A big scare!

So yesterday started out just like any other Sunday...got the kids up and ready for church...had a wonderful lesson in Relief Society...then everything started to become a little crazy!

I was talking to my visiting teacher before Sunday School started and she asked me how I was doing. I told her that I was always out of breath because every thing's so squished up inside me. I told her that it was all "getting old" but then I added that I'm not going to complain because I certainly don't want Grace to come early...that I could definitely handle 4 more weeks! Well Sunday school started and I started not feeling so well...started feeling nauseous and lightheaded. I kept telling myself to just breath and calm down because I figured that panicking wasn't going to help matters. Of course, I'm prone to panic attacks and I kept thinking, "I'm going to pass out in church and then every one's going to be talking about it". So, that leads to me getting more panicky. Finally I got up and left the room and decided to go to the restroom and then to just walk around the halls to see if that helped. After a few minutes of that, I poked my head into the Primary room and grabbed Carolyn, my good friend and neighbor. I started crying and told her that I didn't feel well and needed to go home and could she please take care of my kids. Of course, she got worried and teary also, but said that the kids would be fine and to just go home. She also asked if I had someone to call. I told her that my sister, Mindy was in church also but that I would call her on her cell phone. By now, my stomach was hurting and cramping (little did I know, those were contractions)!

By the time I made the 5 minute drive home, I could barely walk into the house because I was contracting so bad and in so much pain. I finally got a hold of my sister (she didn't have her cell phone with her, but luckily her husband, Kyle did). She left church and rushed over. (For those of you who don't know, my sister is also a Registered Nurse). When she got to my house, she started feeling my stomach and then she called my Doctor. She told him that I was contracting and that it looked like the baby had dropped. (It really did look like she'd dropped...but I think it was because of the contractions and the way I was laying). Anyway, he told her to take me to the hospital.

By the time they got me hooked up to the monitors at the hospital, my contractions were about 1 minute apart. They gave me an injection to make them stop and then hooked me up to an IV so that they could get some fluids in me and draw blood to run some labs.

When the labs came back, they indicated that I had a Kidney Stone, I was dehydrated and that my potassium was low. So, they added another bag to my IV (that had potassium in it). By now, thankfully, the contractions had stopped and I was starting to feel better and calm down a bit! I had been so worried that this baby was going to come early and that Trent would miss it. Of course, we were keeping him updated, but he was frantically trying to figure out how we was going to get out of Florida and get home!

My sister was such a trooper! She is so level headed in these situations and I'm SO lucky to have her. She held my hand through it all. Later as we talked, she indicated how worried she was when she saw the monitor and saw how close my contractions were, but that she knew she had to stay calm so that I wouldn't freak out. As they were getting ready to release me, the nurse told me that when I first came in, they were pretty sure that I would be "getting a ride out of there"! (The hospital is a small town hospital and isn't equipped for premature babies, so they almost always fly the mother up to the University of Utah if she's going to be having a premature baby). I told the nurse that I'm SO glad she didn't tell me that in the beginning...my blood pressure was already through the roof...:)

So, all in all...I am fine today! No more aerobics or running for me though! This was too scary and I don't want this baby to come early and have Trent miss it! I kept telling the nurses yesterday that "this isn't the plan...the plan is for an induction on the 2nd of August when her daddy can be here". Of course, all of you that know me, know that I'm a "planner" and get really upset when things don't go according to plan :)

It's amazing to me what a little kidney stone can do to a pregnant woman! I'm also so very grateful for my sister and her husband as well as friends and neighbors who have been so great during the first week that Trent's been gone. Big and little acts of service have been given to us...I come home from running errands and my grass has been mowed...or there's cookies on my porch, phone calls and emails almost daily of people checking up on us. We are definitely in good hands...and even though I miss Trent fiercely, I know that we're all going to get through this time and that soon we'll all be together in Florida! So, 28 days until my induction (because we ARE sticking to the plan :)) and 26 days until Trent is home for 10 days! In the meantime, we're still praying with everything in us that our house sells in this tough market and things continue to go smoothly with baby Grace! Yesterday was definitely an indication that our prayers are being heard and answered, as we also pray daily that "Grace won't come early".

So thank you all for your kindness, prayers and friendship! I'll never be able to fully express my gratitude to you all! I know that Trent is also SO grateful for all that you're doing for us while he can't be here! On a side note, his new job is going wonderfully and he is so happy (despite missing us) and we continue to know that we made the right decision!

And last, but not least...my 35 week belly pic! We love you all!