32 Week Picture and Our Ambulance Adventure!

An update on us: We had a "interesting" day yesterday ( I think "interesting" is such a funny word and I don't use it often, but I think itis the perfect description of our day). To start out, I should say that I think I have found this pregnancy a little more difficult this last trimester than I did with Jillian. I realize that this could only be my perception, or simply "in my head", but I think having a very active toddler is contributing to this "feeling" I am having. It really hard sometimes, because I want to play with Jillian! But she doesn't always understand that its hard for mommy to sit on the ground with her, play outside for long periods of time (she especially loves us running down hills or going up and down stairs!), and then carrying her for semi- long distances. It was a lot easier to get a nap when I was pregnant with Jilllian than it has been with this one, but I think that is good preparation for what the future is going to hold and I am confident His grace will be sufficient. We CAN do this through His strength! :)

But here is the story of our "interesting day"! Yesterday afternoon Brad and I walked into town with Jillian, which is completely normal and even a short walk for me. But on the way home, I started having this abdominal cramping and it wouldn't go away, I sat down to try to let it pass but it didn't, so I finally just decided I needed to continue the walk home, which was very difficult and laborious. But more than anything, I think it scared me, because I never had anything like that happen with Jillian. So we called the GP and the doctor came for a home visit.. Everything appeared fine from her perspective, except for a tenderness over the lower abdomen/ bladder. So she decided to do a urine test which came back completely clear.

She then decided that it would be best for me to be further evaluated at Addenbrooke's hospital. So we called an ambulance (not because we needed to get there in a nick of time, but because it was a free service and the GP offered it to us) and went to the hospital. Both of our ambulance driver were very compassionate and reassuring and I really enjoyed the ride and getting to talk to them (the pain had resided over an hour before). But despite their friendliness, I was not reassured in their compentance to get me to a hospital (at least if I were in a hurry), we missed the entrance to the hospital not once, but TWICE!!! When I discovered what had happened, I couldn't help but bursting out into laughter. And then when we got to the hospital, they parked the ambulance on the other side of the hospital, opposite the side of the maternity unit. So we went on a big scavenger hunt to find where we supposed to be with me in a wheelchair (with Jillian on my lap) because my blood pressure was low and I was feeling dizzy/ faint. ((Also, I forgot to mention, poor little Jillian threw up in the ambulance! ))

Upon arrival to the delivery unit, they connected me to monitors. They monitored my uterus "contractions" (I had several Braxton Hicks but nothing more) and the baby's heart for an hour and then I waited for the OB for an hour. When the OB did arrive, he didn't even examine me, but went and found my chart, reviewed it, and sent me home. I am thankful that all is fine, and the mid-wife reassured me that no answer was a good thing. It was a long night, we didn't get home until midnight. But I learned more about how the delivery unit operates, rode in my first ambulance, and had a interesting trial run! I am glad that I went just to be reassured that everything was alright. But I know that I have to trust this baby and myself in the Lord's hands. I am both anxious and excited that our second baby will be coming to meet us in the next 8 weeks.