Kristy had a strategy. Take a shower, put some make up on and when the doctor comes in, look like you’re ready to go home. It worked. Yesterday afternoon we loaded up and came home to spend the remainder of our pregnancy in the comfort of our own home. Oh how sweet it is!

Thanks for your prayers and concerns. We’ve appreciated hearing from you all.

The updates will begin to slow down now. After almost 24 hours of no contractions, remaining under close watch at the hospital is no longer required. We are tube and monitor free with the exception of the occasional visit from the shift nurse.

By the way, I can’t say enough about the staff here at Baptist Hospital. We haven’t had one nurse that we didn’t like. Just when you think you have the great nurse, the next one comes and provides equal or greater care. It’s hard for this team to out-do each other. In a world of poor customer service, Baptist hospital isn’t a contributor. They’re raising the bar.

The only downer today is that I am beginning to get a cold. What a waste of my bodies energy. I wish I was invincible to sickness…don’t we all.

I’ve decided to stay at the hospital tonight. Keith and Sharry have gone home to get their rest. I can’t stand the idea of my wife being here alone, so I rest easy with her. She’s a good hang. There’s nothing better than her company.

Finally, I am so proud of Kristy. What she’s had to go through for Savannah has required a lot of sacrifices and both physical and emotional demands. I can honestly say that she has been tested and found to be faithful to God’s plan. I’m proud of her but I know even more-so, God is pleased; very pleased.

We anxiously await Savannah’s arrival; but not yet.

Kristy has posted her first blog since all of this started. Check it out here.

1:26pm: Good News! Kristy has officially been unhooked from the monitor and she now gets to eat. Her food is on the way.

Next step, wait and see if she bleeds again. We’re also waiting for an antepartum room to open up. It seems, for now, as if we’re out of the weeds. Only time will tell at this point.

Thanks for all of your thoughts and prayers. We love you all!

7:00am: I awoke at home, ready to get to the hospital. Yes, I decided to go home last night. Things had subsided and everything looked to be in the clear. Besides, between the staff nurse, Kristy’s mom, her aunt and Kristy herself, that’s four nurses monitoring the situation. Clearly the situation was well under control and taken care of.

8:05am: Minutes away from the hospital, carrying a dozen bagels and 9lbs of brewed coffee for the night crew, I called in to check on my babies. Good news! Kristy hasn’t had a contraction in a long time and Savannah is still doing really well. Relieved, I pulled into the parking garage to unload and check myself back into Kristy’s new bedroom.

9:30ish: Our doctor makes her way into our room for an update: Kristy is to receive her second steroid shot at noon today (to accelerates the development of Savannah’s lungs), she’ll go off magnesium at the same time and they’ll continue to monitor her to see if the contractions come back. If they don’t, she’ll be moved to an antepartum room for more observation. Kristy will stay at the hospital until Monday at the earliest. We’ll get another evaluation at that time to discuss what the future looks like.

10:38am: Kristy is watching Charlotte’s Web and I’m writing this update. We’re all happy and enjoying that fact that this is the best life can be for us today. It’s enough for me. Everybody’s safe, healthy and we have insurance.

More later.

It’s midnight. The lights are low. Kristy is laying on her side; learning what it means to really be at bed rest. From side to side she shifts, trying to keep things interesting. She’s learning that she can’t lay on her back, only on her sides.

Contractions, or better defined as an irritable uterus, seem to come and go. Sometimes they’re a couple minutes apart, other times they’re six minutes apart. If we are to go home, they have to be nonexistent. We have a long ways to go.

Magnesium is being pushed into Kristy’s little body at maximum dosage. The result is that she’s hot, and we’re freezing. The last time I checked, the room temperature was in the mid-60’s. Anything to keep her cool. After all, it’s the least we can do…we’re not the ones confined to bed rest for an unknown amount of time.

People have come and gone today; our first day. We’ve seen Keith (dad), Sharry (mom), Uncle Keith, Cousin Greg, Grandpa Chapman, Cousin Ginger, Mama Donna and Aunt Karen is on her way in from Little Rock, AR. Kristy is loved; we are loved. I’m sure more will be here tomorrow.

The theories are flying around about how long it’ll take before Savannah arrives. It’s almost as if bets have been casted. I’ve heard within 24 hours up to three weeks from now. Of course, nothing is for sure until something significant happens. What we want is for Savannah to wait a couple more weeks. We’re at 32 weeks and two days. We want her to go to at least 34. If a miracle happens, we’re scheduled to deliver at 9:30am on July 26. Only God knows, cause we can’t figure it out.

12:14am: Kristy is finally asleep; Savannah seems to be as well. The fetal monitor is our new TV. We can watch Savannah’s heart rate and observe Kristy’s contraction timing and length. I’d rather watch that screen than anything else. Nothing seems more important than what those screens represent; life in a womb and the health of my wife. I love them both dearly, yet I can’t wait to awaken the father’s love in me for Savannah. I don’t get it now, but I will soon.

My struggle tonight is whether to stay here and watch my lovely and daughter sleep, or go home to get some quality rest. I fear that if I left, something would happen and leave me somewhere on 21st avenue while my baby is being born in an emergency c-section.

In processing all of this, I’m reminded that Savannah has already got an amazing destiny. How can she not? We’ve gone through six infertility treatments, three surgeries and four plus years of trying to bring her into this world. All I’ve got to say is, watch out world. Savannah Grace is about to grace the planet. You’ve been warned.

12:35am: Here comes the nurse again to adjust Savannah’s heart monitor. At this rate, Kristy’s not going to get a lot of quality rest.

12:38am: Aunt Karen just arrived. I just watched Sharry fall into her arms and walk outside. Gentle hearts warm tense moments. I think Karen is exactly what Sharry needed tonight.

12:41am: Savannah is back on the monitor and Kristy is striving to sleep once again.

For some reason, I can’t find my sleep tonight.

More tomorrow or later this AM if I am unable to locate rest.

Around 10 this morning, I got a call from Kristy that she was bleeding and needed to go to the hospital. Thankfully, I knew that this was a possibility given the recent diagnosis of placenta previa this would be a possibility. Here’s an update on where we stand today at 5:30p CST: