Emily’s Musings

I am indeed alive. Life has taken some crazy turns in the last few days, and I have not taken the time to sit down and write about it. Here’s the crazy stuff: I am currently in Utah, which was NOT part of of the plan as of last Sunday. I am on “extra rest” (not to be confused with bed rest), and I actually had to live without internet access for TWO WHOLE DAYS. That was torture.

Why am I in Utah? Why is it mandatory that I relax? And WHY ON EARTH DID I HAVE TO GO WITHOUT THE INTERNET? Yeah, I’m still bummed about that last one.

I ended up in the emergency room on Sunday night. I learned something interesting about being pregnant. If you are pregnant, and end up going to the emergency room, you are treated like a V.I.P. You don’t actually wait in the “real emergency room.” You are taken to the maternity ward and are seen immediately. That was nice. I’m not a night person, so sitting around waiting and waiting to be seen by some doctor was not something I had to endure. Because this is a public blog, and there are many readers I don’t know, I will not go into all the personal gory details of why I went to the emergency room, what happened, and what I was told to expect throughout the last eight weeks of this pregnancy. I’m just not that kind of girl that spills all of my personal health issues to perfect strangers. Even if they are interested.

However, I will say that I had three ultrasounds on Sunday night. Each machine fancier and more detailed than the previous. The baby is fine, but I need “extra rest” (which shouldn’t be a problem since I mastered the art of LAZINESS in the Caribbean), and I can’t lift anything over 10 pounds. Hannah is a TANK, weighing in a 31 pounds, so I can’t lift her. This posed a problem when I told the doctor my husband was leaving the next day (Monday) to drive to Utah with our two dogs, all of our hud, and I was staying in Texas for a couple  more weeks to help a friend of mine with her new baby (who was due yesterday, but still hasn’t delivered.) I obviously couldn’t care for Hannah 100% (since I couldn’t lift her into her crib) and I would have big problems at the airport because I couldn’t lift/carry anything over 10 pounds (which is probably what my purse weighs), or carry Hannah through security, or lift her onto my lap while flying.

I felt terrible to leave Lydia at such a crucial time in her life, but I knew I had to take care of myself, or I could very possibly end up with a pre-term baby. We arrived home from the ER at 12:30 AM, and by 1:00 PM Texas time, the whole family (including one sedated dog, Kyaha, who vomits in the car unless given drugs) headed for Utah.

We made the 19 hour drive in 22 hours. We stayed overnight at a ghetto Motel 6 in Albuquerque, New Mexico (because it is pet friendly) and my skin just crawls with yuckiness as I think about it. I’m just not a Motel 6 kind of girl. Never have been, and never will be. As per doctor instructions, we stopped every two hours so I could walk around for 10 minutes. But trust me, my 7 month pregnant bladder was the boss of this trip, and at times, two hours was a VERY LONG TIME between potty breaks. Hannah and the dogs also enjoyed all the stops. We all got to walk around many different parking lots, like crazy people, walking in circles, with no purpose.

Hannah was an excellent traveler, and she only protested getting in the car once. After 20 1/2 hours of driving, she had ENOUGH. She told us in toddler terms (you know, like a TANTRUM) THERE IS NO WAY YOU’RE GETTING ME BACK INTO THAT CAR SEAT! We were in Price, Utah at this time, and we convinced her that grandma had toys, and LOTS OF THEM. She talked about toys and grandma for 90 straight minutes. The second she walked through the door of David’s parents’ house, there was no “Hi!,” or hug from Hannah, she immediately demanded, “TOYS!”

Boy am I glad this house is stocked with good toys. I’m sure Hannah would never have forgiven us for lying to her about such an important thing.

We obviously had no internet while we were traveling for 22 hours and of course, the ghetto place we stayed did not offer such a luxury. We couldn’t even pick up the wireless from the lobby. Maybe they don’t have internet. I wouldn’t be surprised.

We have been in Utah for three days now. David took a day to do a bunch of paperwork (like getting us on insurance) to get us settled in here as residents. I have unpacked everything, and as of this afternoon, we don’t have piles of stuff on the floor of our bedroom. I can’t live with piles. Everything has a place, and when I’m too tired to put things back in their place, I tell my full time assistant (David) to put things back in their proper place. He is very good at tasks I give him. I’d like to think that he feels the same way about clutter that I do, but something tells me he doesn’t like the crazy person I turn into when things are out of place. Whatever the motivation, at least the job gets done. Right?

It feels good to be settled. I meet with the doctor next week who I plan to use to deliver this baby, (I sure hope I like him. At 32 weeks prego, I can’t be too picky and change this late in the game) and hopefully he gives me good news. I don’t mind the “extra rest” business, but I really want to pick up my daughter. I hope these restrictions are just temporary and not for the next eight weeks.