A few months ago I posted about this "perfect morning" that Shaelyn and I had together. Well, in life you take the good with the bad, right? Since that is unfortunately true, you have to then have mornings like this morning...
Today was already a day I was dreading. I had a doctor's appointment this morning for routine OB stuff (not really dreading that...), but then afterward, Michael and I had scheduled to take Shaelyn in for her blood test (to rule out any deficiencies/problems causing her lack of weight gain). We did this last year and it was awful. Did I say we? I meant I... I did this last year. I had to hold down my child while they drew blood from her arm like an adult. Her doctor told me to take her to the blood lab, and for some reason I was thinking they'd do a heel prick, like the do for newborns in the hospital. I was not ready for them to roll up her sleeve, tie a rubber thing around her arm, and stick a needle in her vein, complete with the same test tubes they use on you and me. Granted this was a year ago, so she wasn't as strong as she is now, but she still put up a very good fight and I was terrified that the needle was going to break off in her arm. It didn't, but it gave her a very nice bruise. But the most traumatic part for me was the techs who were ill-prepared for a baby and didn't do anything to inspire confidence. And as it turns out, in their state of fluster over Shaelyn's crazy thrashing, they didn't get enough blood, causing us to have to go back this year to find out what's going on...
But I had come to terms with today. Michael was coming with me to hold her down. Yes, Shaelyn is older and stronger, but she also understands more and I knew would get over this more quickly. And I'm a one-year-more-experienced mother who was ready to hold back the tears and do what needs to be done. "Let's just get this over with," I kept telling myself.
So imagine my surprise when poor little Shaelyn woke up at 6:20 this morning throwing up. Not the terrible morning I had prepared myself for. And she was so pitiful. And it was so violent on her little body. And it just kept coming! So Michael and I spent our morning sitting in the bathroom, cleaning Shaelyn off and calming her down between bouts of sickness. And I spent my time frustrated on the phone, calling her pediatrician, who called in a prescription for her (some pretty powerful Zofran), only to find out that the pharmacy wasn't open yet, and then when they did open, they didn't have all the info from her doctor that they needed. So then we spent the next hour tracking down the doctor in between patients to get the needed info. In the meantime, Shaelyn is throwing up every 5 minutes, completely emptying the entire contents of her stomach (and then some), unable to stop. And all I could think was, "There goes any of the extra weight we've been able to put on her in the last 3 weeks."
I was trying to get the prescription filled before my OB appointment so that Shaelyn could rest and keep something down, but as the mornings' phone-run-arounds continued, I realized that wouldn't be possible. So I left poor Michael at home with our sick little girl (he was a real trooper by the way - and handles vomit much better than me) and promised to pick up the prescription on my way home. I drove Michael's car to my appointment, in case he needed the car seat to take Shaelyn somewhere if the situation got more urgent. Pulling into my OB's tiny parking lot with the tightest spaces in the world (in the pouring rain I might add...), my mind was filled with thoughts of "why didn't I bring an umbrella?," and "I wonder if Shaelyn's fallen asleep yet," and "Am I having another contraction?!?," when BAM! Yes, I hit a parked car. Not scraped or bumped - HIT. Unbelievable. Of course! Why not on a day like today?!
But as it's pouring down rain, I can't leave a note on the windshield - it's just going to get soaked and wash away. So I trudge into the doctor's office, umbrella-less, and tell the girl at the front desk what I just did. She gets the office manager for me, who tracks down the lady who's car I just hit. The office staff was really great working with me and still tried to get me in and out as quickly as possible, despite the fact I had to keep dealing with my "accident situation". So they took my weight and urine sample while they tracked the lady down. Then the office manager found me an umbrella to use while I went out to the parking lot with the lady to show her what an idiot I am. Then they took my blood pressure and contraction history while we waited for the police to come (the lady I hit insisted on calling - she says her insurance requires it). Then the office manager came to find me when the police arrived, made photo copies of mine and the lady's insurance cards so we didn't have to hand-write everything, and gave the umbrella to head out in the rain once again. While waiting for the police officer to do his job (luckily it did not involve and accident report or a ticket since the damage was negligible and it occurred on private property), the lady and I got to talking. She has 6 kids and is pregnant with her 8th. She told me of the story of how she lost a baby last year 9 hours after he was delivered, but that God have given her time to meet him before He took him back to be with Him. She said she and her kids are so excited for this baby, who by the looks of things appears very healthy. She was the nicest lady I could have ever hit. I was so inspired by her and her faith, and she kept telling me how great she thought I was for being so honest about the accident. Maybe we helped buoy each other - showing each other that there really are good people still out there in the world, trying to do their best and make a difference.
Anyway, after that nice little chat, I go in to the "exam" with my doctor to find out that I'm "a solid centimeter" dilated and that my results were positive on my Strep B test. Which means that I have to get antibiotics in my system 4 hours before delivery. Which means that I have to be at the hospital in enough time for them to administer them. "No big deal," some might say, but seeing as how I arrived at the hospital and had Shaelyn 4 1/2 hours later, and wasn't even admitted into my room until about 3 1/2 hours before delivery, I'm a little concerned. Especially when I hear that second babies come faster. And that I'm already in early labor. And my contractions are already intense and regular. So it will all just be a guessing game to get me there in enough time. You know, just to keep things lively.
But I did finally get out of that doctor's office and that tiny parking lot, and I did finally get the all-powerful drugs for Shaelyn (which were not covered by insurance), and I did finally get home to my little girl who had not stopped throwing up in my absence. It was a struggle to get Shaelyn to let us put the pill on her tongue (it dissolves), but as soon as we did, she stopped throwing up. Within 15 minutes, her demeanor totally changed. She had been so weak, she couldn't even stand up to the sink when she got sick, and now she's jumping around her room and trying to climb into Rachelle's crib. She did finally veg out after her initial energy boost, and we spent the day watching Cars, Super Why!, napping, drinking Gatorade, and eating Jell-O. She hasn't thrown up since.
Tonight while we were putting Shaelyn to bed, I looked at Michael and said "I don't feel so good." Of course. If today is any indicator, I'll be curled up next to the toilet tomorrow morning, crying while I puke my guts out.
But at least I didn't have to take Shaelyn in to get her blood test done today. No, we're saving that wonderful experience for next week...
