To the Left, to the Left

I'm - or shall I say we're - entering day 3 of bed rest, and I'm beginning to wonder about my newfound life lying on my left side. It's best for me to lie on my left side because that allows for maximum blood flow to the baby. So with the exception of an occasional roll-over to give my left side a break, I'm here. Yesterday, I spent the day sorting through some of my recipe files, searching TV Guide online for shows to Ti-Vo because I don't know what's on TV these days. (If it's not college football, CNBC election coverage or Food Network, the TV is off.) I even tried to watch a few episodes of Dancing with the Stars, but I am so out of touch with Hollywood that I couldn't tell who was the celebrity and who was the professional dancer. So sad, I know. I'm also getting quite good at doing lots of things on my left side: typing; eating; drinking (this is more difficult than it seems!); and using my toes to grab extra pillows.

I know a lot of people may think this confinement to the sofa should be a welcome change to a busy mom, but for me, it's been incredibly difficult. This lifestyle is SO not Jackie. It kills me to see something on the floor and not be able to go pick it up. I hate not being able to cook, especially since Autumn is the time I get the urge to whip up batches of my homemade granola and loaves of my friend Mandy's pumpkin bread. But worst of all I know it's hard on my family. Ava has no clue what's going, only that each morning she goes to Aunt Bonnie's for the day and that these days mommy can't do much more than read her a story. I loathe being so dependent on others; it's just not my nature. It's hard to remember that this is temporary, and it's even harder to know if any of this is going to pay off in the end. I can only pray that it does. I know this whole bed rest concept will just take a little getting used to, but for now, I'm having a really tough time adjusting. It's just been a really long time since I've been alone and not responsible for caring for my daughter.

I've completed my steroid therapy to help develop the baby's lungs, but the steroids have been replaced with Terbutaline to suppress contractions. Today Stefan has stocked me with all 6 seasons of Sex & the City (my favorite), and all I will need to do is grab some lunch in a little while. I am really looking forward to the weekend because Ava and Stefan will be here all day!