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July 8, 2003
Pampering Myself and Sweating Like a Pig
Tomorrow I am finally getting the pedicure that Steve gave me for my birthday. I normally get a regular spa pedicure or a sea salt pedicure if I need extra exfoliation. But this time I’m going to try a eucalyptus pedicure. It’s supposed to be good for reducing swelling and with this heat, my feet are pretty swollen. By early afternoon, my toes look like pigs in a blanket. I try to keep them elevated but that isn’t working. I think the fact that the A/C in our part of the building needs to be replaced may have something to do with it. We had a company come out and check it but it still barely keeps the front offices cool. The hallways, however, are lovely. Then again we are in a concrete block building with stationary windows. It’s a life-sized convection oven.
That brings me to my next subject. The heat of a Southern summer is about as close to torture as you can get. With the heat index, it often feels 100+ degrees on most days. We are also in tornado season so that means lots of sudden thunder storms in the middle of the day just in time for the sun to come out for a few more hours and steam us like stalks of broccoli. For these reasons, I have decided to stop working after August 1st. I know I said I would wait until Jaida’s first week of school was over but I don’t think I can. I’ll be going to pick her up and going from a hot building to a hot car and back again does not sound very appealing.
I mean, with the A/C going all day long I still need a fan in my office. As 2:00 rolls around, the beads of sweat start to trickle down my back and I’m chugging water or eating ice chips non-stop. That can’t be good. Today when I got home, I took a cold shower and the water only felt lukewarm to me. I know it sounds like I’m over-reacting. I’m trying so hard to eat right and watch my blood pressure but the heat may cancel all that out. I feel drained and wilted at the end of the day. I don’t want hot food for lunch or dinner anymore either. I’ve been devouring crispy salads and sandwiches with lots of lettuce and tomato. I also have a disturbing fascination with Dairy Queen lately. Unfortunately, they don’t sell slushes in the stores here but there are always Sno-Biz snow cones!
Sad News and Lots of Reflecting
Early this morning, the phone rang and I had a feeling it was not good news. Steve or my brother has been known to call before six but this time I just knew. It was my best friend’s husband. He wanted to let me know that the boys had been born and they had passed away in the pre-dawn hours. We talked for a few minutes and I tried to think of something to say. I managed to ask if my friend was okay physically, I knew the emotional part would take a while. Then her mom got on and told me that they had all gotten a chance to hold the babies and say goodbye.
I could hear soft weeping in the background and I was even more in shock. Maybe answering the phone had been a dream. But I realized it had not. We talked a few more minutes and then hung up. At that precise moment, Lambchop did a full-body roll and I was overcome with happiness to feel him move and grief for my friend at the same time. I really didn’t feel like going to work after that but I had no choice. I wanted to get in my car and drive to GA just to see them and hold her hand. But a three hour car ride with my back trouble is pretty much out of the question right now.
I took all day to think of something comforting to say and came up with nothing. When I got home from work, I called her hospital room and her dad answered. When she got on the phone and I heard her voice, I went into auto-pilot and the words seemed to come on their own. She described their tiny little feet and told me they had been 12” and 13” long. There was also no question that they were identical. Typical know-it-all, I had to give her some advice. It was probably more for me than it was for her. I made her promise to send her husband out for an Ace bandage and a cabbage, in case her milk comes in and she gets engorged. I have read it can happen even when the baby comes really early and I didn’t want that to be another unexpected and unwelcome reminder of leaving the hospital empty-handed.
I also had to make her laugh before we hung up because I know she loves my sick sense of humor. So I told her if she ended up not needing the cabbage, at least they could use it for side dishes over the next week. She had a hearty laugh over that one. I told her to call me if she wanted to talk and she promised she would. She told me she would probably need a good laugh in the days ahead and if nothing else, I’m always good for that. We talked some more and she said she would probably be going home tomorrow. I was curious but not bold enough to ask what kind of arrangements would be made for the babies but she answered that question for me. As soon as her MIL got there and had a chance to see the babies, the hospital would be taking care of that. At least that would ensure that her and her husband’s last memories would be as stress-free as possible. They have pictures and foot prints so that is good. At least they have something to keep of their tiny boys.
So, today was really emotional for me. I found myself thinking back to the kids’ births and remembering every detail. There was the moment my former OB announced that I would probably need a C-section after I had been pushing for two hours. But 30 minutes and a horrific episiotomy later, Jaida made her entrance, big head and all. Who am I kidding, she was big, period. Then during Jarod’s birth, he was barreling down the birth canal like a rocket. I remember holding my breath while Dr. D untangled the umbilical cord from his neck and counted out loud as he unlooped it three times. Waiting to hear him cry was the longest two minutes of my life. But I still had a baby to take home at the end of that ordeal. I was feeling really lucky and looking at my children in a whole new light today. So all you mommies go give your babies a squeeze.
In loving memory of Taylor and Tyler Arnold, 7/8/03.
Kim
(I'll probably update again after my OB appointment next Wednesday.)
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