In Remembrance of Bed Rest

A year ago today...I went on strict bed rest for four months of my life! I was the incubator! I can not believe that it was a year ago! And now I have a happy healthy almost 9 month old baby boy! :) I also can't believe that I was in bed for about 120ish days!

WOW! I'll tell you I learned a lot from that experience. I just moved to a new place, and I only knew my wonderful and very helpful in-laws that lived in Gilbert. I got to know my sister-in-law, and she would bring me these wonderful cards that she made so I can put them on my wall:) People from the ward came and visited me in the hospital and at home! My ward is so great--they brought us meals, and my Relief Society President would call and check up on me. I never made so many friends in my life---the bed is the place to be! My neighbors came, and my cousins came and saw me too--and I haven't seen them in years! In a way it was a blessing, to make friends, and to find old friends and bond with them again. My family was very helpful too. My sister, who lives in New York, called me every day when I was in the hospital or when I was at home on bed rest. I really got to know my sister better, and now I go crazy if I don't hear from her in a week or two. Its been so much fun! My sisters came and stayed with me as well. One of them made me German pancakes and I had breakfast in bed! Actually, for four months I had 3 meals in bed! That is the life! And on my birthday, I was in the hospital, and my wonderful mother came up to Gilbert and stayed the night in my room and we had a blast! What a incredible mom that I have!! I can go on and on, with all the help that I got. And I am very grateful for their service...that taught me how to serve...willingly. A girl from my ward would just call and say, "can I come over?" And I was thinking, "I don't even know you..." but I am so so glad that they did! I need to be better at serving people with an open heart. I just want to say thank you to my sweet husband. He was a real trooper. He was "Mr. Wife."He probably won't like the sound of that, but its true. :)

I did have my ups and downs, and had the sudden urge to run outside. But I am so glad and kind of proud of myself for hanging in there for Carter. :) He sure is worth it! I look at the picture of the woman in the mobile cart on bed rest back then, with a child, that probably wasn't so fun. But really...it wasn't that bad. I mean, I could watch anything I wanted, whenever I wanted, I had three hot meals a day in BED!!! When Chase was in school, he would pack me a lunch next to my bed. And one day he surprised me with a lunchable! (I love those things!)

The day I was off bed rest, (December 17th) was very exciting---but then the contractions came. I went to the hospital, and they said I wasn't dilated enough. We went back the next day and they kept me there--and I had Carter that night around 11pm! I remember wanting to hold him after he was born, and the nurses took him upstairs because he had a hard time breathing. I didn't get to see him around 2ish in the morning, and he was in an incubator. I thought I was the incubator for him, and I could just hold him and take him home the next day. But Heavenly Father had other plans. It was so hard to leave him in the NICU for twelve days. But I knew that he was getting stronger. I learned that Heavenly Father gives us our challenges to make us stronger. I am so grateful for them. And every time I hold Carter... I am reminded of my Heavenly Father's love for His children. :)