I'm walking to lunch today, taking in the sights and sounds of the Colts Pep Rally that's taking place on the circle. I'm trying to decide what I want for lunch, and decide the ham and pineapple sandwich from the Great Steak and Potato Company at the mall sounds good. I walk the rest of the way around the circle. I decide to cross Meridian street before I get to the corner since they have it blocked off, and I won't have to wait. I'm making my way across when I feel the toe of my shoe catch on something. A brick, a wire from the band, not sure, but what I do know is I'm tripping and going forward quick. I feel like I've caught myself, when I realize, "I'm going to fall in front of all these people!"
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And that's exactly what happens. I catch myself with my hands for the most part, but I do hit the bump on the ground a little bit. I think I scrape it more than hit it, but of course I still start to kind of freak out. I remind myself that I need to stay calm for Madison's sake, and keep walking, red-faced, to the mall. As soon as I get there, I head to the bathroom to assess the damage to the skin of my belly. Just a little red, so I decide to go get something to eat. I know I need to call the doctor, but I also know they will ask if I'm feeling movement, and honestly she's never very active right before lunch anyway. I know the only way to know for sure if there is a decrease in fetal movement is to eat, and wait. So I get my food, eat, and wait. I decide to start reading my book while waiting; about 10 minutes go by, and my book starts to jump. I've never been so happy to feel kicks! I decide to finish my lunch and call the doctor once I get back to work.
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I call the doctor and talk the nurse, knowing very well that she's going to tell me to go to Labor & Delivery to get monitored. So off I head to the hospital. I get there a little before 3, have to fill out some paper work, then get told to go have a seat. The nurse calls me back, and warns me that my doctor could order the 4 hour ops, so I could be there until 7, but since I am still feeling her move, haven't had any bleeding or contracting, I should be out of there in an hour or so. She hooks up the monitors, and tells me she'll be back in about an hour to check on me. I read a little, watch some pointless TV, and wait for her to come back. She comes back, lets me know "baby is looking good!" and I'm not contracting at all, but that my doctor wants the 4 hour ops. I have some feelings of being blessed that my doctor cares that much, but more annoyance that I have to be there for another 3 hours. