Oweeeeeeee

We didn't want Russ and Chandelle's visit to be too boring, so I decided to add a bit of excitement before the week was up. To put it briefly, on Saturday afternoon I started feeling pains in my sides. I later started getting some chills as well. I went to bed early, and 45 minutes later woke up to find I couldn't move - couldn't turn over, couldn't sit up. I now had a band of agonizing pain across my belly. After multiple calls to midwives and doctors, and considerable internal wrestling, I finally faced the fact that I had to go to the hospital. I was in tremendous pain. I've been through natural childbirth, and this was far worse than that. I was longing for them to just cut me open and take the baby, hoping that would make the pain go away.

They didn't do that, fortunately. At the hospital they deciphered that I was having contractions and a high fever that put the baby's heart rate up. They gave me fluids and medicine to reduce the fever and nausea. Eventually the contractions went away, the baby's heart rate returned to normal, and they discharged me with a rough diagnosis of maybe the flu or another virus.

It truly was a Godsend that Russ and Chandelle were here, because we could let Elliot keep sleeping uninterrupted while they stayed home with him. The final two days of their "vacation" were spent taking care of me - cooking, cleaning, doing laundry. God bless them - they truly are saints!

(by the way, I'm at 36 weeks - 4 weeks before the due date)