4 Weeks: From Hillary

Here Danny and I are using my resistance bands that I'm supposed to use for physical therapy to instead become ninjas.

The post-its directly in front of my bed tell me that it's been 4 weeks since I showed up here. The days have all become blurred but the moment-to-moment experience can be incredibly slow.

I have definitely hit a wall the last few days and am looking forward to seeing what's on the other side. Emotionally I hope to cling to God even more because I am so tired of being here.

But I did just receive some amazing news... My doc popped in tonight and since it's been so difficult to keep our little swimmer on the heart rate monitor 24/7 due to my extra fluid, I asked whether it's necessary to keep it on all the time. Without batting an eye, he agreed and said starting tomorrow they'll only monitor Luke for one hour a shift. That's just one hour for every twelve!! Except for having to take my meds twice a night, I might be able to sleep through the night now!

Day 26: From Hillary

Today has been a great day! I have had the least amount of contractions since being admitted to the hospital (only about one to two an hour) and am hoping this will continue until the real stuff starts. My belly is getting noticeably bigger (from the increasing amniotic fluid) and the nurses are having to come in and readjust the heart monitor on little Luke much more frequently because of it. Sometimes it's like trying to find Nemo in there. Back at home, Bob and the kids had a great time making pancakes this morning. All things considered, the kids have really adjusted to this whole new wacky way of living so well.

To keep me busy up here, one of the nurses thought I should learn how to knit and gave me my first lesson on Sunday. She even brought me needles (the only ones I can stand) and yarn. Immediately after her shift ended, I somehow got an extra loop in the scarf (yes, I am aware that we are approaching summertime) and was forced to stop knitting altogether for 72 hours. Lucky for me, my night nurse tonight is an expert knitter and has rescued me three times in the first 4 hours of her shift.

Other than that, I have so enjoyed the visits I get from the kids and am just trying to keep my days filled with projects so I don't get bored. We had our 5th room change today which isn't so bad because A.) I don't have to do anything other than hold on as they wheel me down the hall and B.) Each time we change rooms, it gives me a new view from my bed.

Thank you for your prayers! We feel so incredibly grateful to God that Luke has been given an extra 26 days in the womb.

Day 25

First, one of our great nurses heard we were having trouble finding enough utensils and was kind enough to bring us a whole bag of them. I'm just hoping this was an unused bag she put them in and not a recycled one...

In more important news, Hillary battled contractions all Tuesday night and endured another shot of terbutaline sometime before sunrise, all in hopes to slow things down yet again. By late-morning, Hillary was still feeling them and becoming concerned that the meds were masking the fact that she was in full blown labor. For the first time in at least 2 weeks, one of the on-call doctors decided to check and see just how much Hillary was dilated.

If you're keeping score at home...
25 days ago, she was measured as "1 to 2" centimeters.
24 1/2 days ago, she was measured as "3 cm."
A few days after that, the doctor had her back to 2.

And today?

Doctor: "Maybe 2."

Huh. For all we know, Hillary was around 2 when we checked in May 3rd and never actually changed at all. Apparently her uterus is like that chair testing machine at Ikea that can squeeze a chair for a few years without ever wearing the thing out.

This is good news of course. The plan going forward is to continue to give Hill terbutaline every few hours and wait for those contractions to kick into high gear. Could be tomorrow, could be 2012.

Day Twenty...Can It Be...Four?!

It has now been about three and a half weeks since Hillary was admitted to UCLA. Considering the money Blue Cross will be giving this place when we leave, I think all of our children should be given a free ride when it's time for college.

Roughly five days ago, Hillary was taken off indocin and put on a new medication. As predicted, her fluid levels have gone up slowly and the last two days have seen much more regular contractions. At times it's been uncomfortable for her, but nothing compared to the moaning moms we sometimes hear down the hall.

The plan remains to keep Hillary on her current meds up to 36 weeks, if possible. That would be about three more weeks from now. At that point they'll probably cut off all meds again and see what happens. If we make it to 36, my guess is Luke won't wait long.

But enough with all that boring stuff -- how about that Jon and Kate Plus 8 Season Premiere? Maybe we've been in the hospital too long, but that was some great television. We for one were glad that Kate is tired of the paparazzi exploiting her family for financial gain. Oh wait, that's what she's doing.

