Let's start at the beginning of the story...
Monday, I cleaned house from top to bottom. I had an incredible burst of energy and I used every bit of it. That evening, I couldn't get comfortable...my back ached. "Oh well..." I thought, "I've overdone it today." I ended up being up all night though! The next morning, Joseph was all set to go to Mother's Morning Out. He told me he didn't want to stay for lunch bunch, but instead wanted to come home and make a special pizza with me and have a picnic on the deck outside. It was a beautiful day, so I was all for it. After dropping him off at "school," I called my doctor and asked if they thought I should get checked out. They did. I made a lunch for Joseph and dropped it off with the director at his school and headed straight to the doctor's office.
Once I got there, I was immediately hooked up to a fetal monitor to measure my contractions. Once my doctor saw the contractions I was having, he decided to perform a test to see if I was truly in labor. The test results took an hour to come back. I realized that Joseph and I would not be having our picnic that day. I called my husband and told him he would have to pick up Joseph and explained to him what was going on... as best I could anyway. I called my mom and explained the situation to her and asked her to meet my husband at our house and take care of Joseph for me. I was taken for a sonogram to measure my fluid levels, measure the size and weight of the baby (who did not yet have a name), and to check for any signs of imminent delivery. The signs were all there. While I was with the sonographer, my test results came back. I was in labor... at 31 weeks. I called my husband and put him on speaker phone while I got dressed. The doctor came in and told my husband what was going on and that his nurse would be escorting me through the corridor and that I was being admitted into the hospital. We were told that they would do everything they could to stop my labor, but to prepare for delivery anyway. I received steroid shots to help the baby's lungs develop quickly. I was given fluids through an IV in one arm and magnesium to stop my labor in the other arm. With all this going on, I think normal people would have been worried about the tiny person inside them. I was worried that we hadn't decided on a name. I was worried that we didn't have the first thing in her nursery. I was worried that Joseph wouldn't understand what was going on, but I was never worried about Katie. I knew she would be fine... I just knew it.
I spent 48 hours in the hospital and was released on strict bed rest. I began weekly doctor visits at 31 weeks, instead of the typical 36 weeks. I had a sonogram each week to check for signs of progression. I was heavily medicated all the time. I was told to remain reclined with my feet up and not to ride in a car unless I was going to a doctor's appointment or being admitted to the hospital. I was one pothole away from a premature delivery. My initial worry turned to anger. My "Thank Gods" turned into "Why Gods." I was angry that I couldn't do all the things I had planned to do with Joseph before the baby arrived. I was angry that I wouldn't be able to put all the finishing touches on her nursery. I was incredibly sad that I was missing entire weekends with my baby boy. My heart ached every time he left to go to his grandparents' or to a friend's house to play. I was mourning the loss of my independence and the inevitable loss of my first baby.
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| 37 weeks and holding! |
My doctor would later tell me that his nurse asked him why he decided to perform the test to tell if I was really in labor since it's not something he usually does. He said he didn't know why, but I did. It was God. Just like I don't know why I didn't ignore my back pain. Something told me I MUST call the doctor and get checked out. I'm sure that's also the reason I was never worried about my baby girl either. I knew that God would take care of her. For me, there is no other explanation.
After weeks of strict bed rest, I was allowed a few freedoms. I was able to drive Joseph to school and then promptly return to bed until time to pick him up 4 hours later. I was allowed to sit in a chair and watch Joseph during his weekly swimming lessons. Joseph was even kind enough to set up a chair for me outside one beautiful spring day so I could watch him practice his t-ball and drive his tractor. My husband and I made one more unexpected trip to the hospital before Katie finally arrived. My doctor and I decided it would be best to induce me at 38 weeks to avoid anymore midnight trips to the hospital and to put an end to my discomfort, since "baby girl" was firmly pressed against my pubic bone.
The morning she was born was one I'll never forget. It was the day God answered me. When I held her for the first time, I could hear, "That's Why. SHE'S why." And she was so worth it!
