I'm going to thumb-type a post into the terrible horrible no good very bad blogger app and then put a tiny iPhone photo into it and I'm pretty sure I'll be getting the coveted "blogging best practices award" that we all know is going around. Woo hoo! Go me! Let's hope for some overzealous autocorrecting that I don't notice before I hit publish for that extra va va va voom, shall we?
So I am sitting in a hospital bed in a room that I will hopefully call home for the next two to the three weeks. I'm waiting for my "room service" breakfast. This open back gown (sounds more stylish than it could ever be) has seen more fragrant days.
On Tuesday afternoon at about 2 pm, my water broke in the comfort of my own home (thank God for blessing number one) when I was 31 weeks 6 days pregnant. At first I was not totally sure, then I became totally sure, and I made phone call after semi-hysteric phone call to all three of my midwife's phone numbers, to my husband's work number, to his cell number, to the phones of my closest friends, as I reclined motionless on the sofa, praying, praying, praying for my unborn baby's health and safety.
I sent out vague prayer requests on Instagram because even though I knew, I didn't KNOW and I was hoping against hope that I was wrong. But then my midwife and Tommy both arrived, she tested the fluid quickly (yes, amniotic) ) I crawled into the backseat of the car, and off we headed to the the furthest but best hospital in our area. That level 3 nicu does wonders for the mama's heart, you know?
Oh that drive was hard. When you don't know if you're about to be in labor on the side of the road with a baby who is 8 weeks premature, there is not much you can do but force yourself to keep breathing and praying and trying not to cry so that you don't waste precious hydration on tears.
But we made it. And the baby is fine. And my amniotic sac is ruptured. But my baby is fine. And we are praying that I am "stuck" here for another two or three weeks (at least? We shall see.) because baby is safer on the inside than she is on the outside, at least so far.
I miss my husband, who somehow manages to deal with all this stress and the surprise of taking over the management of a household full of six kids with nary a sign of panic or even worry. I want to be like him when I grow up. And I miss my kids something FIERCE. They came for a three hour visit yesterday and despite the high energy level and John Charles doing tightrope walker tricks on the window sill of my room, the visit was not nearly enough to fill up my mama tank.
So here we are. She was sort of transverse breech at our ultrasound after being admitted, which is an indicator of potential c-section. BUT! But...I thiiiiink that maybe maybe maybe she managed to turn head down last night despite the lack of fluid to move in because she is a, and I quote my nighttime nurse, rockstar baby. Aw yissss.
And you know what? I think if I am going to be begging and pleading with you to cover my family in prayer over the next few weeks, that we ought to have a name for this tiny rockstar. What do you think? Yes, let's announce her name.
Please pray for my unborn baby girl, Miss Helen Margaret Borobia (nicknames Nellie, Kitty, Flufferbutt. When you have 6 older siblings, you get nicknames FAST) and her parents and siblings and all her friends that we can survive, and even thrive, during this trying time.
So far we have been absolutely blessed by all our friendships and even the beautiful, unseasonably mild weather. May we continue to see the good in each day. Deo gratias.
Prayers! I don't know which of the hospitals you ended up at, but if you are in Lansing let me know if there's anything I can bring you or do to help!
ReplyDeleteAnd what a beautiful name!!!
The name is perfect. And you have my continued prayers. I might be stalking your IG account for updates. Thankful for a bit more detail on the situation. I will have my Margaret say extra prayers for your's!
ReplyDeleteMy water broke at 34 weeks with #4 and I was admitted to the hospital too. They let me go until 36 weeks ("against medical advice") and then induced me. She was fine at 36 weeks, didn't even need the nicu.
ReplyDeletePrayers for your baby girl and the rest of your family!
BABY NELLIE!!!! I loveitIloveitIloveit! She is a total rockstar baby because she's got a rockstar mama. You can do this Dwija. You are stronger than you know. Everything's gonna be alright!
ReplyDeleteoh friend. Praying so hard for you in the next couple of weeks. I know it is beyond impossible, but try to use this time to rest, relax (ha!) and patiently await God's next great miracle in your life. I'm sure it isn't lost on you, that you have been given this time as we near the end of Lent. Man, Easter is gonna feel so good for you :) I will be praying for those things (rest, relaxation and patience) for you, and I will be praying in a particular way for your husband and your tribe- they will hold down the fort just fine! Good luck mama.
ReplyDeleteMany many prayers for you and little Nellie and all your family and friends!
ReplyDeleteLove you, love your family,love love love little Nellie!
ReplyDeleteI will be praying every day until sweet flufferbutt is in your arms!
ReplyDeleteAw, Helen was my beloved grandmother's name! I'm so glad to see it put to such perfect use. Continued prayers for you. <3 Turn, baby, turn!
ReplyDeleteAlready praying since I saw on IG!! I love her name :) Helen is beautiful and Margaret is my own middle name, which I passed on to my daughter! (As her first name.)
ReplyDelete😍😍😍 Her name is perfection. And those are some bad@$$ ladies to have as patronesses. St. Helena is my confirmation saint. Not sure which Margaret is your fave, but there are a bunch of strong options. Joining them in interceding for you and your rockstar baby.
ReplyDeleteThe Mikes are praying for your family, Dwija! Email me if you are in AA and I'll gladly help out however I can :-)
ReplyDeleteContinued prayers, Dweej! Much love to the Borobia family! God Bless Nellie!!!!
ReplyDeleteHelen Margaret is such a beautiful name! So many prayers for all the Borobias, especially Nellie!!
ReplyDeleteBeautiful, beautiful name!!! You really know how to pick 'em :) Praying for you lots and lots while you're away from your family and are caring for your baby in a very sacrificial way <3
ReplyDeleteMany prayers. I like Flufferbutt of the nicknames, but my family has always some crazy nicknames too.
ReplyDeletePrayers to you all! I was born as a 31 weeker...honestly no NICU stay and was fine, albiet small (it can happen :)) You are in great hands! Stay cooking.
ReplyDeletePrayers to you all! I was born as a 31 weeker...honestly no NICU stay and was fine, albiet small (it can happen :)) You are in great hands! Stay cooking.
ReplyDeletesweet little H&M, (can I give your unborn baby yet another nickname?) you all will be in our prayers. Thanking God you're safely tucked up in hotel hospital, and praying for Tommy and the rest of your crew to stay healthy and very low maintenance!
ReplyDeleteAww...Nellie. So sweet. Love, love the name Helen and all the big sib nicknames. Praying for all of you and wishing I could be like your husband when I grow up too. Hope you feel surrounded by prayer. And I'm asking your Nicholas to intercede for you and his baby sister.
ReplyDeleteAwwwww. I love her name (but I'll confess, I love Flufferbutt even more. Your kids are awesome). :) Sending many, many prayers your way! Hang in there, mama.
ReplyDeletePraying for you, your family and your precious little ones health.
ReplyDeleteOh her name!!! I love it so much. Will continue the prayers. You are such a great mama and He'll be carrying this cross with you. May she stay safe and tucked in there as long as possible. <3
ReplyDeletePraying for you, your family and your precious little ones health.
ReplyDeleteI'm praying for you, Dwija! And I will have my little Nellie pray for your little Nellie too!
ReplyDeletePrayers for you and sweet baby Helen! And your husband and kiddos at home! May your nurses be fabulous and the room service food delish!!!
ReplyDeleteI'll be stalking you on Instagram, per usual.
Constant prayers for you and your sweet baby girl and family!
ReplyDeleteSo much love! Thanks so much for the update. I'm praying that you have a boring few weeks so little rockstar Helen stays put!
ReplyDeletePraying, Dwija!
ReplyDeleteBeautiful name! I was praying for you and the baby at Mass this morning.
ReplyDeletePraying for you and little Miss Helen!
ReplyDeletePraying for you and little Nellie. (That's my favorite of the nicknames. Back when we thought we might ever have a female child, we considered having an Eleanor and calling her Nell. No wait--I considered it, but my husband had other ideas...and as it turned out, we never got to use a single girl's name anyway!)
ReplyDeleteI feel for you missing your kids at home--I know how hard that must be. I hope the time goes by fast, and before you know it, you're carrying home that sweet pink bundle.
I've been obsessively checking ig, so keep it up!
ReplyDeleteHelen Margaret! Love love. And now I can say "whoa, Nellie, not so fast" stay in, baby!
What a beautiful name!!! I will continue to pray for her, you, and your family!
ReplyDeleteWhat a beautiful name!!! I will continue to pray for her, you, and your family!
ReplyDeletePrayers from Texas! I was actually born at 32 weeks, despite my mom/ the doctors' best efforts. But in the end I was no worse for the wear, just a bit on the small and jaundiced side. In retrospect, my mom would always say she was relieved since if I'd made it to term, I would have been, in her words, a "heifer." So, silver linings and all that.
