Sunday Ramblings

I woke up this morning feeling like someone was stabbing my gut.  I've never felt anything like it.  Contractions - yes, I've felt those before.  But, I wasn't having a baby this morning.  I hate unexplained pain - cause my first thought is, "I'm dying."  Second thought, "do you think they would give me morphine at the hospital?  I might have to act like I can't breathe so they will see me right away."  I hate pain.  With child labor, you deal with it because you know what the outcome will be.  With this unexplained pain, I just wanted it to stop and tell me what was going on.  Then 10 minutes later it was gone.  Was it gas?  I don't know.  But, I am so so thankful I don't have a chronic illness.  

As I'm laying on the floor in pain early this morning, Ryan rolls over, "Are you sick?"  I replied, "It feels like someone is stabbing my stomach."  Ryan, "Oh, sorry," and then he rolls back over and goes back to sleep.  He did the same thing when I found out I was pregnant with Lucy and Elsa.  I woke him up to tell him the good news and he said it was exciting and rolled over and went back to sleep.  "No, Ryan, for reals, we are going to have a baby."  When I went into labor with Lucy and Elsa in the middle of the night, "Ryan, my water broke."  Ryan, "Oh, really?"  And then he rolled over and went back to sleep.  Me, "No, Ryan, we are going to the hospital, now."  

I've learned that I better not die in the night.  Ryan would roll over and go back to sleep and I wouldn't be there to say, "No really, Ryan."  Probably better that way. At least he would be well rested to deal with arrangements.    

Ryan is actually a much lighter sleeper than I am.  He doesn't sleep longer than is needful and doesn't even take naps on Sundays when he can.  He just prefers to get a good nights rest and if something doesn't seem urgent, he prefers to take care of it when he is awake.  Besides, there was nothing he could have done for my unexplained gut stabbing, though I do tease him that it would have been nice for him to act a little more worried.  

This reminds me, my sister-in-law Angela is having her baby soon.  Her husband Clint was asking me what to expect during labor and what his role should be.  I said, "Well, it was the middle of the night.  I was in extreme pain and I was ticked because Ryan was trying to get a little sleep on the hospital couch.  But, at the same time, I DON'T like to be touched when I am in pain or talked to for that matter."  Clint asked, "So, what could Ryan have done to help make the situation better?"  Me, "Be in pain too."  

So there you have it.  If I'm in pain, I want my husband to feel it too.  

My advice to Clint, "You are doomed.  There is no right answer.  You're not going to do anything right when your wife is in pain.  Everything you do, no matter what, will be wrong, because she will be in the worst pain of her life."

I know, there are probably plenty of women who can feel pain and not have it stir anger in them.  I'm just not one of them.  

Now back to today:

Lucy is the sick one this weekend.  Remember the past few winters in which I seem to have a sick child at least every day for 3 months?  We haven't grown out of it yet.  Elsa is over what may have been strep.  Leta and Annie no longer have snots and coughs and most likely, ear infections.  Everyone was well for a few days.  But, Lucy now has a high fever, her head hurts, and she is tired.  So no church for her.  We haven't all been to church at once in a month.  

Leta and Annie started fighting during a baby blessing for twins.  I had to haul the screamers out to the foyer and leave Elsa all by herself in the chapel.  Thankfully another family invited her to come sit with them.

Lucy feels much better after a good dose of Ibuprofen.  Elsa thinks she has a wiggly tooth.  Elsa just came in to inform me that Lucy thinks it is really wiggly.  I wonder how soon Elsa will get what Lucy has now that sick fingers were in her mouth.