3 Weeks: From Hillary

Three weeks ago, I was admitted into the hospital. I remember balking at the idea of staying overnight that first night... How bizarre to think that I haven't been home since May 3rd! But, the good news is that there is an end in sight... even if it is many weeks away.

I had another ultrasound this morning and baby Luke is growing steadily! He continues to measure larger than his gestational age which is a blessing. The doc thinks he is about 4.5/5lbs. We got a quick glimpse of his stomach and the doctor even concluded that it looked the biggest it's been as of yet. So... it is very possible that the extra amniotic fluid is not due to any complication with regards to Luke. We ask you to keep praying that this is the case! My amniotic fluid has increased a little bit, but that was expected. It may naturally stop increasing at this point in the pregnancy, although we will just have to wait and see.

I am supposed to get a more formal ultrasound next week by my high risk doc. My prayer is that everything will be completely normal and the results will be classified as yet another medical mystery (i.e. miracle from God).

I've had a rough couple of days since they've taken me off of the indocin, which included a sleepless night full of anxiety and an increased heart rate (due to the new meds I was on). I think they have finally ironed it all out now and I feel a bit more normal.

Danny came to watch another movie and have lunch on Friday.

Here he is upset that he has to eat his quesadilla

before enjoying the cupcakes that he brought for us.

He couldn't even glance at me while I took the

photo because he was so excited to get his treat.

He kindly left me his buddies to

"keep me company and cheer me up."

Of course Bob had fun making me

pretend they were babies.

The belly is getting smaller!

32 weeks

28 weeks

32 Weeks: From Hillary

My doctor stopped by to check on me today and said that there is still a chance of me going home... but not for at least another week. Since today is the last day for the indocin, my doc would like to observe me a bit before sending me home (where I would still be on bed rest).

His biggest concern is that since I will be off the medicine that has decreased the amount of my amniotic fluid, my fluid could begin to increase once the medicine stops. And if my fluid levels go back up, I could be at risk for something called a cord prolapse which could be "catastrophic" and would require an immediate c-section. Whatever happens, I have faith that God knows the exact moment that little Luke be born, just as Psalm 22:9 states: "Yet you brought me out of the womb..."

On another note, Bob and I have figured out a couple of things that have made the hospital stay a bit more enjoyable (dare I use that word?). One example of that is when Bob orders my breakfast, if he orders my fruit plate first, they give me a big plate with strawberries and lots of grapes, but if he orders the fruit after my bagel, they only give me a tiny bowl, mostly made up of cantaloupe.

Yesterday, the kids came to visit and Danny stayed for the rest of the morning so that he, Bob and I could have movie time and watch A Bug's Life. It was wonderful to spend so much time together and when the movie ended he said, "Oh no! I forgot to bring another one!"

Our new prayer requests are:

1. My contractions will continue to slow.


2. My amniotic fluid would not increase.


3. Luke would be born without complications.

Day 17: Rumors!

For most of the day, I couldn't decide if the highlight was taking a shower, figuring out how to put the heart monitor back on Luke (so that the nurses don't come in and do it) or completely destroying Bob at a fantastic new card game that his mom taught us (thanks, Jeannie!). But in the end, it wasn't any of those things.

After an impromptu ultrasound to check out my amniotic fluid (still in the normal range), the on-call doctor mentioned offhand, "So there's a rumor going around that you might get to go home on Friday..." This was news to us!

Excitement and fear quickly took over, and within twenty minutes I had a few dozen questions written down to ask our doctor in case that happens. If it does happen, like everything else we'll probably be told about 5 minutes before they want us to pack up and move out. Either way, it tells us that the powers that be here at UCLA think that Luke is looking more and more stable every day. We feel so encouraged that things have improved at such a great rate and know it's due to the prayers storming heaven! Thanks to all of you!

We will update the blog with any new info we receive, and now that I've made my huge lists of all the projects I want to accomplish during bed rest, I'd better get cracking!

Two Weeks!... And Happy Anniversary to Us!

Today was Bob's and my 6th anniversary, and no doubt it was the strangest one we've ever had. Things got off to a rough start thanks to night full of interruptions.

Thanks to this, I followed breakfast with a two-hour nap. It seemed that the highlight of the day was going to be the fact that my nurse pulled the "anniversary" card to get permission for me to take an actual shower, but following a mellow afternoon, Bob surprised me with a great night. He arrived dressed up and and brought a dress for me to wear along with my favorite earrings. He also scrounged up a candle, turned a towel into a tablecloth and picked up dinner from Houston's. Even though I was still stuck in bed, it was probably the loveliest candlelight dinner we've ever had.

