After recovering from the shock of the news our little world rejoiced. R and I were over the moon as my belly swelled (for reasons other than my ice cream addiction), I wore horizontally striped shirts with reckless abandon while sneaking into the bathroom a billion times a day with my rented BabyBeat to listen to his heartbeat never completely trusting that everything would be ok.
Moments stick out in my mind like snapshots in an album some funny, some bittersweet and some that meant the world to me: The first time I felt Jack move, really move - pushing the limits of his world. A trend that continues even now. The awe and realization in the eyes of my husband as he felt his son kick for the first time. The hysterical looks on R and G's faces the first time they saw a 35 week Jack push his hands and feet against my belly as if to escape. The night I kept trying to lay on my side and Jack kept pushing me over onto my back and the day that R drove me across the state for dinner so that I could see my Aunt and Uncle that were visiting my Grandmother. It was the only time that anyone in my family saw me while I was pregnant and I treasure that trip.
Life was good, my health was good, work sucked but that was the norm so no big shock there. My monthly appointments with the amazing perinatologists went swimmingly.... until my 32 week visit. Danger Will Robinson! Other shoe dropping..... Better duck...NOW!
Dr. M. looks at me....
He: "How long have your eyes been doing that?!"
Me: "Doing what?"
He: "That!
I felt like I was trapped in an Abbott and Costello movie!
Moments stick out in my mind like snapshots in an album some funny, some bittersweet and some that meant the world to me: The first time I felt Jack move, really move - pushing the limits of his world. A trend that continues even now. The awe and realization in the eyes of my husband as he felt his son kick for the first time. The hysterical looks on R and G's faces the first time they saw a 35 week Jack push his hands and feet against my belly as if to escape. The night I kept trying to lay on my side and Jack kept pushing me over onto my back and the day that R drove me across the state for dinner so that I could see my Aunt and Uncle that were visiting my Grandmother. It was the only time that anyone in my family saw me while I was pregnant and I treasure that trip.
Life was good, my health was good, work sucked but that was the norm so no big shock there. My monthly appointments with the amazing perinatologists went swimmingly.... until my 32 week visit. Danger Will Robinson! Other shoe dropping..... Better duck...NOW!
Dr. M. looks at me....
He: "How long have your eyes been doing that?!"
Me: "Doing what?"
He: "That!
I felt like I was trapped in an Abbott and Costello movie!
Apparently my eyes were bouncing and apparently this is not a good thing. Combined with elevated (even for me) blood pressure and the fact that work had completely ignored the constant notes from my doctors limiting me to a 40 hour work week bought me a weekend at the Bayfront (Hospital) Hilton. Sunday afternoon rolls around and one of my Docs comes by to give me the verdict and release me. Gestational diabetes and pre-eclampsia!
Me: "Ok. Am I going home today?"
She: "Yes, of course!"
Me: " Can you please give me a note for work?"
Me: " Can you please give me a note for work?"
She: (convulses with laughter and takes a few minutes to regain her composure.) "YOU, my friend are on bedrest until Jack arrives."
Bedrest?? Bedrest. I can't say I didn't expect it but I was still stunned when it happened. I started watching way too much TLC particularly "A Baby Story". When the theme music would come on Jack would bounce and roll, it was too funny.
Along about 35 weeks I was weeping along with ABS when I realized I couldn't imagine hearing Jack's first cry. It started really stressing me out as usually if I can visualize it, it happens. Then my blood pressure began trying to set a new world's record despite meds. No amount of insulin was keeping my sugars down, Jack was rapidly gaining weight and so was I thanks to the edema. An amnio was scheduled and the tentative delivery date was 4/12/01. I reminded Dr. P. that I had told him in December when this baby was coming, he laughed and readied the needle.
The amnio showed immature lungs so meds were upped and 4/25/01 (R's birthday) was set as THE DAY no matter what. They looked so pleased with themselves I almost couldn't bear to tell them that they were wrong.... yeah, I did. They all laughed and patronized me. Laugh all you want, Mamma knows, Mamma knows.
The next Monday I drag my almost 300 pound (so I was a little bloated - what's your point?) self out of bed to get ready for my every other day appointment. While in the shower it for some reason became a moral imperative for me to shave my legs. Yes, the legs I had not seen in months, the legs that hurt like hell, the legs I knew HAD to be under that enormous belly. I gave it the best I had, hoped it was an improvement and headed to the appointment.
We arrive and sit in the dim, quiet and cozy waiting room. Once called back I give my donation and assume the position in the bp chair. R is by now sitting directly across from me, to the far left Nurse C. is checking the UA and next to me Nurse A. is checking my bp. Suddenly I realize all hell is breaking loose and it appears to have something to do with lil' ole me - God how I wish this has been caught on film...
Nurse C. is waving an almost neon dipstick in the air shouting something incoherent, Nurse A. is smacking the gauge on the sphygmomanometer (yeah, I can spell it but don't even try to make me say it!) and muttering to herself, R is pointing at my legs and loudly repeating, "She shaved them OMG, OMG, she shaved her legs", Dr. P. & Co. come on the run and I point to the calendar and calmly announce,
"I told you he was coming on April 23!"
Bedrest?? Bedrest. I can't say I didn't expect it but I was still stunned when it happened. I started watching way too much TLC particularly "A Baby Story". When the theme music would come on Jack would bounce and roll, it was too funny.
Along about 35 weeks I was weeping along with ABS when I realized I couldn't imagine hearing Jack's first cry. It started really stressing me out as usually if I can visualize it, it happens. Then my blood pressure began trying to set a new world's record despite meds. No amount of insulin was keeping my sugars down, Jack was rapidly gaining weight and so was I thanks to the edema. An amnio was scheduled and the tentative delivery date was 4/12/01. I reminded Dr. P. that I had told him in December when this baby was coming, he laughed and readied the needle.
The amnio showed immature lungs so meds were upped and 4/25/01 (R's birthday) was set as THE DAY no matter what. They looked so pleased with themselves I almost couldn't bear to tell them that they were wrong.... yeah, I did. They all laughed and patronized me. Laugh all you want, Mamma knows, Mamma knows.
The next Monday I drag my almost 300 pound (so I was a little bloated - what's your point?) self out of bed to get ready for my every other day appointment. While in the shower it for some reason became a moral imperative for me to shave my legs. Yes, the legs I had not seen in months, the legs that hurt like hell, the legs I knew HAD to be under that enormous belly. I gave it the best I had, hoped it was an improvement and headed to the appointment.
We arrive and sit in the dim, quiet and cozy waiting room. Once called back I give my donation and assume the position in the bp chair. R is by now sitting directly across from me, to the far left Nurse C. is checking the UA and next to me Nurse A. is checking my bp. Suddenly I realize all hell is breaking loose and it appears to have something to do with lil' ole me - God how I wish this has been caught on film...
Nurse C. is waving an almost neon dipstick in the air shouting something incoherent, Nurse A. is smacking the gauge on the sphygmomanometer (yeah, I can spell it but don't even try to make me say it!) and muttering to herself, R is pointing at my legs and loudly repeating, "She shaved them OMG, OMG, she shaved her legs", Dr. P. & Co. come on the run and I point to the calendar and calmly announce,
"I told you he was coming on April 23!"
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