 to 30 minutes, but it was nice to mix things up a little.  Chad wheeled me over to a nice garden patio in front of the hospital.  It's ironic that I never noticed this area even though I passed by it every time I went to the doctor.  It took being admitted to the hospital for me to find out about it.  While I enjoyed the nice fresh air, Chad wrote thank you notes.  He uses every free minute he has to get things done! 

Tonight Chad brought the boys over to see me before they went to scouts. I set the candy bouquet out for the boys to see when they first walked into the room. They were pretty excited when they saw the bouquet! They also enjoyed the notes.

After Chad took the three older boys to scouts, he came back with Austin in Devon.  I turned on a movie so we could all relax together. I was glad to see Chad taking it easy for a little while. He doesn't get much time to do that anymore.

After Chad and the boys went home, a couple of my friends came over for a girls night!  We had a lot of fun just sitting around talking and laughing. Don't worry I tried not to laugh very hard, just in case! It was a really nice evening.  

One of my friends wasn't sure if she had a cold or allergies, so she picked up a face mask on the way into the hospital!  This same friend is also a big Utah fan, but one day I caught her wearing a BYU jersey.  I told her she could come see me at the hospital, but she had to wear her BYU jersey.  She was a trooper and put it on in the parking lot before she came in!

Ashlyn continues to do well. It feels like she may have moved again, so I will be interested to see if she's still head down tomorrow during the ultrasound. I hope she still is.

I know I say this every email, but thank you so much for your love and prayers. We are truly being blessed!

Day 18

Today I had another biophysical profile test. Once again Ashlyn did really well - she got another 10 out of 10. My fluid levels also went up again, to 9.1. The only downside is that she turned again and she's breech. But she has turned twice already, so she can do it again! We have time. I would rather not have a C-section, but if that's how it has to be I'm okay with it.

One of the cool things about the ultrasound was, I got to see Ashlyn's hair.  I've never seen hair on an ultrasound before, so it was pretty cool! Maybe she'll be able to wear bows sooner than I thought.

Other than that my day was very nice. I had several visitors and Chad and the boys got to come for about an hour!

We hope all is well with all of you. We love you and appreciate your continued prayers.

Day 19

It has been another nice low-key day. I hope I get to say that many more times. Ashlyn continues to do well. She seems content for right now, so that is good!

Today I had a lot of visitors. First Chad came by in the morning and stayed for quite a while. Then a friend brought me some lunch from mother child lunch get together. I was planning on going before my water broke. It was very thoughtful of her to remember me.

After dinner, a friend came over to watch the boys, so Chad could come to the hospital and have a date night with me! We invited another couple to come have fun with us -  so it was a double date! We had a lot of fun talking and playing hearts.

A little while after everyone left I got to have a video call with Trevor.  He was up because he had just gotten sick - poor guy. We talked for a while and he said he was feeling a little better. He thinks maybe he got food poisoning. Hopefully he got it out of his system.

I love you all and hope you're having a wonderful weekend. Thank you again for your prayers!

Day 20

Today has been a slow quiet day. I was expecting it to be that way though. Everyone is busy on Saturday's, and Chad and the boys are no exception. It's ironic that before all of this happened, Saturday was one of my busiest days. Now it's one of my slowest days.

I did have one friend come visit for a while, which was nice. She stayed for about an hour and kept my mind off of not being able to watch the boys play their games today.  Just when I start to get sad the Lord steps in and sends me some relief.  I believe He sent my friend over to see me at the exact time I needed it!  One of so many tender mercies I have been blessed with!

Another thing that made a big difference for me were the pictures Chad took of the boys playing in their games.  The boys would give me the play by play as I looked at them.  It was great - almost as great as being there!

Chad was extremely busy with sports games today.  One baseball game and two soccer games and, yes, they all overlapped and were in two different locations.  Chad was blessed to have the help of our good friends who were on Kaden and Trevor's teams.

Popcorn is always a crowd favorite!

Plus Tanner had a Jazz band concert tonight. 