As for health stuff, my contractions remain fairly consistent and we are getting used to being in this waiting game. We're grateful for the past two weeks that little Luke has spent in the womb and know that each day is another blessing.

This Thursday will be a big day as I will hit the 32-week mark and that is also when I will be taken off indocin, one of the meds they have been regularly giving me. So our big prayer as we start Week 3 is that things relax and that we don't need another med to fill the place of the old one! But in general, please continue to pray for God's peace and protection over all of us!

Day 13: From Hillary...

So a few days back, Bob brought a bunch of board games to the hospital to help keep me distracted from this new reality of mine. In that time, we have played gin rummy, Scrabble, Sequence and Boggle... and he has beat me at ALL of them! I have requested that he bring in Uno but he says he doesn't like that game. So much for making me feel great!

On other fronts, as Bob has said, I have been having less contractions each and every day. It has been so encouraging to be receiving less medication, less shots and ultimately, less attention from the nurses and doctors. As for Luke, he seems to be happy where he is, spending most of the day doing somersaults and hiding from the baby monitor that's strapped to my belly 24/7.

Almost every time Danny comes to visit, he brings his latest art projects which have made my room seem much less sterile and feel a tiny bit more like home. Overall, the days are going by quickly -- I can't believe that it's been almost a week since Mother's Day.

Time to go to bed, which is easy since I'm already here!

Day 12: From Hillary

Another milestone today as I just hit 31 weeks! I'm approaching the end of week 2 here, and things are starting to feel a bit more normal. I finally ditched the hospital gown for tank tops and shorts, I'm allowed to get up occasionally, and... okay, I guess that's about it. But 12 days ago, it seemed like this baby would not be stopped, but we've been blessed by great care and powerful answers to prayer!

As much as I'd love to see the kids 24/7, we've decided it's best to just have them come by every other day and then talk to them on the phone or via Skype on the others. They both seem quite used to the new arrangement, and obviously LOVE all the attention from my parents, who are doing a heroic job. When the kids do come, Danny is always the first through the door, yelling, "Surprise!" After the usual hello's, Danny tosses whatever "buddies" he's brought on me (see photo) and then he and Bob walk the halls where they eventually end up at the fancy ice water machine.

Thanks to all the medical attention, my belly is actually smaller than it was 12 days ago, which is a strange thing to celebrate during a pregnancy. Normal amniotic levels at this point are between 7-25 and as of couple days ago I was 24! Bob says every ultrasound has become a glorified trip to Jiffy Lube where they update us on our latest fluid levels.

Thanks to everyone for suggestions as to what I could do while stuck in bed all day. Believe it or not, I've actually found various jobs and projects that I'd been meaning to do but never had the time. Today I went through our entire iTunes library and deleted every song we had two copies of. Who knows, maybe I can finally follow-through on my goal of finishing my Christmas shopping early. The problem is that no one knows what they want yet.

Thanks again and again for all the support. We are blessed to have such great friends...

Day Eleven!

The encouraging progress of the previous few days continued again today. The high-risk doctor who has taken over Hillary's case from her regular OB stopped by and said that because of how well things have been going, she can now occasionally get up and even sit in a chair. Next week the plan is to wean Hillary off indocin, one of the main meds controlling contractions, and see what happens.

Day 10: And... we're back.

After 24 glorious hours, we've been sent back to our old room. Alright, it's not this bad. "We're not really sure why someone moved you out of there," our nurse said, before giving Hillary's bed a mighty push and sending it back down the hall. It was nice while it lasted. Hill made a good point that being in one of the real labor & delivery rooms might have confused Luke into thinking it was time to be born. But in our bare bones one, he's more likely to stay put.

The good news of the day was that Hill had another ultrasound and the amount of amniotic fluid has drastically decreased from 40 (fl. oz?... cubic cm?.. gallons) to 24. No matter what unit of measurement they're using, that's a big difference. It's all due to one of her meds, and we're hoping that by taking the pressure off, it will help to slow down contractions too.

