Takin' it Easy

So here I am about 31-32 weeks with my LAST baby. I was feeling pretty good about things and felt like this pregnancy was a breeze. I should have known better. Anyone who really knows me, knows that I am always doing a million things at once, and that anything else is almost foreign to me. After our trip last week, I knew I had over-done it a bit with all the walking and carrying of kids, but I had to get right back into school and the holidays. I had a really bad headache for 3 days last week, and we just generally feeling yucky. I kept putting the feelings off because I knew I had an OB appointment on the 23rd, so I would just tell my dr. then. Well by this weekend, I felt really yucky (achy in my stomach, contractions, headache, etc.), so I called to see if I should come in just to get checked. After having to get lots of checks with Emmy and Spence, I knew that it is better not to come when my family needs me, cause you never know when you will get out of there. So Cameron and I decided that he would go to church with the kids, and I would go to the hospital to get checked. Then I would be home in time for having my siblings over to dinner. Cameron started getting food ready, I put some clothes in the washer and was off to the hospital. I mainly wanted to get reassurance that the baby was doing ok and that my blood pressure was ok (which is why I had so many non-stress tests with Spence and Emmy). Well, I ended up being there for over 5 hours. Apparently I was dehydrated (which makes sense, although I was making a deliberate attempt to drink enough) and once the monitors were on, they were a little concerned that I really was having contractions, and some good ones that were coming every 12 minutes consistently. So lucky me, they decided to check to see if I was dialating yet, and I am, so they made me stay, get hooked up to IVs do more labs, and monitor me. They wanted to keep me, but after explaining that is isn't too out of the ordinary for me, they let me go with strict instructions to take it easy or they will keep me in the hospital. How do you take it easy with 4 kids at home, the youngest of whom is only 17 months and I frankly have to hold quite a bit to get her in her chair to eat, change diapers, give baths, etc.; teach full time; and get ready for Christmas; not to mention my church calling, keeping my house somewhat clean, get kids to and fro, etc. So, I'm going to try to take it easy cause the idea of having to be in the hospital til this baby is ready really will send me into pre-term labor... wish me luck!