23 weeks pregnant

Today is a big day. We made it to 23 weeks! This marks viability, increasing Clifford's chances of survival on the outside to 50%. We've been waiting a month to reach this milestone. When my water broke at 19 weeks the doctors told us it would be nearly impossible for us to make it this far. We wish more than anything Nellie was still growing alongside Clifford, but are thankful to still be pregnant with our baby boy. We think about her every single day and know she is with us and her brother, giving us the strength to keep moving forward. 

Today also marks 12 days in the hospital, 18 in the past month. Codey and I are starting to get into a routine and finding the 'normal' in each day. Yes, Codey stays at the hospital every night with me - he has been absolutely incredible and my rock throughout all of this. We're stronger together! 

Our days look like this...Codey wakes up and leaves for work by 6:15am. I wake up by 7:30am, order breakfast and 'get ready for the day'. When I say 'get ready', I mean brush my teeth and change into a new pair of sweatpants. Then, the nurse comes in to check my vitals and any signs of infection or labor. Now that we're 23 weeks, we monitor baby boy's heart rate for an hour to make sure he is healthy and thriving. After that, I log into work for the day from my hospital bed. I'm lucky to have an employer that has been so incredibly supportive and accommodating during this time (shoutout Joshin!). Working has made the days better, giving my brain something else to focus on. And I love my job! I'll attach a photo of my snazzy work setup featuring baby bump. At the end of the day, the nurse comes back to check vitals again and monitors baby boy for another hour. They also have to give me an awful shot in the tummy to reduce blood clots since I'm on bed rest. Then, Codey comes 'home' around 6:30, we order dinner, watch a show or movie, and go to bed. Then we do it all over again the next day.

We miss life before all of this; our home, our animals, the fresh air and view of the lake, and more than anything, the happiness and joy we felt planning and getting ready for the twins. However, we know we're in the best care possible here and dream about the day we can bring our son home, finding that slice of happiness again. 

Until then, we're grateful to have made it another week. 

With love,
Sadie