Not a good day.

Alright, berry pie has been consumed. Let's get this show on the road...
Holy frijoles. This morning was just awful. I didn't sleep very well last night because they discharged a patient and began cleaning the room at about 1am. I don't think it was even the room next to me, but the one next to that, so I feel even worse for the poor lady next to me. I can't remember if I blogged about this before, but when they clean a room after they discharge a patient, it sounds like they completely remodel the room. They may even use a bulldozer; I'm not sure on that though. But there's an incessant amount of banging on the walls for about 20-30 minutes. Not bumping-the-mop-against-the-walls kind of noises, but more like body-slamming-the-walls sounds. It's awful, and I couldn't sleep. I had my vitals this morning at 8am and decided to get up to pee real quick so I could go back to bed. Well, going back to bed was not in the cards. I quickly realized that there was blood in my urine, which led to me realizing that I hadn't felt Emma move yet. She usually at least twitches when I wake up in the morning. So I laid back down and started poking, prodding, massaging, shaking, and practically slapping my belly to see if I could annoy her into moving and... nothing. So I called the nurses' station and let them know. They sent in the charge nurse, who looked at my urine (I have to pee in a plastic "hat" so we can measure my output to make sure my kidneys are functioning well) and said it looked like normal concentrated urine. I knew that wasn't right. She said she would hook me up to the monitor and dip my urine anyways. So she hooked me up, and baby girl immediately began moving. Little stinker! She dipped my urine and left. I checked the computer screen and realized that it was showing some frequent and strong contractions, yet I had only felt two or three. My assigned nurse came in and said it didn't look good and that they were going to have to call the doctor, who would probably suggest that I "go down and get hooked up to mag." She was referring to being sent to labor and delivery (!!!!!!!!!) to be hooked up to an IV of magnesium sulfate since I've been terbed so many times recently and they don't like to keep giving that med. It causes a racing heart and can eventually lead to cardiovascular issues. So I started freaking out a bit. She returned and said the doc ordered another terb and they were going to start an IV. So I got terbed, and then the fun really began. Another two botched attempts at an IV line in my right forearm. After she pulled out the first one, I gushed blood, which dripped all over the hospital blanket. It wasn't pretty. My nurse seemed pretty flustered and tried again on another vein, and that one blew out too. They ended up having lumps around them and now the veins are turning a bluish purple color. I mean, why not?! So another nurse came in and tapped my veins for a looooooooong time before deciding on one in my left hand. She used a smaller needle and got it on the first try, thank god.
So they hooked me up to fluids and the terb stopped my contractions as usual. I was told they had been coming every 5-6 minutes. This validated my feeling that something wasn't right over the last week or so. I wake up sometimes feeling crampy very low in my abdomen but they didn't take it seriously, often referring to it as normal pressure from my growing baby. It turns out that these were contractions that I didn't feel in the same way I feel the contractions that spread higher. The OB came in and appeared concerned, and was especially surprised that I've been contracting for two weeks in the hospital and haven't been checked to see if I'm dilating at all. I know the OB's originally didn't want to check me and irritate it, thereby causing me to dilate more, but since I've been contracting she decided it would be a good idea to know exactly what is going on and the extent of my labor. So she checked me, and said I've dilated to a "fingertip to 1cm" which isn't that bad considering I was at 1/2cm two weeks ago. She then didn't seem too concerned. I had also found out that I was right about the blood in my urine, but she said she thought it was from the cervical changes. I didn't buy that. The OB that saw me yesterday said she wanted to rule out a UTI when I complained again about the crampiness I feel, so she ordered a urine culture. We won't have the results in until tomorrow, I think. But I've never wanted a UTI in my life until now. Because if I have a UTI, it would potentially explain the contractions and some of the pain I feel at times. And they can treat me with antibiotics and maybe slow down some of this insanity. The nurse came in later and disconnected my IV from the fluids but left the line in.
So the ARNP from the perinatologist's office came in to talk to me. She said she wasn't sure what the doctor would say, but if he felt it needed to be treated aggressively, then he would send me to labor and delivery (!!!!!!!! again with the labor and delivery?!), start me on magnesium sulfate, give me some "rescue" steroid shots, and monitor me. She thinks something is brewing and that there's a chance I could deliver in the next week. I'm not ready. She came back later and said they're going to keep monitoring me. Clinically, my symptoms indicate that my labor is picking up. But what I feel is so different, that they aren't going to treat it like I'm actually going into hard labor just yet. So we're back at "wait and see." She also said that I'll be getting one dose of the "rescue" steroid tomorrow morning... it's the same steroid shot I got twice when I was first admitted and it's supposed to prime Emma's lungs so that if she's born in the next two weeks, she'll be much better able to breathe and require less assistance for respiration. Those shots hurt so bad, but I'll do anything for my baby girl.
Tomorrow is going to suck. Another 24 urine collection, steroid shot in my bum, blood work, and another fetal fibronectin test (similar to a pap test). Hooray.
I ended up sleeping for 3 hours this afternoon after all of the craziness from the morning. I felt like I could have just slept until tomorrow but managed to get myself up and about. I'll probably have difficulty sleeping again tonight, but oh well.
Emma bear has done well today, though. I really wish I knew what she was doing in there sometimes, because she really goes to town in there! She was exploring my rib cage with her foot last night... it was cute, but uncomfortable. I can't wait to kiss those little feet! It just makes me sad to think of how much it hurt to be poked with needles all morning, and then to think about how my little baby will have to have an IV, a feeding tube, and possibly be intubated when she's born. My poor little angel baby. But I can't get caught up in all of that... I just have to focus on keeping her in my belly so she can be as healthy as possible when she's born. 32 weeks is the goal! And that's in nine days... we can do it! We just don't need any more days like today ;)