Week 32-33

Dear Griffin,

You seem to be happy in there, but mom has been having some problems. It's been a very trying past few weeks. Two weeks ago, great-grandma Nana died so we all flew back to Iowa to be with grandpa's family. We had delays in Chicago, and Maysen was a handful to keep track of. While there, Maysen got sick for a few days, then on the way home daddy got sick. When we got home I was sick throwing up for 2 days and you didn't enjoy that one bit! The day after I felt better (Tues, 11/27) I had a doctor appointment. My BP was high, but came down with rest. I had 2+ protein in my urine on dipstick, but you looked good on the monitor. She wanted me to come back Friday 11/30 and do a collection of urine to see if I was still spilling protein in my urine.

Friday I saw Dr Reilly because Dr Freidman was in New York at a conference. I really liked Dr Reilly! She was great and handled me well. My BP was 170/100 but the monitor looked good. She let me rest and rechecked it, but it still wasn't coming down. So she had me lay down, and 10min it still wasn't coming down, so I had to go to the hospital for monitoring. Once there, my BP came down nicely and it was decided that I'd be put on pretty strict bedrest.

Yesterday 12/3 I had a follow-up. I have been checking my BPs at home, and they've been all over. 130/70 if I'm really good and 148's if I'm up. Staying down is hard, but I'm doing my best. I go to the office and they told me Dr Freidman was at the hospital with a delivery, so there would be a delay. They hooked me up to the monitor, but you were moving so much that they couldn't keep your heart rate on the monitor for more than a couple of seconds. Dr Franz came in to try and get you, but she had no luck. She asked if my BP had been taken and sure enough! It was high 162/98. She looked at my urine from the week before and the protein level was 298, which was pretty much diagnosed as mild pre-eclampsia. That mixed with BP and inability to keep you on the monitor I had to go back to the hospital. They drew stat labs, which all came back perfect. My BP did come down in the hospital, but not as far down as they did on Friday. The average was about 140/70. They let me come home, but Dr Franz did tell me that I'd probably be having you at 37 weeks, which is the week of Christmas. You are already a big boy, and they'll make sure we're both healthy enough to carry on with this. They're keeping a good eye on momma and they just want us both healthy!

Right now Maysen is going to be going to school on Monday, Wed, Thurs, Friday mornings now so that I can rest and have time with you. This will be good for when you're born, too.

I see Dr Freidman (hopefully!) on Friday. I'm hoping that I can relax enough for my BP to be down in the office and that you're sleeping so that your heart rate stays on the monitor. My fear is that if I'm hospitalized AGAIN they'll just make me stay until you're born. I would miss Maysen and daddy A LOT and don't want to do that. So, we'll see.

Love you.
Momma