ReplyDeleteBut still, plenty of prayers!!
Hang in there, Flufferbutt! (Seriously, your kids rock.) Praying that she keeps on cookin' until it's time to come out safely.
ReplyDeleteMany prayers coming your way!
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ReplyDeleteI think I commented here once, a long time ago (which is to say, you don't really know who I am), but as a mom of five, with a sixth on the way, I love reading about your family and you the balance of a large family works. I have been praying for your and baby Helen Margaret (didn't know her name until this morning, of course) since I found out yesterday, and I will continue praying for you both, especially for Helen to stay right where she is!
ReplyDeleteOh my goodness! Noooo! I did this last year and it was NO FUN! My water broke at 30 weeks. I was on hospital bedrest for "up to 4 weeks" but baby's timeline was different and he was born 3 days later, making my total stay just 5 1/2 days. 7 weeks in the NICU later and then he was home and healthy as a horse. (He's now bigger than his overdue CHUNKY cousin!) I don't want to flood you with all my hints on how to survive, but I'll say that FaceTime/Skype is a God-send. I wanted to just have the iPad set up and "on" in a central location at our house, so I could "be with" my family while in the hospital. (I walked my hubby through making dinner one night, it was as close to awesome as that experience can get.) Ok, enough rambling. PRAYERS for you and baby Helen. So many prayers. God be with you and protect you, and it's as bizarre to write this as it was to live it, but I hope you have a LONG hospital stay (are they inducing at 34 weeks?) Come Holy Spirit!
ReplyDeleteI'm a terribly inconsistent blogger, so I haven't finished my story, but if you'd like to read about my experience, it's here: http://thereluctantpioneer.blogspot.com/2015/07/riding-waves-of-grace-joeys-birth-story.html
DeleteSweet Nellie is a rockstar for sure! And so is her beautiful and holy mama. Continued prayers!
ReplyDeleteHugs and prayers to you, Baby Nellie, and everyone at home!
ReplyDeleteI am not a poster on blogs, but I wanted to let you know that I am praying for you and little Helen, also asking Saint Helena to watch over the little one. I also wanted to let you know that I have a friend who has had all five of her babies this premature, in the same exact circumstances you find yourself, and all those babies were born in beautiful health, with the exception of having to grow a bit more before going home. Hang in there! Know that you are loved and prayed for often by all these wonderful people in your life!
ReplyDeleteYou, your family, and little rockstar Nellie are all in my prayers!
ReplyDeleteLove and prayers, Borobia family! So glad for this update! If and when someone gets a meal train or other physical help going for your rockstar family, will you share with us?
ReplyDeleteIn the mean time I'll be joining everyone else in badgering your guardian angels and praying that sweet Nellie stays nestled safely for so long and that you have so much visiting time over the next few weeks that she comes out already knowing how to play Uno!
Be assured of my prayers for you and your family! Praying that sweet Nellie will stay put a bit longer! God bless.
ReplyDeleteMany many prayers. Beautiful name.
ReplyDeleteYou, little Helen, and all of your family members are in my thoughts and prayers! God bless you all! :)
ReplyDeletePraying a novena to St. Joseph (just started today) will add your husband to my list since you and Helen seem to be covered ;).
ReplyDeletePraying SO hard for you and Flufferbutt, and the rest of your beautiful crew!!! HUGS!
ReplyDeletePraying for God's peace, comfort and safety for you, Helen (beautiful name) and your family during this time, and always.
ReplyDeleteoh my dear internet friend, He's got this...you, the fam, little Nellie...He's got it all! And we who love you so much through the interwebs have got your prayer back. Man, she might be an Easter baby...how cool would,that be?! No matter what comes, we're all holding out our arms to hold you up...even if it's from 1200 miles away. Storming heaven from the mile high city, cause we're that much closer to heaven, right? Ha! Love you.
ReplyDeleteoh my dear internet friend, He's got this...you, the fam, little Nellie...He's got it all! And we who love you so much through the interwebs have got your prayer back. Man, she might be an Easter baby...how cool would,that be?! No matter what comes, we're all holding out our arms to hold you up...even if it's from 1200 miles away. Storming heaven from the mile high city, cause we're that much closer to heaven, right? Ha! Love you.
ReplyDeleteSending so much love and prayer xxxx
ReplyDeletePrayers for you and your family. rest and take care of yourself
ReplyDeletePraying!!!
