Two days post Christmas finds me bundled up under a quilt my sister got Mikey, taking meds, slurping watered down juice admiring the mess in our home left by Christmas. I just thought being pregnant was tough. Then, last Thursday this girl got slapped in the face with what seemed to be high blood pressure. I left school in the middle of the day to begin my holiday break which will back up into maternity leave a bit early. No 3rd grade Winter Party.No Polar Express Day. Nope...just some good ol' fashioned blood pressure machines, baby monitors and 1,000mg shots of Tylenol. And then...just when I thought it was bad, I realized I had two fever blisters.
Not a big deal, you say? Well to someone who has really never had one and was 37 going on 38 weeks pregnant it's brutal. It quickly went from two small white bumps on my lips, to a massively swollen throat, to huge bleeding gums and a fever. And then it got ugly. Sister spent Christmas Eve in the chair trying to sleep at least an hour or two so I wouldn't be the Grinch incarnate (at least not in attitude even if in appearance). We bought out Wal-Mart's over the counter remedies only to have my lips/mouth swell up to the point there was no eating or drinking anything. <Insert post Christmas hospital visit here>
Did I mention I had the privilege of hiding a jug in my grandma's shower on Christmas day so I could do a 24 hour urine sample in the midst of all this? No? Well...I did.
Apparently fever blisters are viral. And while most people just have it affect a place or two on their lips, when your body doesn't know what to do with it and you are wore down from growing a 9 1/2 month baby girl, it has the ability to wreak havoc on your entire system. After a few hours back in labor and delivery to watch the blood pressure and to monitor the karate chopping baby girl again (did I forget to say I officially have the diagnosis of gestational hypertension?) I got to come home sporting a little white bag of multiple types of lidocaine (one for swishing in my mouth to numb everything enough to eat and one for applying to my lips which is why I'm slurping on the couch) as well as the most wonderful bottle of antibiotics that I take five (count 'em) five times per day to try to get this crazy swelling/infection under control quickly.
For the first time in weeks, Mike heard me ask our daughter to stay in there a little bit longer.
To grow her, feed her and give your life to her for 38 straight weeks only to get a crazy infection that would cause you to have to deliver her wearing a mask and allow anyone else to kiss her sweet face before you, nearly causes crying fits of hyperventilating.
Needless to say: sweats, my grandma's potato soup, HGTV, cat naps and this comfy quilt are my very best friend and companions until some major healing occurs. For sure until I can last longer than 2-3 hours without a splitting headache, a dose of slurp inducing lidocaine for pain and my lips no longer resemble that of a fish. Nope, there is nothing more important than resting and getting well at this point.
All that and somehow Christmas magic still occurred. I think Parker's daddy (even though he had to deal with me) had an insanely awesome Christmas filled with guns, hunting, hunting gear and various camo accessories. I received more incredible things than I could name and perhaps the best Christmas magic filled gift of all was realizing my crazy little sister has already become Aunt Kristy (she spoiled Parker Grace rotten on Christmas morning) and my parents can NOT help but talk about watching their grand baby cyclone through Christmas morning next year.
Next year. Parker will be almost one. My oh my how quickly things change.
I used to be afraid of change. Moving. Growing. Adding to or taking away from an event. But that has changed. Now...with the addition of this Parker sized belly, the thought of change to my little family or within my little world seems...OK. Right even.
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