Gods plans trump our plans everytime - part 1

When we were chosen for the postnatal surgery group in the MOMS study, we were informed that we would fly back to California to deliver Lil' Bug. We were thrilled about that fact. The doctors that were to deliver her and do her surgeries were some of the best in the country, if not the world. We felt a peace about that fact.

Lil' Bugs due date was Sept. 27th. The MOMS coordinator wanted The Designer and I to fly to California on Thursday, Sept. 2 and planned to deliver her on Friday, Sept. 3 via c-section if the amnio showed her lungs were developed. After some thought, I decided to ask if we could change her birthday to Sept. 7 as that day is special to me. That is my grandma's birthday and she passed just a couple years before. They were not pleased with my request, but they agreed. So, we were scheduled to fly to California on Monday, Sept. 6 (Labor Day) and a c-section was scheduled for Sept. 7. (side note: they scheduled the c-section early as to avoid the possibility of her arriving naturally and risking a vaginal delivery, which could have caused a significant amount of damage to her open spine.)

So, we went about our summer. Many things happened between when the date was set and her actual birth day. One major thing was that we moved from Colorado to Michigan. That was a treat. I will write a post about that some other day maybe. But, imagine my mom, my 110 lb yellow lab, me (8 1/2 months preggo with pneumonia) in a Jetta packed to the gills and you have some idea of what it was like traveling for 1200 miles!

When I left Colorado, I had not been feeling good for about 4 weeks. I had been to the doctor a couple times at the beginning and they kept telling me I just had a summer cold, but I felt horrible. By the time I moved, I had not slept well in nearly 2 weeks. When I coughed, my ribs hurt so bad I would cry. I was wheezy. Something was not right. When I arrived in Michigan, my MIL (a nurse) told me that I needed to see a dr. right away. I wasn't sure there was a point to it, because I had been twice already, but reluctantly went.

The doctor listened to my lungs and sent me straight to the hospital. Mind you, I had been in Michigan for all of 2 days and I was being sent to the hospital for chest x-rays and a possible stay. They did the x-rays and informed me that I did have pneumonia. I was relieved to have a diagnosis, but worried because they put me on a cocktail of medicines to help alleviate the pain and heal my tired, weary body. I didn't want to do anything that would hurt my baby, but the doctor told me that the constant coughing was doing more harm at this point than than any medicines would. I couldn't take the pain any longer and took the drugs. About a week later, I was feeling MUCH better. Finally, relief!

The Designer had to stay in Denver to finish a few more weeks of work before he could join me in Michigan. I missed him so much. I wanted him with me. I was feeling very lonely, homesick, pregnant and I just wanted things to be normal. Whatever normal was suppose to be.

When we originally planned to move to Michigan, we planned to buy land and design and build a house. We looked for land for a long time, but we never did find anything that was just perfect. It was clear that God was leading us in a different direction. When we found out Lil' Bug would be born with a birth defect, it was also clear that I would be a stay at home mom (I had not considered it up until that point). When we realized I would be staying home, we realized that building a house was not a financially sound decision, so once again our plans were redirected.

During one of our many phone conversations, The Designer told me that he wanted me to go buy a house. I was a little resistant. I wanted to do that with him, not alone. Because he wouldn't be moving until just before we flew to California for Lil' Bugs big arrival, we wouldn't have time to buy one once he got here. So, I contacted a realtor and went out house shopping. I had no idea what would be the best house. I prayed and by the end of the day, I made a decision. The house was a new construction, so it was ready for immediate move in. I told the realtor I wanted to close within 14 days and he told me that was impossible. I politely told him that either he could make it work or I would find a realtor that could. Amazingly he got it to work! We closed on the house and moved in within a couple of weeks.

My mom knew that I was a little worried about the c-section, Lil' Bugs health and the whole flying to CA while 9 months pregnant bit and was trying to find something to help take my mind off things. She was successful! On Thurs, Sept. 2 she and I went to a Tim McGraw concert. I had not been feeling good for the previous few days, but was definitely not going to miss out on this concert! The Designer didn't think it was the best idea, but he knew better than to suggest I actually stay home, so he didn't. I had a great time. I didn't do much except sit there. There was a NICU nurse sitting behind me and she promptly informed me that I needed to remain sitting during the concert BUT if something did happen and I went into labor, she would be more than happy to deliver the baby! Ha! Yeah right!

The next day arrived. It was kind of weird in the fact that I remembered this was the day that Lil' Bug was originally going to be born via c-section, had I not requested the change. I had a doctors appointment that morning (only my 2nd appt with this doctor because we had just moved). I was getting ready to go to the appointment and before I left the house, I used the ladies room. At the risk of sharing too much information, I will say that during my potty experience, I lost a part of my mucus plug. Of course, being my first pregnancy, I wasn't sure that was it, but I had a strong suspicion. I was relieved to know I was on my way to the doctors, so they could answer all of my many questions.

The purpose of this particular doctor's appointment was for them to check me progress and then if everything looked ok, they were to write a prescription for me to fly the following Monday. I told them that I had a lot of low pressure, but they informed me that was normal and nothing to be concerned with at this stage of the pregnancy. The doctor checked me and told me that I was dilated 1 cm and 80% effaced. I was not concerned about being dilated, but 80%! That made me nervous. They decided to monitor me for contractions, even though I wasn't having any. After being monitored for nearly 1 hour, it was determined that the pressure I was feeling periodically was actually contractions. Ha! Who knew? I was shocked. When I realized what that feeling was, I told them I had been having contractions for over 2 weeks.

Even with all of this information, the doctor felt completely comfortable with writing a prescription for me to fly to California. At that stage, no airline would have let me on an airplane without that prescription. I told them I wasn't comfortable flying and began freaking out because here I was, feeling like Lil' Bugs arrival was imminent and yet I had to get to California for her arrival.

I decided to call the MOMS coordinator in California to have my doctor in MI talk to them to see if they wanted me to fly still. After the doctors spoke, they determined that it would be ok for me to fly, but they decided to move the flight up from Monday to Saturday. That's right, the very next day! I had nothing packed and they were telling me I had to be on an airplane the next morning. Oh yeah, and they said that I couldn't do anything until the flight. They wanted me on bedrest! I was very overwhelmed. I called The Designer on my way home (correct! He didn't go with me to this appt!) and cried to him. He assured me everything would be ok. I called my mom on the way home and asked her if she could change her plans and come to our house instead of going out of town. I needed her to help pack all of my stuff for my trip to California. Of course, being the good mom that she is, she changed her plans and came over right away.

To be continued...