Quiet...for now...

I think nearly everyone could use more sleep.
A two and a half year old who misses mommie and daddy so much that it takes an hour of crying and 'battle of the wills' to stay in bed and go to sleep; a bulging mommie with ribs in constant pain and arms that look like Bruce Lee's after a fight, but really fighting with IV's; grammies who are torn between professional commitments and children and grandchildren who need their help; and a daddy who just doesn't know how to balance it all...sleep and relaxation seem to be fleeting...

Ashlee is doing OK. Her ribs are killing her and can help them relax by laying inclined in bed; yet that makes her contract more. She's fighting an E. N. T. cold/infection and has 'the feeling' that the babies are going to arrive any moment, however the doctors and their drugs keep it at bay. She and I had a nice little evening. A bath, Outback dinner and snuggle in the funny bed. Too bad spooning is out of the question, 'cause prego-bellies are awesome! Anyway, the contractions are 4-6 per hour and not very painful, except for the rib issue. She's so tired and ready to be done, but wants the babies to be as healthy as possible. Tomorrow is 34 weeks. An amazing feat...as one doctor said, she is on borrowed time. We know that it's not her time nor borrowed. It's an amazing gift from the master of time. But 34 weeks is another crucial mile-stone in development. The chances of self dependence is extremely high and the need for breathing equipment, incubators and the like are drastically reduced at this point. If we make it to 35 weeks (mind you, Ash is currently dilated to 6 cm) the doctors will probably take her off the medications and let nature complete the course it has tried to run for the last 3 weeks.

Speaking of sleep, off to bed I go. Thanks for all the love and support and prayers! G'night...