Showers and Contractions

Saturday was my first baby shower at my fabulous sister in law's house. It turned out to be a garden party on a beautiful day.

Here's a picture of Moo opening a onesie that says "Captain! This diaper can't take anymore!"

Seeing the folks there made me so happy and I really enjoyed myself. It was a little bittersweet - a couple of folks who told me they would be there weren't there because of other issues. And the whole day made me really miss my parents.

I was particularly glad to see one couple at the shower. My parent's oldest friends came and Mary sat by me the whole time. It was one of her gifts that was particularly poignant. She brought me a box of salt!

The story goes like this: My parents loved these folks dearly. They practically raised me and I always thought of them as second parents. Mary and Jim had their own trouble having kids and thought of me as part theirs. Mary is about as outspoken as I am and was always full of advice on what she would and wouldn't do.

When Mary finally had their own child, my father took her a gift - a box of SALT! He said, "Remember all that advice you gave? Well, this salt will help all those words you're gonna have to eat."

I was REALLY wiped out at the end of the party. Moo and I went home (with a quick stop by Georgia Baby and Kids - still looking for that crib you know) and I immediately got my jammies on and crashed for the evening. I did not sleep very well however.

Since Wednesday night, I've had some vicious diarrhea. It didn't really alarm me so much as be irritating. The books and websites said that diarrhea was just as common as constipation so I really didn't get too concerned. But after being up and down all night Saturday night/Sunday morning in and out of the bathroom and then feeling hung over the next morning, I got a little concerned.

Before the party, I took 4 (FOUR) Imodium and they held it at bay during the party, but then it came back with a vengeance. By Sunday morning, I was feeling a little dehydrated and not too good.

A call to the midwife on call sent us to Labor and Delivery to evaluate me for dehydration. We got there pretty quickly and got put on the monitors. Baby was fine, but I had SALMONELLA poisoning and I was having CONTRACTIONS!!! A quick cervix check showed that I was still closed and my cervix was nice and long. But my irritable uterus had the midwife concerned.
Two bags of fluid, an antibiotic and two different meds to slow down the contractions and I was finally allowed to come home.


Moo had fun taking my picture on his iPhone before and after the drugs that made me drunk as a skunk...



Before the meds...














And after the drugs....









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Because of the gestational diabetes, I can't take the normal drugs given so I'm taking Procardia. It makes me a little loopy and gives me a terrific headache. I'm on bed rest until at least Wednesday when I go to House O'Babies for a follow-up.