Cupids Arrow

               “Birds do it, bees do it…even educated fleas do it… let's do it, let's fall in love!” Not to sound cynical, but been there, done that. Chelane originally wrote this web log entry, but I decided to put my two cents in also. So, for the sake of interest I will be combining her narrative with mine. As I said, I have already fallen in love and am in love, and find Valentine’s to be nothing more than a commercial success.( Note to newly “loves” out there, do not state such an opinion out of the blue to your amore on Valentine’s Day, especially if you have not acquired the necessary peace offerings in advance. I tried this a few years back with little success.)  So, Chelane and I have compromised and celebrate Valentines reasonably, driven by our love to be with each other (hold back the tears). 

 Jo and I planned ahead this year and celebrated Valentine’s one day early, on Sunday instead of Monday.  We went to a movie, had some food and relaxed and kept it simple.  But since when is Valentines not drama. Ten minutes after going to bed, Jo was already asleep,  I started feeling abdominal and low back pain that was coming at a regular 2 minute interval: contractions.  I was not sure at first, so I called my OB expert mom, not wanting to be a crazy pregnant woman.  Finally I called my doctor and she convinced me to go in to find out if they were “real”.  

Chelane woke me up, told me she thought she was having cramping. She had me start counting between contractions, and I made it all the way to thirty before falling asleep again. I really did not feel to concerned, and told her to call her doctor. Next thing I knew, I was driving her to the hospital. At that point, I must say, I was feeling pretty tired and grumpy with Pepper.  She was already being a brat. Karma, I suppose.

I was ushered into a Labor and Delivery room and hooked up to the belly strap monitors. Soon it was confirmed that I was having “real” contractions every 2 minutes, at 28 weeks. That was all I needed, to feel MORE nervous.  After a lot of hydration, multiple trips to the bathroom and a couple rounds of meds, things started to slow down. I was even able to dose from 4-6am.

 

I wasn’t too worried because the nurses seemed to think we would be on our way home shortly. I took a nap on the couch and work up a few hours later with no serious changes on the monitors. The peaks of the contractions were still showing at regular intervals. After I woke up, Chelane told me to go home and sleep.  She called at seven,  let me know she would probably be coming home soon. I grabbed a couple essentials and was at the hospital to pick her up in thirty minutes.

 Now for some, bed rest probably sounds like a good excuse for a much needed vacation. But to a type A, workaholic  BED REST sounds like the worst torture ever!  I will admit that I had asked for it by telling my nurse, Sharlene, last week that “God knows what I can and cannot handle, therefore I’m sure I won’t have to face bed rest with this pregnancy.”  A word to the wise, DO NOT try to tell God what you CAN and CANNOT handle…  So home I went on bed rest.

               

             The Doctor called her a trouble maker! I knew bed rest would be tough, but the family really gathered round to help out! Carl offered up his Netflix account, Nikki and Aaron, and Sherisa sent a care package! I couldn’t have done it without you all. I just made Chelane breakfast in bed, surrounded her by magazines and books, and left the computer at her disposal. Did I mention breakfast in bed? A first in our relationship, its difficult to keep Chelane in bed long enough to feed her breakfast once she is awake. But this time I had a Doctors order!

The next day I went back to the hospital to spend some time on the monitor and to have a test done that would determine the likelihood of me going into full blown labor in the next two weeks.  I was relaxing and thinking happy thoughts of my little Pepper staying inside me for many more months when I heard a blood curdling scream from some poor person down the hall. It was horrible and then it kept going over and over again. It was enough to make me break into a cold sweat. I was about to demand that someone go help that girl who was obviously dying or being tortured with a branding iron when the screams suddenly stopped. I have no idea if this was when she finally passed out from the pain or if her husband knocked her out with the IV pole, but my guess is that she did NOT have an epidural. Which just solidifies my previous labor plan; an epidural as soon as it is feasible that continues through the whole crazy experience. I WILL NOT be a better mother for experiencing pain and I don’t think Pepper needs to hear what I might say as she enters a new, harsh world. 

   

             Well, the contractions have stopped. Chelane is back to normal and exercising again. The crisis has passed, and now we wait again. And watch as Chelane grows a baby, and I grow a belly. So to one and all, from Chelane and Jo, Happy Valentines Day!