Saturday, March 17, 2012

It All Started at Costco

I don't want anyone to worry while I tell my {doubtlessly long-winded} story: Baby Girl and I are both just fine.  

And now, for our last few days: It all started at Costco, where I was collecting beautiful, inexpensive {beautifully inexpensive?} berries and cases of yogurt cups for the tiny mouths I feed.  I'd made my purchases and I'd made my second trip to the ladies' room, for I go nowhere these days without visiting the facilities at least twice. I had reached the front of the exit line and handed my receipt to the clerk, who was scanning my cart for the possibility of stolen goods, when a woman ran her full cart into me from behind.  It hurt a good bit, enough to make me the tears well up, but I really wasn't worried about the baby, since the hit was from behind.  

That night, though, I had a bit of spotting, so I immediately called the doctor, who asked whether I had felt the baby moving around.  I just did not know.  The boys and I had taken an evening stroll and visited the library and come home to get them ready for bed.  I had been so busy for the last few hours that I just couldn't recall any particular movements, which, quite frankly, horrified me.  How could I not know?  And why could I not feel her now?  The doctor told me to come into the hospital to get checked out, so the Mister and I and two sleepy children loaded up for Labor and Delivery.  On the way to the hospital, my mind was racing, and I kept thinking, please let our baby be okay, please don't let this be our time to go through that terrible grief.  And if it is, please guard me, Lord.  About halfway to the hospital, I felt Baby Girl shift and then kick.  I was so thankful for her movement, for her life.
At the hospital, I was hooked up to fetal monitors and Baby Girl's heartbeat looked good.  I was sent for an ultrasound.  I got to see my sweet Baby Girl opening her mouth and clutching her hand to her face, a face which looks remarkably like Buddy Boy's.  However, they made a probably unrelated discovery that my amniotic fluid was low, so the doctor admitted me for the night to receive IV fluids.  My amniotic fluid level doubled overnight and two tests for leaking came back negative, so these were good signs.  During one contraction, though, Baby Girl had a "stubborn" heart rate deceleration, so the doctor decided to keep me for further observation.  The rest of my stay, her heart rate looked great and she bounced around my tummy.

I was released last night and am following doctor's orders for bed rest and lots of fluids.  I'll go in again on Monday to have the amniotic fluid level re-checked.  There's still a possibility of a leak, but, thankfully, it seems unlikely.
Last night, I had dinner in bed, prepared by my sweet Mister, who had juggled work demands and childcare all day long.  Buddy Boy snuggled peacefully with me while he had his nighttime sippy of milk.  Little Guy brought me my Kindle and two of his favorite stuffed animals, and tucked me in with a fuzzy blue blanket.  This morning, the boys pulled out their toolbox and set to work on me with chainsaws, hammers, and a screwdriver to make me "alllllll bedder."  I'm currently sporting a Cowboy Woody Band-Aid on my IV site, applied by Dr. Little Guy.  These three are taking wonderful care of me, and I'm doing my best to take care of our Baby Girl.

9 comments:

The York Family said...

I'm so sorry to hear about your bed rest but so grateful that you and baby girl are okay, and that your sweet boys are taking good care of you! Praying for you! (And I'm delighted you're still dressing your boys in smocked items! Woo hoo! Yay for cutely-dressed boys) :)

Traveling Widely said...

You are a wonderful mother and individual. God indeed heard your prayers. I am very thankful this experience has turned out well. Blessings to all, and you're in my prayers.

Traveling Widely said...

Confidential to The York Family: my mother would have wholly agreed with you in extolling the virtues of a smart little-boy wardrobe. Buddy, I had little navy woolen shorts with suspenders and so many items of their kind that my aunt later (in my adulthood, thankfully) told me I looked like Little Lord Fauntleroy. Took me years to get over that! LOL.

[Footnote: Little Lord Fauntleroy is the first children's novel written by English playwright and author Frances Hodgson Burnett. It was originally published as a serial in the St. Nicholas Magazine between November 1885 and October 1886, then as a book by Scribner's in 1886. The accompanying illustrations by Reginald Birch set fashion trends and Little Lord Fauntleroy also set a precedent in copyright law when in 1888 its author won a lawsuit against E. V. Seebohm over the rights to theatrical adaptations of the work.]

Wanting What I Have said...

This just brought me to tears. I am So so so so thankful you and baby girl are fine. I'm so thankful the doctor caught your low fluid levels. I am so thankful for God's hand of mercy and grace in this! Praise God from whom all blessings flow! I am so thankful. Wish I could be there to lighten your load and take the boys and bring you dinner. Love to ALL of you!

Sara said...

So glad you and Baby Girl are being so well taken care of! I hope everything continues to go well and Baby Girl stays put for a little while longer!

Golden Gate Fam said...

I'm so glad you and baby girl are okay! It's wonderful you have such great men around to help take care of you.

Unknown said...

Hang in there, Trooper! You'll get through this.

Jamie Helms said...

Sweetest friend, my heart leaped into my throat as I read your post. So, so glad you and Baby Girl are okay. Call if you can chat ANYTIME! I love you.

Anika said...

Oh my, I'm sorry that you had to go through this but am so relieved to hear baby girl is doing just fine.