Today I will go to Christ the King

and sit in a hard plastic chair

I will lift my voice and sing

And admire Lindsey's hair

You may ask, would it say

My bum, if it could speak

NO! Not the hardened chairs of gray

For they will bruise the cheek!

It's true enough, I can't deny

The seats are awfully hard

So I will answer in reply

A pillow I'll bring my bum to guard

the end

Last night I rode in a wheelchair at IKEA. Did you know they have
wheelchairs everywhere? It's been a surprise to me. Anyhoo, it wasn't
any cool European wheelchair. Just your basic blue vinyl. Black wheels,
etc, etc. R2 has really been digging this wheelchair phase. He pushes
from behind, and R1 steers from the side. Sometimes R1 gets distracted
and R2 pushes me into things.
We got a new bedframe and some bedroom furniture.... and it was cheaper
than we expected! Ikea is already awesome prices, because everything is
Scandinavian and somehow they get it (whatever) into these little flat
boxes and you have to assemble it yourself. (In theory, the male member
of your house assembles... however I have assembled many a Scandivian
whatsit because I am tired of waiting)
Isn't that a happy thing when you get up there and it rings up LESS?
This is also a very happy thing because it is getting more and more
difficult to get my rotundity up off the mattress and springs on the
floor. Amusing to watch myself in the mirrored closet.

So that's it. The house will be painted today, the deck needs to be
stained but basically we are finished! Oh and this is such a cute
little place... I never knew it could be so pretty. Bring on the
Yablonskis.

Yesterday was a fun day. I made Richy pancakes and a ham and egg
omelette... my first. I can't say any of it looked so great, but he
said it tasted great. Me and eggs... not so much.
Visited Crystal and Randy- Richy's a dropper-inner... makes me nervous
but oh well.
We went to Lowe's and I rode in the wheelchair while we ordered and
paid for our new carpet... this place is going to be so nice! And we
emptied our savings but that's what we were saving for! So that was
really exciting!
Then off to Cinco where we used a gift certificate... you have to
understand that I think spending money is really stressful.... so free
things are the most fun ever!
THEN we went to Babies R Us and I rode in the wheelchair again and we
registered. Have to say there was a little more hostility about the
wheelchair there... All the women who are about 12 months pregnant were
questioning my wheelchair-worthiness... I could tell. Plus some people
park me in the middle of the aisle and take off.

It is still just sinking in that we're going to have a baby. Very
surreal.
Then home home because I was sooooo tired.

Last night (actually starting at 4) Richy went out and I decided to
keep R2 because... I'm feeling much better and I didn't want to be
lonely. It's strange how someone who doesn't actually talk to you can
be a good companion.

We laid around for a while, then somebody brought dinner. So we scarfed
that down.... very little conversation. Then "we" made some brownies.
(yesterday I got to go inside Dollar General for about 10 minutes and
pick my own groceries.. first time in 2 months I've been in a store....
and no contractions! And of course I got brownie mix)
So we made the brownies and he got to hold the spoon although he was
too excited to stir. He just held it there and flapped wildly with his
other hand. Big help.
Then we watched Everybody Loves Raymond which I laugh hard at so he
laughs when I laugh. I was laying on his bed because we moved the TV in
there. He did not want to sit on his bed. He sat in his chair, thank
you.
And after that it was still going to be a long time before R1 was home
so he watched Wheel of Fortune.... I don't know what I did. Ah-
brownies!
Then we watched the Astros game. In its entirety. Which I have never
done before and it wasn't that interesting... but whatever. And the
game was very exciting to R2 because people throw balls, and run , and
sometimes everybody claps. Good stuff. Still not touching his bed.
Then it was finally over and I suggested he lay down which was quite
offensive but Mr. Giraffe talked him into it...
Back to my room to hang out with Ol Ted Dekker until the old man came
home to tell me about his Recording magazine focus group or
whatever....

and that is one episode in my thrilling life. Hope you enjoyed it.

feelin pretty good today... I actually got to sit outside for a little
while yesterday. Normally, I hate going outdoors. I just very
cheerfully stay inside all the time.
But yesterday was so gorgeous and R&R were outside so I took my big
pillow and made a little comfy place on the deck.