We know that people continue to want to visit, and Hillary would love the company, but time and again we've seen how the extra attention we have had almost always leads to more contractions, which leads to more medications and occasionally a shot. It stinks for her, but it's just not worth it. If/when that changes, of course we'd welcome the visitors.

Day 8: Movin' On Up!

Day 1 of this adventure was spent in a tiny windowless room that was so small the door would hit Bob's bed when she came in. Day 2 thru 8 were spent in a bigger room we thought was fantastic with a nice view looking out on the old UCLA hospital. And right across the hall was the shared fridge where we could store leftovers.

But tonight, our new nurse Jocelyn walked in, looked around and said, "You guys want a bigger room?" Within 5 minutes, she and another nurse were wheeling Hillary (in the bed) down the hall to what is apparently one of their standard labor and delivery rooms. Wood-paneled cabinets, private bathroom with shower, a real TV, view of Westwood and a fridge inside the room! Take away the bed pan and this is some fine living. We're currently renting out sections of our room for trade shows and bar mitzvahs.

While we were still living in what we now consider abject squalor, we had a chance to visit with a pediatric surgeon who ran through all the various things we could be facing once Luke is born. But like everyone else, he was also quick to say that there might be nothing wrong with him at all.

The biggest prayer remains that Luke stays in utero for as long as possible. The next biggest is that, despite the signs, Luke is born without needing any surgeries whatsoever. No reason to put limits on what God can do!

Speaking of Comments...

The settings on the site have been changed to allow anyone to leave a comment if they wish. We had unknowingly limited it to people with Google accounts.

From Hillary: How I Feel...

When Bob and I first got our Tivo 6 years ago, we were flipping channels and stumbled on some MTV show about a 15-year-old named Steven whose mother desperately wanted him to be an actor despite his obvious disdain for being in front of the camera. We only caught two minutes of the show, but laughed so hard we quickly saved it and have never deleted it.

Anytime Bob or I find ourselves frustrated by something, we often quote Steven's muffled "I'm TIRED of this!" and feel just a little bit better.

Now that I've been on hospital bedrest for 7 days, I've quoted Steven more than once, sometimes in between tears. It's just so strange to feel normal and yet not be allowed to do anything. As I muttered a few days ago, for any mom who dreams of spending a week in bed, I can now say that it's not that great.

Thank you to everyone for all the encouragement and prayers. I can absolutely feel them and know they're helping to get all of us through the ups and downs each new day brings.

Without further ado, here's that clip of Steven for your own enjoyment:

Mother's Day -- 2:30PM

At 5am, one of Hill's nurses tried unsuccessfully to get an IV into her arm, which was rough, but the doctor on call finally just said she could try going without it. So far so good.

While this was not the Mother's Day that Hillary imagined, the kids came in the late morning and gave her a good lift. Danny insisted on wearing his "fancy clothes" and showed up in khakis, dress shirt and tie. According to Hill's parents, Danny now knows how to get to her room and leads the way the moment they step off the elevator, which includes punching the buttons that open the double doors leading to Labor & Delivery.

We've continued to talk to people both in the medical field and out who keep reminding us that anything is possible here and not to discount the possibility that Luke could be born with absolutely nothing wrong with him. Absolutely.

And as hard as it to believe, we've been here one week. That's 7 extra days Luke has had to grow strong, definitely worth an Amen or two!

Mother's Day -- 4am

After a fairly uneventful two days, it's been a rough night. The various meds haven't been slowing things down as much as they'd like and so they have tried to hook Hill back up to the IV. But they've been having some trouble with Hill's veins and the IV and we're waiting for a nurse to come in and try again. Hillary hates needles and this tends to be a real painful thing. Without a good IV line they can't do a lot of things they'll need to do to keep this baby from coming.

Please pray
1) that they can get a new IV to take on the first try this morning and that the IV meds can relieve the current round of contractions.
2) that Hillary would be free from pain and discomfort on Mother's Day

Saturday, May 9th

Not really sure what to say except... still here! As much as we'd like, it appears that the contractions might never disappear altogether. And if they don't disappear, Hillary isn't going anywhere.

Therefore, she has decided that if she's going to be here for what could be as much as two and a half months, maybe she should be trying to accomplish something (besides having a baby). The question is what. Learn a new language? Knit forty sweaters? Take a correspondence course in gun repair? Anything is better than watching Regis and Kelly every day. Not everything -- apparently the Bonnie Hunt Show is unwatchable. If you've got any ideas, she's all ears.