Since it was so busy I didn't think the boys would be able to come see me, but to my delight they came after Tanner's concert!  It was late, but they were able to stay for a little while. I was glad to see them especially since I didn't get to see them yesterday. Little tender mercies, that's what the Lord is blessing us with.

I love you all and hope you have a wonderful Sabbath day. Tomorrow I will be 30 weeks! I'm so thankful that I've been able to make it this long! Here's hoping for four more weeks!!!! Thanks again for your prayers, I love you all.

Week Two - April 8th-14th

Day Seven

Happy Easter everyone!  I hope everyone had a nice holiday today.  We had a nice quiet Easter.

Since I couldn't go to church I decided to see if the hospital got BYU TV.  I was pleasantly surprised to find they did.  I checked the programming and found out they broadcast a sacrament meeting every Sunday.  I decided to check it out.  It is pretty dated.  I almost thought I was in high school again!  It was like memory lane seeing the 80's hairstyles and outfits.  Luckily, the message of the gospel never gets dated!  Even though the meeting was older I was glad to have some familiarity on my first Sunday in the hospital.

Today for lunch the hospital gave me a special treat.  They gave me a bunny cookie with a note that said, "We wish you and your family a happy Easter. Thank you for spending this Easter with us." That just made me smile and laugh!

Chad and the boys brought Easter dinner over to the hospital and we all had dinner together.  They were a sight to see walking into the hospital with the cooler bag and food, dressed in their Sunday best!  They left a lot of smiles in their wake! 

Chad did a good job with dinner.  He made ham, scalloped potatoes and rolls.  It was all very good.  He even brought sparkling drinks for us.  It wasn't the fanciest Easter dinner we've had, but we were all together so it was wonderful!

We had to be flexible with our seating arraignments - Devon and Austin were the only ones who got to sit at the table.  Then again, the older boys probably thought eating on the couch was pretty cool! 

Before dinner Chad and Tanner blessed and passed the sacrament for me.  I feel very blessed and honored to have two worthy priesthood holders in my family.  It was a neat teaching moment for the boys.

After dinner we watched the new Bible video "He is Risen".  It is one of the new ones put out by the church.  I really liked it. Especially the part when the resurrected Savior talks to Mary.  He looks so happy.  What joy he must of had!  Austin learned about resurrection today, so while watching the movie, he kept asking if this is the part when Jesus was going to be resurrected.  Loved it!

After that movie we switched gears and watch the Muppet movie.  It was pretty funny and it brought back a lot of memories from my childhood.  The boys loved it!

Sadly, after the movie was over the boys all left.  It was nice to have them here for several hours though.  They needed to get home so they could get to bed early - it has been a tiring week.

I enjoyed talking to Lindsay and Mom and Dad over Skype.  Sorry I didn't get to talk to everyone, but luckily I have some free time this week!

Ashlyn and I are looking forward to another low-key week! We love you all and thank you again for your love and prayers.

Day Eight

Wow, today was a busy day.  I didn't expect it to be, but it was kind of nice.  It made the day go by quicker.

It started off with my ultrasound to check the fluid levels.  I now have 5.1 cm of fluid left. I previously had eight.  The doctors say that it is on the low side, but they still don't seem too worried.  I will have another ultrasound on Thursday.  From then on I will have a biophysical profile test done.  It is done using the ultrasound.  They will check the heartbeat, muscle tone, movement, breathing and the fluid level.  Each of these sections will be given a score as high as 2.  They start doing this test around 28 weeks, to keep a better eye on the baby.  10 is the best score the baby can get, but since my fluid levels are already low, Ashlyn will probably score around and eight at the highest.  They tend to get worried if the score goes below four. The nurse told me that usually a 2 or below would call for an emergency C-section. So we are going for an 8!  They will do this test every Monday and Thursday.

After I got back from my ultrasound, I had a visitor.  It was fun to see her.  She was very thoughtful -  she brought me the handouts from church and filled me in on what I had missed. While she was here, the physical therapy department stopped by to show me some exercises I can do while I'm on bed rest. They gave me a resistance band to use while I am exercising.  The boys thought the band was cool and had to try it out. 

Then a little while later I had two more visitors! Near the end of their visit, two ladies from NICU came by to tell me about the mobile library unit they have.  I was able to check out a book on preemies. I am grateful to have the book.  There is so much I don't know about preemies.  The book is rather large, but I hope to have plenty of time to read it!

It was nice to have so many visitors this morning.  By the time everyone left it was 1 o'clock.

I was also able to take a little nap this afternoon.  That doesn't happen very often.  Then I was able to Skype with Layne for little while.  After dinner I was able to see Chad and the boys.  They were only able to stay for a little while, but I enjoyed every second of it!  They brought me a care package from Misty.  She sent me some fun things, one of which is a learn how to crochet kit.  She said a lot of people she comes in contact with at the hospital knit or crochet to pass the time.  I will have to give it a try - Ashlyn may want to learn one day and it would be nice to be able to teach her!

At the end of each day my nurse comes in to monitor Ashlyn.  She's usually pretty active at night so it's kind of hard to get her on the monitor. Tonight was no exception.  The nurse even had to hold the monitor in place for while. But Ashlyn's heartbeat is still very strong.  In fact tonight she sounded like a galloping horse!

I am thankful once again for another low-key day.  We continue to pray that there will be many more.  We love you all and thank you again for your prayers.

Day Nine

Hello everyone! Another day down.  Today was another nice day. I lost a little more fluid than I would've liked to today.  It is making me wonder if she will come earlier than we want her to.  I'm trying to prepare myself for that, but I'm taking it one day at a time.  I still feel good about how things are going.

Chad and I talked to my doctor this morning.  Chad asked him what he thought the time frame might be.  My doctor said he thought probably another week.  It could be longer or shorter, it's really just a guesstiment.  It will be interesting to see what the test results are on Thursday.

Today I was blessed to have several visitors. Some during the day and some this evening.  I've got a lot of good people around me! They continue to bring me things to cheer me and my room up.  One friend brought a dozen red roses and another brought a Easter basket full of goodies.  I hope I don't gain a ton of weight sitting around here, but I must say the treats are nice to have around!  It's a good thing the boys love the candy just as much as I do!

I was also able to have a nice conversation with my nurse.  She saw me reading the scriptures and asked which book I was reading from.  When she found out it was the Book of Mormon, she said," I have a Book of Mormon." She said she knew a little about the Mormon church. I told her if she had any  questions I'd be here and she could ask me.  After lunch she came in and did ask me some questions.  It was a really good conversation. I was surprised at how long she stayed in my room and talked to me.  She was really nice. I don't think she'll run out and get baptized or anything, but I think she understands a little more about what we believe.  It's kind of interesting that I had that experience, because my friend told me she thought I was here partially to touch the staff.  I told Chad yesterday I didn't know that that was the case, but then I had this experience today. I'm just glad I was able to have the experience.

Yesterday a friend of mine brought over little activities for the boys to do while they are here at the hospital - so thoughtful!  Tonight when they came over they got to actually play with the stuff.  It was nice for them to have something to do.  I'm sure they get a little bored while they're here.  I got to read with Devon for a little while.  I think everyone is getting used to this new schedule.

That is all for tonight.  Thank you again for your love, support and all of your prayers.

Day Ten

Wow, 10 days, it doesn't feel like it's been that long.  Today was another quiet day. Probably quieter than most have been.

Ashlyn is doing well. Today she exercised a lot. It seemed like she was kicking more, but maybe that was because I had less going on.  I had more time to notice.

Chad was able to come this morning, at lunch and after dinner with the boys.  I enjoyed having him here so much.  At lunch we watched a video on the NICU. We thought it was good, so Chad decided to show it to the boys tonight. He played it in the car while they were traveling from place to place.  He said the boys seemed to really be interested in it. We are trying to prepare them for the fact that they won't be able to see the baby for a while after she's born. We did find out, though, that the NICU has a WebCam for each baby. So after she's born you will all be able to see her over the Internet in the NICU! We thought that was pretty cool feature.