I had to come in to eat my steak and baked potato.
Toby has it pretty good.

well, folks, I haven't had a contraction in over 3 days... HOORAY!
I have been healed. I am still trying to get my mind around it. Pray
for me for faith and grace to believe what God has done.

Going to church today... still planning on resting most of the time but
I feel good and excited about going and worshipping!

toby and I spent the night in the hospital... again... and my baby
daddy stayed too.
Contractions, etc etc... anyway I'm ok now but on more meds and
stricter bedrest.
Ciao

One kind of bummer thing about bedrest is that weekends aren't really
any different.
Now, weekends have always been wierd in my life. When we were youth
pastors, we worked all weekend... Friday night church, Saturdays doing
stuff with youth or (gulp) visitation... and then Sundays ALLLLLLLL
day. So the weekend was kinda Monday. At least that was Richy's day
off.
With Radiant, it's whenever there's a break from Radiant work... Many
times Richy and I have made reference to "last weekend" referring to
Tuesday.
And when you're on the road, there's no weekend. The only thing that
changes is dressing up a little for Sunday services. But you go to
church every day, pretty much.

Despite the variety of weekends, at least there was a day that was
different. Now they all appear the same -- a couple exceptions....
doctor appointments and shots.

Today I had breakfast. And medicine. Now I'm laying in bed. I will make
uncounted treks to the restroom, finish 2 novels, check my blog
obsessively, have lunch, repeat. 6:30 Everybody Loves Raymond.
And I will be kicked repeatedly from the inside and climbed over and
smooched from the outside. R2 is taking great joy in Mommy going
nite-nite all the time. He crawls over me like I'm a playground, and
rubs his syrupy little face and hands on my face. He elbows me in the
belly and laughs when I say "OOh!" He talks rapturous affectionate baby
gibberish. Then he points repeatedly to the TV. Sometimes he disappears
for a long time, and I hear him playing piano with his daddy, or I just
don't hear anything for a long time, and then something big and heavy
falls down and he casually comes back in my room and points at the TV.

Today Richy and Juan are working on the house. They're framing a door
and cutting out a window....
maybe working on the deck.
It is very interesting to me to watch these guys work. I will be moving
my station into the living room to observe. Until they cut out a window
over my couch. I probably have to leave then.
I watched while they built this place, and it really is amazing to see
it all come together. I'm welcome to stay and watch as long as I only
speak when I'm spoken to. If I talk too much Juan says I'm distracting
his workers.
He yells at them but he always says it very nicely to me.

Richy talks as he works... about measurements and tools and plans for
looking out the window, etc. Juan doesn't talk much. When it's all
finished we all say how beautiful it all looks and he looks pleased and
then goes back to his house to watch football, if it's late. If it's
early he goes and works on something else.

I'm getting used to this medicine. I shake most of the time and I
always feel a little jumpy and sped up, but it seems to be working as
far as contractions... so ok. I probably act kind of like my dad's
final cat, Tut.

OHHHH and Andy and Beth brought enchiladas last night! YAY! They were
awesome!

New link over there on the sidebar...

I'm feeling pretty down tonite.... don't want to be a bummer but do
want to get prayed for.

jess

So.
Thursday I started noticing what felt like contractions when I was
lying down.... I wasn't sure because I'm only 16 weeks and they didn't
feel as noticeable as when I usually identify them at 20 or more weeks.
But, they continued, so I called my doctor yesterday and she had me
come up to the hospital to Labor and Delivery where they have all the
monitoring equipment.
My contractions aren't painful... they're just like when your stomach
tightens because you're nervous or something.
So, they put me on the monitor and I was having small contractions very
frequently. They continued to monitor me all day. Part of their
strategy for me has been progesterone injections, which are supposed to
relax the uterus so it's less likely to contract. I was supposed to
start getting weekly injections this past week. But the company got all
tangled up in insurance paperwork, so they never came and gave me the
shot.
The nurse will be here today to give me the first one.
Also, they put me on a medication called Terbutaline.... which is
another contraction stopper. It speeds up your heart rate, so you have
to take your pulse before you take it... very interesting taking my
pulse. I've never done it before. It's supposed to have a side effect
of making you feel jittery, but I didn't really notice too much
difference! My hands shake a little but basically I feel ok.
So that was my official intro to bedrest. I can still get up to go to
the bathroom, etc. for a few weeks before I'm completely grounded.
Oh, and very good news is I had an ultrasound and my cervix (sorry mom)
is still in good shape so the contractions I had didn't affect it. YAY
Jesus!

