Last night we were talking about how expensive the Silver Cloud Inn is going to be and to be dropping $4500+ on a room that doesn’t have a kitchen is a lot. So, I took it upon myself to go searching for an alternative. A lot of the places were in downtown and were about $2700/month. There were pros and cons. The pros were that it was cheaper, larger and felt more like a home. The cons were that it was further away than the SC (Silver Cloud) and we would have to commit to 30 days and we couldn’t give short notice of when we needed the room, so we might end up paying more. I found a pretty decent place, a Marriott residence that was in downtown but only about 15 minutes away from the hospital. They were a little bit more flexible with the dates, but it would still be $2700. We would also have to pay extra for Internet and an extra parking space, and still commit to 30 days. I worked it out, and 30 days at the Marriott = 17 days at the SC. Not too bad. Then Michael said maybe we should stay at the SC for a week or two and then stay home and commute. That made me depressed. I didn’t give up hope though! An angel was smiling down on me, and took me to a website of a place that had everything we wanted for $1800/30 days! It is as close to the hospital as SC, AND it has a full kitchen! It is not a hotel chain but a b&b suite. I couldn’t believe it! They were really nice on the phone and I’m going to try to see if we can work something out so that we can reserve something but flexible with the days. I couldn’t believe it! I called Michael right away and told him the good news! The internet, can’t live without it!

Today I went in to work to get some stuff done, then we left early to head over to Seattle to meet with Dr. Lewin, the cardiologist. We had lots of time to spare so we decided to check out the Silver Cloud Inn. It was a decent place, and really close to the hospital. The bad part is that the room that we liked happens to be the most expensive and $140+tax a night. We figured it out and for 30 days, it would be about $5k!!! That’s expensive. We’ll probably look into corporate housing again and see if we can save some money. It was good to finally see Dr. Lewin again, just to make sure everything is in order. We had to go down to the 3rd floor because they were having problems with the cooling system. On the way, we talked about Texas since he went to Baylor (Houston) for his fellowship. Our conversation went something like “Yeah, Houston weather is horrible, and the fire ants!” and he said “Yeah, there are some good things about it, but my son did get attacked by fire ants, they’re pretty aggressive down there!” We finally got to the room and did the ultrasound. The good news is that the babies were easier to see this time and he didn’t see anything new to be concerned about. He did say that having a baby with *only* dextrocardio and TGA is very rare, usually there are other major defects. That was a little concerning, and we’re prepared if there’s something else wrong. But he did say that he checked out the “usual” defects that accompany dextrocardia, and couldn’t see any of them, so he’s fairly certain it’s an isolated case. There is a 10 to 15% chance that they’ll find something else wrong with the heart once the baby is out. That’s not too bad. Everything is on schedule and we’ll see Dr. Lewin again once these babies are born. After our appointment, we saw my cousin Heidi, who works there and chatted with her a little. We went to Red Mill Burgers for dinner, we just couldn’t resist!

The usual, poke n prod. Actually, I don’t know why I say “poke”, it’s not like they draw blood or anything. My weight drop last week was just a fluke, because it was back up again this week. Or maybe it’s because I’m using different scales, I don’t know. It doesn’t really matter since I’m in the ballpark of where I should be (+/- 2 lbs). Blood pressure is OK, iron levels are OK, etc. I am starting to wean myself away from work, but it’s hard when you know there’s lots more to do. Today we had our chef come back and prepare some meals for when we’re at the hospital. Can’t wait to eat her food again!

YAY! I am finally at 32 weeks, which is a milestone for those carrying twins. First one is 28 weeks, next one is 32 weeks, then finally the third is 34 weeks. After that, your baby is pretty much full term, even though technically they are 6 weeks preemie. That’s like nothing now. Seems like nowadays, they would be considered preemie only if they were less than 32 weeks. I’m still working, still on my feet, to the amazement of many. It’s getting a little bit more uncomfortable, and I’m getting contractions more often, but nothing to be alarmed about. Today I just had the usual poke ‘n prod, and everything is fine. It was a little concerning that I *lost* 2 pounds. I was kind of surprised since I feel so huge. My eating has been a problem, since most of the time I’m not hungry. Especially if I catnap all day (like on the weekends), I’ll hardly eat anything. The doctor wasn’t too concerned, since I measured 41cms (only 1cm bigger than last time). I’ll probably gain back what I lost by the next appointment. My next ultrasound (next week Friday) will pretty much tell if I will have a c-section or not. It is unlikely Baby A will change positions after that, but it is still possible. Sleep is getting easier, I think I’ve found the right combination of “stuff” for me. I still have to get up and use the bathroom every 2 or 3 hours, but I fall back asleep pretty quickly. I guess I should get stuff together for the hospital, it’s so close yet so far away. Next week I will have 3 appointments, one with the ob, one with the cardiologist and one with the perinatologist.

So, I looked more into how large a mucus plug was, and now I don’t think I lost mine. On the internet, some women have said it’s the size of a large grape. What I saw certainly wasn’t that big. Maybe it was just part of it? Dunno… At least I am not as freaked out about it. 31.5 weeks and the days are just crawling by….

I think I lost my mucus plug today, which kind of freaked me out a little bit. I’m almost 31 weeks and it’s too early to go into labor. I quickly called my doctor and she said not to worry about it unless I have frequent contractions or bleeding, which I have neither (thank goodness). I have been having braxton-hicks contractions, but they are pretty irregular. It took me a long time to figure out what a braxton-hicks contraction was because I didn’t know if it was just a baby changing position or something like that. Keep your fingers crossed that I keep them in the oven at least another 3 weeks. I have been wearing a maternity belt to help hold the weight, but it’s amazing that I don’t have any back pain. It is hard to drive with the belt on though, especially after eating, I can hardly breathe. Sleeping has been ok, some nights are really good, some nights are not. Usually if I go to sleep listening to my relaxation CD, I have a pretty good night’s sleep. I still have to get up about 2 times to go to the bathroom, but I fall asleep again very easily. On the weekends, I mimic the cats and take cat naps all day with them! Ahhh, the life of a cat is for me. I’m currently trying to tie loose ends up at work since I can be put on bed rest at any moment. There probably won’t be much posting in the next week or so since I have only one appointment next week with the ob (which usually doesn’t amount to much). The next week is more exciting since I’ll see the cardiologist AND the perinatologist.