Friday May 8th

Wild day at UCLA Medical Center but not for us. In a span of 6 hours, 9 different babies were born. It's weird to think that in the time we've been here, the room next to Hillary has already been occupied by 3 different moms whom have already come and gone.

The good news for Hillary is that nurses detached all her IV's again this morning and have limited her to just a few different oral medications. This time around her contractions have stayed in the safe range, roughly 2-6 an hour. And thanks in part to the chaos everywhere else, she was generally ignored all day, which was just fine by her.
The other highlight was that for the first time since early Monday morning, Hillary was allowed to get out of bed as we walked down the hall for yet another ultrasound. Ultrasound #4 produced what will undoubtedly be another very expensive photo of Luke (above). She also was able to use the ultrasound to measure Hill's cervix and saw that she was holding steady at around 3cm.

The doctor working the machine remains unable to tell exactly what (if anything) may be wrong with Luke. His stomach is clearly empty and small for his age, which would seem to confirm that he's not using it. She also felt like she may have been able to make out some thickening around his stomach to indicate a blockage of some sort but she reiterated that we ultimately would not know anything until he's born.

Still, that remains the only big concern at this point which is still a great blessing all things considered.

Thursday May 7th Update

Who knew that Hillary and Manny Ramirez had so much in common? They both tested positive for steroids, both like to wear the occasional do-rag and neither are allowed to go to Dodgers Stadium until July.

In Hillary's case at least, the steroids are a good thing. By holding on until 9:30 this morning, the drugs that Hillary received two days ago have been able to have their full positive affect on Luke.

Late Wednesday night, nurses weaned Hillary off all medicine to see how she would respond. Hillary was excited to be free from the tubes, but by morning the contractions had sped up and she was put on a new drug that slowed things down, but gives her the shakes and the chills in the process.

In the afternoon, the kids came again and, as per Danny's idea, threw her a "suprise party" (she knew they were coming), complete with balloons and party favors.

But all in all, this was a downer of a day for Hill as she went from thinking she could be going home to realizing she might be here a long time. She misses not being able to be a mom and even though she put on a good face the first three days, she's not a big fan of all the poking and prodding.

Still, we are blessed that the steroids are taking hold, that Luke is sitting tight, and that we're in truly great hands.

Keep the prayers coming...

Wednesday May 6th

Plenty of encouraging news today:

1) By making it past 9:30 this morning, the steroids they gave Hillary two days ago have now fully taken effect, meaning Luke's lungs will be developing much faster should he arrive early. Should he go full term, his giant lungs will no doubt give him unique skills.

2) Hill averaged just a couple of contractions an hour for most of the day. The doctors see this as a big positive and been reducing her magnesium sulfate intake throughout the day. Sometimes this will cause contractions to increase again, but so far her body is continuing at its good, slow pace.

3) The long ultrasound yesterday revealed no obvious abnormalities in Luke. We also heard from Bob's uncle last night who is a doctor in Long Beach who happens to be close friends with UCLA's chief pediatric surgeon, should we need his help and wisdom in the coming weeks or months.

4) The Dodgers won their 13th straight home game in a row today.

Whereas a few days ago the hospital staff was acting as if this baby was coming right away, some nurses have again begun to suggest that should Hillary be weaned off the medication without a jump in contractions, she might be able to go home and rest there. And really, what's more restful than a 4-year-old diving on your stomach at 6:30 in the morning?

Thanks again for all the thoughts, emails and prayers. We've been encouraged by them all. Please continue to...

-Praise God for the amazing turnaround in the last 2 days and all the good reports.
-Pray that contractions slow down and even stop.
-Pray for the continued wisdom of doctors and staff.
-Pray for Luke's ability to swallow normally.

May 5th -- Evening Update

Good lazy day for Hill at the hospital. Contractions are averaging a few an hour, but mostly spaced out. From the picture on the left it's clear she is embracing the idea that when Luke is calm, this whole thing can be like the world's most bizarre spa.

The kids were finally feeling well enough to drop by and visit this afternoon which was great for everyone. Katie enjoyed obsessively washing her hands and even got a chance to listen to nurse Stacy's stethoscope.

Thanks for everyone's emails, prayers and encouragement. We've appreciated each and every one.

May 5th - Morning Update!