I thought today might be my first day without any visitors (besides family, of course), but I was pleasantly surprised to get two visitors this evening. One was my friend who has come almost everyday to see me.  The other one was my friend who works with me in Young Women.  She brought me a little care package from the Beehives. It was cute, they all made me nice cards and included a couple of gifts. Such sweet girls!  My friend also gave me a nice foot massage! I am getting so spoiled!

I feel very loved and blessed. Tomorrow is the biophysical profile test. I pray that it comes out well. I'll let you know the results when I find out.

Thank you for your love and prayers.  We love you too!

Day 11

Today was a very good day. I had to wait a while to take the ultrasound test this morning.  I didn't go until almost lunchtime. The test went very well. Ashlyn scored 10 out of 10!!  I was very excited to hear that and to find out that my fluid levels had gone up instead of down. My fluid level today was 6.1.  If you recall on Monday it was 5.1. I was surprised and amazed to find out that my levels had risen. Needless to say I've been in a good mood all day!

Chad came to lunch and I was able to share the news with him. We are both very happy with results. So hopefully Ashlyn will stay put for little while.

After lunch I got to talk to a couple of different people on Skype and I had several visitors. It was a nice afternoon.

This evening I was made aware of a nice benefit of being a resident of the Anti-Pardom wing - massages.  Every Tuesday and Thursday a massage therapist comes through the wing and give a 15 minute massage to whoever would like them (who wouldn't??)  I definitely took advantage of the opportunity.  Not only was it relaxing, but it was nice to visit with the lady who does the massages.  She does this on the side.  Her day job is an elementary school teacher.  It was fun to talk with her about the kids at her school.  She was great!

Chad and the boys came over after baseball practice. It was fun to have them here for little while. They're really good kids.

We love all of you and thank you again for all of your prayers.  I think you can see from today that they're working!

Day 12

Today was another good low-key day!  Not much went on today. My only visitors were Chad the boys.  Chad brought the boys over after dinner and we watched Princess Diaries together in honor of Ashlyn!

Tonight my nurse told me that Ashlyn is an over achiever. When the baby is on the monitor, the nurses look for accelerations in her heartbeat.  Accelerations happen when she moves. When the baby moves her heart rate goes up. Ashlyn is an over achiever because after she accelerates she slowly goes back down. The nurse said they usually start to see this in 32 week old babies. Way to go Ashlyn!

We hope everyone is going well. We love you and miss you. Thank you for all your emails, phone calls, thoughts and prayers.  They really mean a lot to us!

Day 13

Well it was another quiet day here today!  I got to start the day off by Skyping with Chad and my boys.  They had a busy morning this morning. Kaden, Trevor and Devon all had games. Kaden and Trevor both had soccer games and Devon had a baseball game and, of course, they all overlapped. I haven't felt too bad about being in the hospital, but this morning I was a little sad I couldn't be at the boys games.  I will probably miss the whole season. 

(Chad was great - he took pictures of the games so I could see how the boys did!)

I am been blessed though, because right about the time their games started my friend came to see me.  We had a nice visit and she stayed until the boys games were almost over.  Just another tender mercy that we are being blessed with!

Tonight Chad and the boys brought over pizza and a movie.  We have always had pizza night tradition and my being in the hospital didn't stop that!  I love being able to keep up some of our traditions even though I am here.  For the movie Chad brought his iPad and we hooked it up to the TV.  It worked great.  The boys think it's pretty cool to come watch a movie at the hospital.  I hope they don't get tired of coming because I love having them here!

Ashlyn continues to do well. Today she was moving around a lot. That is a comforting feeling because it lets me know she is still doing well in there.

Tomorrow I will be 29 weeks. Thank you all for your continued prayers. They are truly helping us in many ways!  We love you all and hope you have a wonderful Sabbath day.