So close...

One. More. Day.

That's all.

Just one more day and we will have reached a HUGE milestone in this pregnancy that almost wasn't.

And yet, I know as soon as my little countdown calendar flips to the "24 weeks, 0 days" page, the hugeness of the goal attained will be immediately overshadowed by how small it really is in the grand scheme of things.

Once Wednesday passes, the next 23 days are filled with mini-milestones:

24wk1d - First trip to L&D with the girls for "not feeling quite right." I was monitored for an hour, checked for amniotic fluid, fFN done, and cervix checked manually. All was fine and I was sent home.

24wk3d - Again...just not feeling right. I couldn't put my finger on it, but something felt wrong. I went to see my OB and during the ultrasound, had back-to-back-to-back contractions...which I never felt. I was sent to the hospital and admitted. Steroid shots were given.

24wk5d - I was released in the morning, but had an appointment with my peri that afternoon. He checked my cervix and it was, well, down to the nubs. He said I needed to go right back to the hospital because he was admitting me again.

26wk5d - Cervix gone...funneled to the stitch. Nothing left, but a piece of 5mm thread holding my babies in.

27wk2d - The girls are born.

And to top it all off, today I've noticed a LOT more irritability...a LOT more contractions. Nothing that is putting up the red flag just yet...OK, well, maybe the flag is pink, but I'm not headed to L&D just yet.

Still, I'm on watch. I'm paying attention to every little twinge, cramp, contraction, pain, etc. I'm used to feeling like this on Saturday before my shot on Sunday, but not on Monday right AFTER my shot on Sunday. Hmph.

The good thing was my cervix check went great last Thursday and my cervix was actually up a bit to 3.6cm. And because it had ranged from 3.4-3.8cm this whole pregnancy, my peri seems to think that it really hasn't budged and the slight difference in measurements has more to do with the varied angles during the ultrasound and where he decides to put the start and finish cursors that measure the length.

I just hope it's not changing as we speak.

My OB appointment the same day was uneventful and very routine. I was even given homework...questions to think about.

If it is a boy, will we circumcise?

Are we planning to take a labor/birthing class?

Would we like to take a tour of Labor and Delivery?

Will we bank cord blood or cord tissue?

Mostly, the questions led to more questions for me. I mean, we've never discussed HOW we planned to get the baby out if we went to term or close to it. I've always assumed c-section, but clearly I need to talk with my doctors about that.

A tour? Um, no thank you. I lived there for 4 weeks and don't care to go back until I NEED to be there.

The other questions we are currently discussing.

I go back to the peri on 12/27 for a cervix check and growth scan of the baby and then on 12/30 for an OB visit. Both docs now want to see me every 2 weeks, probably for the duration. Most women don't start biweekly OB visits until 28 weeks...but lucky me, I get to start them at 23 weeks with my OB. Trust me, I'm NOT complaining one bit. Just so thankful that he "gets" me and how fast things can go from good to bad. He also said that if I so much as think something might be up, I am to just go straight to the hospital and "we will sort it all out when we both get there."

I'm just praying that I don't need to see these doctors before my scheduled appointments, but...I am thinking I might have to go in a little earlier than planned.

Please, please, please...let things settle down.

Please.