Brian insists I put this picture up, so here I am in the hospital bed, AFTER finding out everything was looking okay and the contractions had stopped. Today, I am 31 weeks along. On Wednesday, I ended up in the hospital at about 7:30 PM having contractions one right after another. The Lord worked everything out in such an amazing way, I will tell you the whole story. I had a busy previous few days, and went to bed Tuesday night after having contractions off and on all evening. I awoke Wednesday, and immediately had a contraction and was feeling so completely exhausted I didn't think I could get out of bed. Brian was going into work late, so he helped get Jake off to school and I called my sister (in-law, but who's keeping track), Amanda to ask if she could watch Stan and keep him overnight, so I could relax and try to get my strength back. She said yes, and even offered to come get Stan, which I did not allow her to do, but it was so sweet and over the top for her to offer. So I basically rested all day, and then decided to go out and get a massage that evening. Brian was home and he and Jake went out bike riding to the park to play catch and then they were going to go to Taco Bell.
Well, by the time I got to the massage therapist's I was having these contractions that wouldn't stop. I was pretty scared, so I didn't even get out of the car; I started back home. On the way, I called my sis, Laura, expecting her to calm me down and help me get on home. However, she told me to "PULL OVER IMMEDIATELY!!" There's no use arguing with her, and I figured she was probably right so I did. I am so glad she insisted on my pulling over, because otherwise I would have gone home to an empty house, waiting for Brian to get home and panicking even more OR I would have went out looking for Brian myself also in a panic. So ultimately she DID calm me down and did exactly the right thing. She is always helping me through my crisies and I am SO thankful for her! Well, so then she called our brother John who came and got me and brought me to their house right up the street from where I had pulled over. I went in and put my feet up, and drank some water, hoping that would help, but it did not help at all, and the contractions were getting stronger.
I hadn't been able to get ahold of Brian since he didn't have a cell phone with him. I was beginning to panic. John left (foregoing his dinner)to go find Brian - I told him to try Taco Bell or the park. Sarah did all the figuring out the fastest way to get to the hospital, finding out where in the hospital the Women's Evaluation Unit was. She was getting ready to start calling Taco Bell's when John called saying he had found them - they were on the tandem bicycle on their way home - he was driving slowly behind b/c he didn't want to scare them. Sarah tells him that this is an EMERGENCY and that he needs to get up there and tell Brian to get over here!!! I don't know if it sounds funny but looking back it is funny to me. John is so sweet - driving all over creation, first picking me up and then to find my husband, with all of us women in the background telling him to do it faster, faster. First, Laura calls him in a panic, asking him to go get me, then right as he's getting ready to eat, I tell him I think he has to go right away and find Brian! He did it all without complaining.
Well, anyway, Brian made it to John and Sarah's. They kept Jake for us overnight and got him to school in the morning. Oh, I forgot to mention that while I was at Sarah's waiting for the word that John had found Brian, Sarah was so calming for me and prayed with me, and really helped me keep from panicking. She is a precious sister (also in-law, but again, who's keeping track!).
Okay, so to summarize, God worked it all out that Stanley was already at Tim and Manda's house for the night, and John and Sarah were home and ready and willing to drive all over creation and then to keep Jacob. Thank you guys!
Back to the hospital. Here's the low down on that: I got a shot of something that made me very jittery and stopped the contractions right away. I got a pill to keep the contractions from coming back. My cervix is completely closed (hooray! - no pre-term labor here!). The babies heartbeats were both strong and healthy sounding. After the third try I got a huge nasty IV put in the back of my hand, which was the worst part of the whole experience. It was in long enough for me to get about 30 cc's of whatever that clear fluid is. Then they took it out and said I could go home. We were there about 4 hours or so. I am now on a prescription to keep the contractions at bay.
Brian was super great the whole time - well, except afterwards when he took me to Jack in the Box's drive-thru which was packed out at 11 PM (COME ON!! - WHO IN THEIR RIGHT MIND EATS JACK IN THE BOX THAT LATE? - APPARANTLY LOTS OF PEOPLE -INCLUDING ME!) and I was getting hysterical thinking I might starve to death (yeah right). He maybe could have told me I was being a big baby in a slightly calmer way. JOKING HERE HON - I WAS being a baby!! :-) Anyway, he was great, very supportive and sweet. He drove like a maniac just like I was hoping he would, to get me to the hospital as quick as possible. He didn't tell me I was crazy or get upset that I had decided to go get a massage (!) after having contractions off and on all day AND he didn't complain about taking me to Jack in the Box at 11 PM. He is so wonderful!
Okay, yes there's more. The next day, Amanda kept Stan the whole day till around 3 in the afternoon, and Sarah picked up Jake from school, so all I had to do all day was rest. Then my other sis, Melanie, came over at the exact same time the kids were dropped off and helped me get them dinner and ready for bed.
I am so thankful for my family - you are all great. I should give a shout out here to my sister (in-law, but you know...) Lorri, who watches Stan for me whenever I go to the specialist's - which was a lot there for a while.
Praise to my heavenly Father who has blessed me with such a wonderful husband and family.