Hey there -- Hill and I decided to use this site to disseminate (that's right, I said disseminate) news and updates about Hill and the baby.

First, here's a cool ultrasound pic taken last night of Luke Palmer Smiley. It's the first time we've decided to find out the sex ahead of time, but after having this ultrasound last night, we decided to find out so we could pray for him/her by name. And no, Palmer is not a family name, unless you consider Arnold Palmer family, which many golf fans do.

Okay, here's the story as things currently stand. I'm likely including not enough details for chicks and far too many for guys.

Sunday morning the two kids and Hillary woke up miserable. The kids couldn't keep food down, Danny had a temp, Hill was fatigued and stayed in bed. We tried to deal with it the best we could until the early evening when Danny's temp was holding steady at 103+ and he was getting more and more listless.

So Sunday night we took the 2 kids to the ER at UCLA to get treatment. While we were there, Hillary started throwing up. That combined with some other factors made everyone decide that Hillary should be checked upstairs in labor and delivery.

After some tears, the kids were cleared to go home where Hill's sister Whitney and dear friends Brook and Justin helped get them to sleep. Since yesterday, Hillary's parents have been watching them and they're recuperating just fine.

Upstairs, they hooked Hillary up to a baby monitor and discovered that she was having regular contractions a few minutes apart. On Sunday she was not quite 30 weeks along (roughly 11 weeks early). But these contractions were not unusual considering all the fluid she lost throughout the day.

The doctors figured they would get an IV in her, fill her with fluids and things would likely stop. She was measuring 1.5 cm dilated and 50% effaced at the time. The fluids made her feel great, but the contractions remained fairly consistent throughout Sunday night.

Monday morning at 7am she was re-measured and had grown to almost 3cm. They decided at that point that Hillary would officially be admitted. The first order of business was to administer a steroid shot. The purpose of this is to kick start the baby's lung development. That is often the last thing to develop and that would help tissue grow sooner than later.

Doctors also changed her meds to give Hillary a constant drip of magnesium sulfate which works to calm all muscles and hopefully slow or stop the uterus from contracting.

All day Monday the contractions did indeed slow and space out. They disappeared altogether late Monday night for an hour and a half but generally are there, just very infrequently. When measured again this morning, Hillary remained at roughly 3cm, unchanged in 24 hours.

The biggest issue on all fronts is just to delay the baby's birth as long as possible. Theoretically, Hillary could be in the hospital for 11 weeks. But every day she goes without giving birth is a blessing. And if they can get her to 34 or 36 weeks, they'll be ecstatic. No matter what happens, the baby will likely remain at the NICU until he reaches full term.

There is one other issue which remains unresolved. For a month or so now, Hillary and I have noticed and joked about how big her belly is. We even wondered if there was a 2nd kid in there somewhere. The truth is that Hillary just has a LOT of amniotic fluid. Sometimes this can mean nothing, but usually it means something.

Often it's a sign of a baby with diabetes, but Hillary passed that test a few months back. The next best guess is that Luke is not swallowing amniotic fluid as he should. It could be nothing, but there are a few possible explanations. One is that he has a neurological disorder, but ultrasounds and his in utero activity seem to point to the fact that he is okay on that front. Another possibility is that the problem is internal and perhaps Luke's esophagus isn't connected properly to his trachea. It's not a problem in utero, but would be after he's born. It would mean a surgery for him soon after he's born to repair. It's not super unusual, in fact the NICU here currently has a baby who had the same procedure, but it's no walk in the park, especially a baby born 11 weeks early.

BUT, all of this is just a guess at this point. There has been no official diagnosis.

Today we hope to have another hi-tech ultrasound to see if we can learn anything else, but for now our big prayer requests are as follows:

1) Pray that Luke holds off on coming for as long as possible!
2) Pray for an answer to the excess amniotic fluid.
3) Pray for miraculous healing if there are any defects or complications.
4) Pray for calm and peace for Hillary.

All told, Hillary's spirits are great and she mostly feels fine except when she's being treated like a lab rat or woken up during a rare moment of sleep.

Many people have kindly asked what they can do to help. Right now we're still figuring things out and the kids are stable at home. But if/when we think of needs, we'll let everyone know.

For now, prayer is the best way to help! If Hillary ends up feeling super stable for long periods of time, she might be okay with visitors, but generally we don't want her getting too amped up.

Thanks to everyone for their thoughts.