life after living overseas

Dear Friends,

A gigantic thank you to all who prayed and have continued to pray for us this past week as we traveled back to the US...it was quite a week! Our original travel plan was to leave Nicaragua at 7:30 am Tuesday am, with a 1 1/2 layover in Houston, to arrive in Baltimore at 4:30 pm. The first flight was uneventful, the boys did well, and the 3 1/2 hours passed quickly. As usual, although we try to live our lives without much fanfare, our trip turned into an adventure.

When we arrived in Houston, before we even left the plane, there was an announcement for me to call my doctors as soon as possible, before even going through Customs. More than a bit bewildered, I allowed the stewardess to run me through the airport in a nice little wheelchair, with the boys admiring my new set of wheels :) I called my doctors, and was informed that they, along with the insurance doctors, were quite concerned about my medical condition, and would not permit me to fly until I had been seen my an OB specialist (called a perinatologist) in the Houston area. My heart dropped as a realized we were in for a long day.

The airport officials were amazing...they rescheduled our flight for the last one of the day, took care of our luggage, and assured us that if we could not make the 7 pm flight, they would put us up for the night and make sure we made the first flight out the next morning. So...we waited for an ambulance and were then transferred to a hospital several miles away from the airport. The boys enjoyed the ambulance ride, especially all the kid stickers plastered on the doors. There, I met with a doctor, had an ultrasound, and was given the okay to fly to Baltimore.

We made it back to the airport around 5:30 pm, with just enough time to eat dinner before the plane boarded. The hospital staff were so nice...they called a cab for us and gave us a voucher to the airport. At the airport, we ate supper and boarded the 7 pm flight. By this time, the boys were tired, and Zach managed to sleep most of the way, while Nathaniel had cycles of sleeping and crying. We arrived in Baltimore around 10:45 and were so happy to see Steve's dad and sister! At 1 am, we made it "home" (at least home for the next few months, although I must admit, the concept of "home" right now is bit muddled for me).

We woke up bright and early to start out with my rounds of doctor's visits. I was at the hospital from 9 - 2:30 on Wed., getting blood work, my glucose testing, an ultrasound with the perinatologist, and getting all relevant information. I also received my first of two shots of steroids, to help speed up the lung maturation process of the baby, should the baby come early. The ultrasound results look reassuring, it appears the baby is not in any danger of appearing soon. However, the doctors have decided they will take the baby about a month early, to avoid any complications. Thursday I had to return to receive my second steroid shot, and when I returned home, received a call from the doctors, indicating my glucose level was slighly elevated...could I return the next day for the extended, 3-hour glucose test? I figured that since I was on a roll, why not?

Friday, I spent from 7 - 11 getting my glucose checked...and I must give a big Kudos to the ladies at the Health Campus...they are painless and fast when taking blood!
Saturday was my first real day of rest. The doctors did not prescribe strict bed rest, but rest as needed to keep the pain level low. I soon noticed that both boys are coming down with colds.

We are still adjusting, especially the boys, with the sleep patterns, routines, food and the COLD!!! BRRR....it's hard to believe that less than a week ago, we were sleeping in 85 degree temps. Thankfully, Steve's mother and sister-in-law have been helping us with clothes for the boys and myself, otherwise we'd be icicles by now!

I am now 27 weeks (almost 7 months) and every day brings us closer to a healthy baby. Please continue to pray for us, in our adjustment, staying warm, wisdom for the doctors and ourselves, and for a healthy baby.

Feel free to call and visit with us...Colleen is up and around a bit, so we would enjoy visitors. Thanks for all your support and we will continue to update our blog!