Update: 24 weeks

On Tuesday my scheduled OB appt was cancelled, so I rescheduled to see another doctor in the same practice on Wednesday. Since Dylan didn't have daycare, we brought him along so Ryan could be there too.
While driving around looking for a parking spot, Ryan got pulled over (yes, a TICKET!) for making an 'illegal U-turn' where the sign was covered by a bush!

Then once he joined me inside with the doctor, our day went from bad to worse.

But first I want to point out some Good news , that the baby looks good. We saw her spine, umbilical cord with both channels intact, heartbeat, kidneys, stomach, bladder, head, femur. She measured good, with the doctor noting that she is about 1 pound and 7 ounces already.

Bad news is that she discovered that I have a low-lying placenta, which isn't a problem as long as the baby moves down below it in the next few weeks/months. And is more of a concern because I've continued to have noticeable contractions (the painful ones haven't reoccured since around 21-22 weeks, but they are still there despite my reducing my exercise and lifting since my last visit.
So this doctor did a few other tests and sent me home on bed-rest at least until my next appointment with my regular doctor (she's out on vacation for about 2 weeks), if not for longer.

This wouldn't be so much of a problem if we had regular outside help with Dylan, or if I wasn't at a risk of losing my job because of how much time off this could mean for me (the max that the law protects my job for is 4 months, which takes me just until after her due-date, but not enough for post-partum recovery after she's born), or if Ryan wasn't so busy at work with trying to resubmit his paper soon, or if me working those few days a week wasn't something we depended on. But I do realize that only I can carry this baby to term. Only I can ensure she has the best chance at not having to be born prematurely by following the doctor's instructions. And in researching things a bit more today, she wouldn't have much of a chance at life if she was born now. A risk that isn't worth taking just because I don't want to be stuck in bed. My hope though is that this is short-term and once I see my regular OB doctor in 3 weeks, that she can lift this bed-bound sentence so I can at least have Dylan during the week at home with me.

And here's where I get to focus on what I'm thankful for. I'm so thankful for my precious husband and son, who both have to endure the bulk of these changes to our life/schedules/routines along with me. I'm thankful for the many friends who have called, emailed, and stopped by with supportive words, food, and the promise to help out where they can as long as I'm in this position. I'm thankful for my health, that this is potentially a short-term discomfort and hopefully will resolve soon. I'm thankful for our families, who love us unconditionally and we know we can count on for support and encouragement with whatever lies ahead.

For those of you out there who read this, please keep our baby girl in your prayers for continued time on the inside so she can grow up strong and come join our family healthy at the end of these next few months. And pray for patience and endurance for Ryan, Dylan, and myself as we adjust to these changes.