Thank you so much, everybody for praying. The whole situation turned
around after my mom started calling people to pray. I went hours
without a contraction!
And continue to pray!

home from the hospital.... We're ok... drugged up and sleepy.
I'll post an update tomorrow.

Oh, and I feel pretty good today. We went around a lot getting our car
fixed and then we went to Target... now I'm laying down for a while
because I'm soooooo tired.

Today I did ride on the cart at Target. NOT FUN. It was kind of like
driving a standard. Well, the way I drive a standard.
And people just walk right in front of it all the time like you can and
will stop on a dime. Sheesh.

But I registered for some stuff and then felt pretty un-good physically
so came home and will finish registering online, sometime.

Now, about Julie's baby. She thinks it's a boy and wants his name to
start with J. Knock yourselves out.

Yesterday was the most boring day of my life. I think.
Richy was busy all day so R2 and I just laid around and did nothing.

You may be saying to yourself, "Not good! She has to lay around for 5
more months!"
or maybe you're not. But if you are...
Once I get all my books and arts and crafts and my Netflix membership,
I should be able to keep myself much more busy. Yesterday, I ran out of
library books, had no movies and no crafts. I watched Divorce Court,
Texas Justice and Judge Judy.
Then I drew some pictures.
Then I played solitaire.
bleeeeeggghhhhhhh

Today, I am meeting my home group at Starbucks. Then I may go to Target
and see if they have a little cart I could ride on. And I'm picking up
my books from the library. By the time I get home I should be wiped out
and ready to lay around the rest of the day.

the name game continues. Every time I really like one, our child is
named that for an hour or two. Then, not so much.

Yesterday I went to Walmart. Now, don't get me wrong. I LOVE Walmart. I
even go on holiday Saturdays on purpose because I love all the people
shopping and grabbing their kids by the ear, etc.
But I was wiped out after 5 minutes. I went in with all these great
intentions of scoping out toys and crafts and whatnot for my bedrest. But nope, just a quick tour of the grocery aisles because I can't walk around normally anymore.
It's amazing that a baby this small can wreak such havoc on my body.
So I'm home again home again fiddle-dee-dee and basically staying in bed. Not as strictly as I will be, at all. Just taking it easy.

I am skipping today.... I have probably skipped 3 times in the last
month. The nice thing about today is that Richy and Richy both went. So
I am here alone.
Before anybody freaks, I am on modified bedrest... I can get up to go
to the bathroom and eat. And I promise to not move any furniture. DO
not come over here. I fully intend to read a massive novel from start
to finish without anybody wiping peanut butter on my arm.
I feel fine. I'm on antibiotics, but I have no symptoms anymore, which
is nice. We set up the room yesterday for my upcoming bedrest. (I
directed)
It's so cozy and clean in here. I like it a lot. I'll post a picture
sometime.

Leah's in Oklahoma. 35+ weeks pregnant. If that's not tempting fate I
don't know what is. But if she has an Okie, she'll have him in a
hospital. Not in her oat bran birthing center. So she'll probably try
to hold out.
I'm just saying it's tempting fate. If I was fate, I'd probably zap her
for driving that far.
But knowing Leah and Nate, the baby will stay nicely put till they get
back. Because they plan things. And their plans work. This has always
puzzled me. Regardless, baby Kai is going to be an exciting addition to
the family.

and Val... it's even funnier because they're called CROW's feet.

today I'm on temporary bedrest. I have a bladder infection. Whatever
that means. And I had some contractions yesterday, so I'm grounded for
a few days....
blah blah blah

a blog about what you can do to help me on bedrest.
Including: what we like to eat
What I like to read or watch
What the visitor policy will probably be....

any other ideas?