Purgatory

Last week was one of those weeks that you are glad to see end.  Just not the way this particular week ended...

I started the week out in productive manner, winning a conviction at trial in a mere day and a half and getting an accomplished young criminal to 8-10 years behind bars.  

As is usually the case after a trial, I was well nigh worthless the rest of the week.  There is usually an adrenaline rush at trial, and the letdown is tough to overcome.  I finally managed to get some paperwork done late in the week, but I am ill prepared for this week.

Add into this mixture of apathy, ennui, adrenaline, anxiety the fact that Karla and I were SO READY for the doctors to schedule inducement LAST THURSDAY.  Now my mom has been here for over a week to help with the new baby...and still no new baby.

Oh, and I apparently caught the flu bug from Katie, who caught it back from me.  I left work early on Friday with the beginnings of fever, aches and fatigue.  Saturday morning the fever was down so I gutted out a golf lesson, only to sweat buckets and end up planted on the couch for the duration of ESPN's endless Saturday college football extravaganza.  All things considered, it could have been worse, I suppose.  The capper on that crappy day was the first 3 quarters of State getting pummeled in the rain and losing more players to injury.  I quit on them after 3 quarters with a 102 degree fever, the Pack hopelessly down 31-10.

Then, at some point early morning, I awoke deliriously to hear Katie sobbing in bed with Karla, complaining of her tummy hurting.  Then I heard coughing and subsequent upchucking, a desperate moan from Karla, and, in the most pitiful voice ever "oh no, barf. Katie barf.  Tummy hurt."

My mom offered Karla some assistance in the late night stripping of the beds, clothes and other infected and sullied linens.  Katie got a bath, Karla got a shower.  Meanwhile, the whole event transpired around me in a surreal haze.  I knew what was happening, but I was a powerless zombie in my fever induced stupor.  

Finally, Sunday morning my fever broke and Katie crashed on the couch giving Karla a break.  Katie and I were both dishrags for most of the day.  The house still smells like Lysol...

I remember when I was younger and I would wait for a friend to come over to play, it would seem like forever waiting to see the car come down 14th Street, slow and turn into our driveway.  As life goes on, the waits get longer and more unbearable for the bigger events.  Nothing gets much bigger than the birth of a child, and this waiting is taking a toll.  

This weekend, feeling cramped and miserable with fever, confined to a couch, I was transported (hallucinated?) to the longest flight I've ever been on-a 4 hour flight from Dallas to Mexico City.  Certainly, I have been on longer flights.  But this plane was old, cramped and smelly.  And if you have never been to Mexico City, it is hard to describe its vastness as it spreads endlessly over the valley floor and hills up to the edge of the mountains that ring the city.  As we made our descent into the area, I was comforted knowing we'd be on the ground soon.  We then circled for the better part of an hour waiting to land, the sun blinding me, the heat overwhelming, the must of all the people trapped together in that silver tube.  As we made pass after pass, my head got lighter and dizzier.  The view from each angle the same-small buildings stretching endlessly on a grid.  

This waiting has taken on a similar feeling (aided by fever and exhaustion).  The endless circling waiting on this little one just as dizzying, just as seemingly hopeless.  The one comfort I have is that the plane landed safely, let us all off, and life went on.  This event will come and go, and time will not stop.  But sometimes it sure feels like it has and we are circling the runway for all eternity...

Lesson Learned

OK, I got my hopes up and was severely disappointed.  Despite the horrible pains I've been having the last few days, not a whole lot has changed according to the doctor.  I may have made a mistake by seeing a different doctor from last week, but I was told that it's still too early for induction or stripping membranes.  Once I heard that news, my eyes welled up and I began blubbering uncontrollably (seriously, get a grip!!!).  Dr. Stephens looked at me and said, "Don't worry, honey, we won't make you stay pregnant forever.  We won't make you go past your due date."  Two more weeks...  just relax, Wilson.  You can handle it!   

For now, I'm scheduled for another appointment next week, and I suppose that is when I'll get to discuss the option of inducing and stripping membranes.  They will also hook me up to a monitor for a stress test for 15 minutes.

Thanks to everyone who is checking in on me!  I appreciate it.

Waiting Game

The last few days have hit me hard as I continue to wait for labor.  I know it's not fair for me to complain about being physically uncomfortable during this final stage of pregnancy, especially when we're being blessed with a hopefully healthy, strong baby.  Everyone says that the bigger they are, the better they sleep.  That is bound to only be true for babies, definitely not pregnant mommies!  I must resolve to relax and wait patiently and know that she'll come out when she's good and ready.

I think my poor attitude reached its peak when Katie was getting up at 3 am because of not feeling well.  Thankfully, she is doing much better.  After that one day of barfing, she was able to keep food down and play pretty normally.  She did have a strange fever two days after the barfing episode, but seems to be doing just fine now.  She's actually about as crazy as ever.

Thankfully, Judy is now here for the duration to make sure we make it to the hospital for delivery. It helps dramatically because Katie has one more person to run to in times of need besides mommy, mommy, mommy, mommy, mommy, mommy, mommy, mommy.  Although, Katie has been loving Jimmy a lot lately, which I'm sure is both a welcome but confusing change for him. He taught her the word 'snuggle,' so now that's all she wants to do!

The reason Judy is here now and not closer to the actual due date is because I thought there was a chance I was starting labor on Saturday night.  Unfortunately, I'm just crazy (so, now we know where Katie gets it).  Jimmy started a trial on Monday and was nervous that he wouldn't be able to get away fast enough to get me to the hospital without suffering a mistrial or something. Hopefully, at this point, he'll have things finished up today, so we can tell this baby to start pushing her way out tonight :)  If she isn't ready tonight or Wednesday, then I will definitely discuss induction on Thursday with Dr. Stevens at my 10:30 am appointment.

If all else fails, I will perform my own extraction since spicy foods is not doing the trick like it did with Katie!

Another Early Morning!

Katie woke up around 3:15 am coughing then left a trail of vomit from her bedroom to ours.  At first I thought she may have gotten a hold of something that she shouldn't have eaten, but after I calmed her down a bit, she ended up barfing again.  We gave her a bath and changed her sheets around 4 am.  We both stayed up with her for the duration of the wee hours of the morning. Around 7 am something she asked for a banana.  She took one bite and started throwing up again.  I now think it is the flu.  She has a slight fever.  So far, since about 8:30 am, she has been able to keep a piece of toast down, along with some Motrin.  

I called the doctor to see if there is a bug going around.  I'm waiting for them to return my call.  I guess this is the beginning of all sorts of bugs and illnesses related to school days.  Poor pitiful little bear.  It's so sad to see her like a dish rag.