ASNN

update on Vanessa

Thanks for all of your prayers, everyone. It's always an immeasurable blessing to be a part of a group of people so kind, so loving, and so Christlike.

Vanessa has continued to respond very favorably to the magnesium, which was given to her to slow down the contractions. At this point, she has not had a palpable contraction since she arrived at the hospital. Her progress (or lack thereof!) is such that the doctor has talked about reducing her medication with the eventual goal of having her home next week. Given the fact that we've been assured that people don't just go home after arriving to the hospital at 4cm dialated, this is a minor miracle, and a welcome one at that.

Vanessa and Abigail both continue to be in good health and relatively good spirits. Abigail is moving a ton and has a great heartbeat; Vanessa is somewhat bored, being cooped up in a room all day and night. But she's very well, and has even gotten used to the every-five-hours blood letting and IV in her left (dominant) hand. :-)

For now, we appear to have dodged the preterm labor bullet. While we aren't (even remotely) assured a full-term labor, the doctors are all fairly confident in the success of a 34-week delivery. Every day beyond the 34-week mark (next Monday) is pretty much gravy and buys young Abigail three fewer days in the NICU. So we're still all in favor of keeping it together for just a bit longer, and all signs appear to point to that happening at this point.