Snap-Crackle-Pop

Welcome December! November went out with some bumps and bruises to say the least.

Our weekend started off with a fun night out for a friends surprise 30th birthday, where the baby kicked like crazy to live music and even enjoyed a virgin Shirley Temple! We were home by 11:30 and luckily it was just over at the pub here in the village! 

Saturday, M was going to look at a new toy for work, I call it a toy, he calls it a survey vehicle and now that I am writing this I have no clue what they ended up buying, I know it's not a quad, but like a quad... Whatever. I met him at the farm for lunch with two spun dogs that needed some energy run off at the farm. And they headed straight for the fields where they had just plowed in chicken sh*t. Not impressed, so that was short lived. M put the final coat of paint on the wardrobe and change table and I headed home for a nap, knowing we had a Christmas Party that evening. Mike must have come home sometime while I was napping and finally managed some downtime for himself. 

I had Home Alone on the TV, took the time to straighten my hair, actually put make up on, and continued to get ready while M wrapped up the presents for the Christmas Present (we play a gift game), got ready himself! Check out my hot date on Saturday:

Santa photo bomb...

Just as we were leaving, I was headed down the stairs off the back deck, stepped off the last one onto my left foot and SNAP. Down I went over on my ankle in excruciating pain, luckily ending up on my leg/butt. The pain was unreal, I had to resituate myself on the ground to get my ankle off the ground, as any pressure on it was horrible. M of course came running, as he heard the snap too and went right into help mode. He called a friend to help get me off the ground (it was snow), but he wasn't close enough to home, so before he called the whole village, I told him we would do it. I put my good foot on his feet that were planted well and he pulled me up and helped me hop to the truck. He thought it was best to go to the hospital, but I was still in some sort of shock and just figured I rolled it and needed ice. But when I couldn't even place my foot on the ground in the truck, I finally agreed. We dropped our presents off at the fire hall and headed straight for the hospital where the shaking non-stop started.
 

When we arrived, because I am pregnant, they sent me straight up to the maternity ward to be checked first. They took us right back and hooked up a non-stress test, which ran for about 40 minutes. They had asked me if I had felt the baby at all since I fell, which I told them I hadn't, but I was clearly distracted with pain from my ankle. But once hooked up the baby was being his/her typical self (a stinker) and was kicking the monitor, and moving around like crazy.
 



 

The OB on call was about to leave for the evening, but popped in to see me, turns out it was a doctor I had seen previously at the fertility clinic. He congratulated us, recalled our journey, reassured us that the baby was safe, passed the non-stress test, there were no contractions, etc. But then he decided to go above and beyond telling us that because we had been through soo much in the past to get to this point, he offered to do a quick ultrasound himself for extra reassurance. So we got to see the baby via ultrasound and sure enough the baby was posing for us with her/his hands behind her/his head as if to say "Hey Mom and Dad, all is cool in here". The doctor looked at my placenta and didn't see any tears or anything. The nurse told us she though it was a girl because of the baby's position, already practicing to talk on the phone. But we did not see anything. So baby's sex is still a secret!! My blood pressure was surprisingly good (meds are working) but my pulse was really high, but the OB figured it was from the pain. He wished us well, gave me some Tylenol to help with pain and sent us downstairs to get my ankle looked at.
 

We waited and waited, I was starving, as I hadn't eaten since noon, but they wouldn't let me eat in case it was broken and need to set it. They ended up getting an Emergency, but to move us along they sent me for an x-ray. This part was no fun, and of course the x-ray tech was less than impressed that I hadn't seen a doctor yet and better yet that I was pregnant and he had not explained the risks. But the tech went over everything, took extra precautions and we got started, where the shaking began again. The pain was unreal.

 

A doctor finally came and saw us, told us it was not broken, just badly sprained and I had torn all the lateral ligaments in my ankle. She recommended I take lots of anti-inflammatories - which a pregnant woman can not take. So I kindly reminded her that I was pregnant and she then informed me that my recovery would take longer because I cant take anything to bring down swelling. Great. She recommended an air cast, touched my ankle, told me to stay off of it for 2 weeks, to ice it and that was all she said and did. A nurse came and attempted to put one on - but she hadn't done one before. Awesome, third time was charm. I still didn't feel overly secure in it, but she assured me it was on right.

 

M and I grabbed McDonald's on the way back home, but decided we better make a quick appearance at the party, since they all knew what had happened and I was bummed we couldn't go because of me. We had a drink and headed home, where we had to take the air cast off again so I could get changed. Thank God for wide leg lounge pants that I can fit around it. But when M put the cast back on the pain was too much, the shaking came right back (I have never shook in pain before) and the tears for the first time had come. I was done.  

 

Our sleep was rough, as I had to pee often (damn pregnancy bladder) and was just generally uncomfortable. I am only able to take Tylenol Extra Strength - but it doesn't touch it.

 

I was up by 8 AM because my back couldn't bear to be in bed any longer. M relaxed by my side watching movies as I just tried to rest on the couch as comfortable as possible. The swelling was getting worse, at one point it looked like I had an apple coming out of my ankle and the bruising has started. So we iced it on and off, as well as read the instructions on the air cast and sure enough the nurse had put it on wrong. It was much more comfortable on the right way.

 

M hung the ceiling fan in the nursery, which he luckily took a picture so I could see it, as my plans to be up there this week organizing won't be happening. He also had M come and help him move the remainder of the furniture up there too. J and little G decided to pop by and cheer me up while they did that. Such a tease that I cant see it all up there, but J went us as a woman's set of eyes and told me she liked it, told me what she move, so I at least have an idea. Hopefully I will feel somewhat better and a bit more mobile that M will be able to help me up there to just see it, so for now it is a big surprise.

 

M went and grabbed groceries and dinner, came home we ate, he made banana bread and I decided I better shower while I could since he was home, because he has fire practice on Monday night. I sat on foot stool in the shower, had M take my nail polish off my toes, as I couldn't stand to look at them anymore, and then showered quick.

 

A doctor called from the hospital I was at and told me that it turns out that I do have a small fracture, so recovery will be a bit longer. He also informed me to take lots of anti-inflammatories. I told him I was pregnant, so he quickly told me not to take them. So now my recovery is looking more along the lines of 4-6 weeks. Awesome.
 

M helped me back to the couch, I blow dried my hair and by the time I was done that, I became overwhelmed with not being able to do anything myself. M says he doesn't mind, and I believe him, but it is just frustrating because I sometimes can't describe what I need because I am just used to just doing it myself.

 

Today is my first day on my own and we are surviving so far. M was sure to leave snacks close by, filled up lots of water bottles for me, made sure I had everything I needed before leaving this morning. We took the air cast off at 5 AM to ice it and put it back on before he left, as well as got me situated on the couch.

 How lucky am I to have such a caring husband that clearly would do anything for me. I knew this before, but he just continues to prove it. Bless his heart. Such a shitty time of the year to be laid up. But most importantly the baby is safe and continues to kick up a storm to keep me check of remembering how lucky I am.