Here's The Plan!

Well, as most of you know, my previous pregnancies have not exactly been smooth sailing. We are very, very blessed to have ended up with 3 beautiful, healthy children so far, and we very much want things to go as uneventfully as possibly with baby Shiloh! If at all possible, we would like to avoid being stuck in the hospital for extended periods of time, and we definitely want Shiloh to get to skip the NICU and just come straight home with us. While the Willow Creek NICU was excellent, we would really prefer not to have to go back!

I am trying very hard to remain hopeful, and I feel very confident in "The Plan" that my new doctor has come up with. I have switched over to Mercy Women's Health in Rogers so that I can have the same doctor throughout the pregnancy. That right there will be a big sigh of relief! In addition, I love how at ease they make me feel there, and I love that they sat with me for a very long time at my last appointment brainstorming a plan to keep Shiloh cooking as long as possible.

So here's The Plan!

1. They checked my cervix at 12 weeks (so far, so good), and will do so again at 15 weeks and 18 weeks. Then at 18 weeks, they will do an ultrasound to check on the baby and measure the cervix to make sure it isn't being uncooperative.

2. At the 18 week appointment, they will teach Jason how to give me the progesterone shots, which he will do each week at home. He's pretty pumped about this. ; )

3. Starting at 18 weeks, I will come back for an ultrasound to check my cervix every 2 weeks.

4. Starting at 20 weeks, I'm not supposed to exercise any more (light walking, swimming, shooting, etc. is fine, just no classes or machines at the gym). Also at 20 weeks, I have to go on complete "pelvic rest." Sorry Jason. : ) I think they might start fetal fibronectin testing around this time too, which hopefully between that and the ultrasounds would give us a heads-up in advance if things are going wrong, which with any luck, THEY WON'T!!

5. At 39 weeks-ish, meet baby Shiloh after a gloriously uneventful mid-week scheduled c-section, after which we will go home, WITH OUR BABY, after the standard 2 or 3 days.

I really really like step 5, so please say a little prayer for us that we make it that far! 13 weeks in, I'm feeling pretty great and starting to show a little, which is fun. I listen to the heartbeat almost every day, and I am so very thankful that things are going well.

Now, I'm off to photograph each and every class at Autumn and Bear's school for the yearbook. How do I get myself into these things??? ; )

Oooh, first, though, I may stop off at Thai Diner and enjoy some lovely Pad Thai and coconut soup for lunch... The WPJA unexpectedly sent me a check today for $200 as prize money for one of my images that placed in the last competition! I hadn't realized there was money involved, so I was pretty pumped! Yay for fun money!