ReplyDeleteYou and your beautiful family are in my prayers! Our Lady of Guadalupe was such a comfort to me a few months ago when my type one diabetic 2 year old had to have a four hour robotic surgery. I placed him in our lady's arms, and I know you and little Nellie are in her arms right now. You are such a good and faithful servant and Jesus is with you, carrying you each step of the way. If you look you will see his hand all along this journey. I recently heard Cardinal Dolan talking about what Our Lady said to Juan Diego......“Let not your heart be disturbed… Am I not here, who is your Mother? Are you not under my protection? Am I not your health? Are you not happily within my fold? What else do you wish? Do not grieve nor be disturbed by anything.” (Our Lady of Guadalupe to Juan Diego)
ReplyDeleteMy third was born at 32 weeks after kicking a hole in his sac (I watched it happen!) at 27 weeks. At birth he could breathe and cry, both weakly, but he could. He had CPAP to help breathing for 11 hours then he was fine on his own. He was small but strong and healthy and when we brought him home not even 4 full weeks later he was exactly the same as all our other newborns, no extra needs or higher maintenance. And we've never looked back. So I can say with confidence that even if wee Helen was born tomorrow you would have every chance of taking home a healthy baby very soon. Of course, every day inside is a bonus so no harm in praying for a few more weeks ;-)
ReplyDeleteAlso, my best tip: send your husband out for adult incontinence pants. Even mega-maternity pads just don't cut it when baby pees. Depends work much better and don't scrunch up. And then we need never talk of it again.
ReplyDeleteThinking of you and praying she stays put a while longer. :-D
ReplyDeletePraying for you and Helen Margaret!!
ReplyDeleteWhat a great name! Praying for you and little Miss Nellie Flufferbutt and your family!
ReplyDeletePraying so hard for you, sweetie!! And love, love, love her name!
ReplyDeleteMany prayers for you, baby Nellie, and the fam! (And hope the hospital has good food :)
ReplyDeleteSuch a beautiful name! Praying!
ReplyDeletePraying for all of you!! We have a Kitty in our house too...and it's a great nickname.
ReplyDeletePraying for you and little Helen Margaret! And Tommy and the others kids, too. What a long couple of weeks for them, too. I'll especially ask St. Margaret of Scotland for her intercession -- she's the patroness of large families and childbirth, so you're right in her wheelhouse, sister. Plus, I'm kind of tight with her since I've got my own little Miss Margaret. Hang in there, Dwija. My 35-weeker is now 8 and hale and hearty!
ReplyDeletePrayers for you & your sweet Helen Margaret! May God bless you and your beautiful family with His peace.
ReplyDeletePraying for a healthy several weeks of boredom! Good solid name. I'll pass this around to friends for more prayers.
ReplyDeleteLove the name, and I'm so glad that you are at a hospital with a Level 3 NICU. Even a few days with steroids/magnesium at this stage is a giant gain for Helen, and I'm hoping you're going to get at least three more weeks out of this! -FarmandAway
ReplyDeleteThinking of you and sending prayers/love for you and your whole family.
ReplyDeleteMy water broke at 24 weeks, and my littlest boy Charlie was born at 30 weeks. He needed a bit of help early on but we made our way home, all under one roof eventually and it was the best day of my life. He is 18 months and the happiest, most jubilant and beautiful boy. The hardest part of bedrest was definitely being away from my older son, especially since mommy doesn't really come back the same with a NICU baby to care for. Stay positive, rest and know you have so much to look forward to. Xoxoxo
Oh, I love her name! And many prayers for both of you!
ReplyDeletePraying for you and baby girl! And for Tommy and all the kids! I love the name! One of my Goddaughter's is named Helen and it is such a beautiful and strong name!
ReplyDeleteMany prayers for you and your beautiful family. I will be praying for the intercession of St. Gerard for safe delivery of your blessed daughter Helen.
ReplyDeletehttps://www.ewtn.com/Devotionals/novena/Gerard.htm
I suppose Willy Nilly wouldn't fit?? My goodness! Please know that you are in my prayers, that baby stays warm and snugly for a few more weeks at least, and that you find the peace that you need while in that hospital bed. I will also pray for you beloved husband and for his sanity. :) Hang in there!!
ReplyDeleteHelen!! I love that name! It is my godmothers name, and very Greek (as is she). It has always been on my baby name list but my Tom never agreed. Hopefully the next couple of weeks will pass quickly and trouble-free for you!
ReplyDeleteDwija,
ReplyDeleteBaby Helen and all of your wonderful family are in my prayers! God bless you all!