31 weeks!

I get weighed every Sunday night... I was fearful last night because I had gained four pounds during the second week I was here. My belly is definitely growing and I'm starting to feel like a hospital-opotamus BUT- I lost a pound! I can't wrap my head around that... maybe lying in a hospital bed and eating french fries too often should be the next fad diet.
Yesterday and today have both been good days! My contractions are back to how they were pre-hospital admission and baby girl is kicking away again! She barely moved for about two days, but I wasn't too concerned. I knew she was ok in there. But now she's making up for lost time... holy ninja kicks. And I guess she either flipped or rolled over, because for the first time in a long time, her heart beat couldn't be found on the left side of my belly but on the right side instead. Twice a day for three straight weeks, she's been on the left side. And for pretty much every doctor's appointment I've had for the last few months. So I was surprised when she was on the right side this morning, and her kicks are different today. I just wish I knew what part of her is where! But anyways, she was a little stubborn on the monitor yesterday morning and evening but we finally got her to cooperate and my monitoring sessions weren't that long. Not like the 2 1/2 hour sessions I've had in the past. This morning's session went great- I was done in 20 minutes and I slept through the whole thing. I was just so tired this morning- I was literally up every two hours to pee last night and I drank so much water throughout the night that there was no hopes of getting sleep. I've just been so thirsty for the last couple of days... maybe it's the antibiotics.
Speaking of antibiotics, I had my last dose via IV this afternoon AND my IV line was taken out afterward! First thing I did after finishing my lunch (buffalo chicken wrap and coleslaw, yummy!) was to take a shower, sans the ghetto glove and hair tie "IV cover" I've been sporting in the shower for the last few days. It felt so free. And it's insane how happy that made me. So I'll have another urine culture test done tomorrow to make sure the infection is gone. I spoke with the OB this morning who was excited about my progress and said that the UTI was definitely what was causing so many issues with my contractions and whatnot. It's crazy to think that the one OB suggested the urine culture on a whim and as a "rule out" type of test, and I don't think either of us thought it would come up positive, at least initially because I started to put the pieces together over the next couple of days and started to suspect that it would be positive. I can't help but think that maybe I'd already have delivered Emma if we didn't catch the infection.
I sometimes think about the day I was admitted and how much it changed my life. How I left home expecting a typical checkup at the OB- I mean, why wouldn't I expect that everything was fine? Everything had gone well to date, except for some iffy blood pressure readings here and there. I thought my OB would probably mull over my blood pressure readings from the prior week and would probably talk about our plan to prevent them from increasing, and that I'd probably get a minor scolding for not having done my third tri 24 hour urine collection yet. And even when I was told to go directly to the hospital, I still didn't believe that anything was really that wrong. I knew the short cervix was a big deal, but I didn't think I'd be living in this hospital. I did cry as we approached the hospital because I felt helpless, scared, and concerned for my little girl. Especially since I was only 28 weeks pregnant at that point. It's impossible to describe what it feels like to have your life disrupted so much in such a short amount of time.
I'm 31 weeks and one day pregnant! When I was admitted, I was 28 weeks and two days... these last three weeks have gone by much quicker than I anticipated and I'm so happy to still be pregnant. I really wasn't sure I'd make it this far. And I've done so much reading about preemies and the complications of having a premature baby just to prepare myself for the high possibility of having a NICU baby. I read this morning that her chances of an intraventricular hemorrhage (brain bleed) has dropped to less than 1% now that she's 31 weeks and I feel so relieved. 31 weeks is also the milestone when a preemie is no longer considered "very premature" and is now only "moderately premature."
And at 31 weeks, I'm feeling so much more pregnant! I've hit the phase where I've got less room in my belly for my stomach to hold food, so I get full easily. And since I have had reflux since I was 14 and a hiatal hernia since who-knows-when, it makes for some pretty uncomfortable moments. I was about to let the nurse know, but then I realized... silly 90210, that's a completely normal phenomenon of pregnancy! Maybe I was just in denial that I've made it this far. And the peeing every 1-2 hours has kicked in and I'm sure it'll be here to stay until the end, whenever that may be.
I'm starting to think Emma is breach... I'm feeling some quite familiar pounding on my cervix that may be her feet. If that's the case, then this kid is officially anxious to come out... although I'm sure she doesn't realize that kicking my less than 1cm thick cervix is not a good idea if she'd like to stay cozy in her warm swimming pool. Just keep swimming, kiddo!!! Mommy and Daddy love you so much :)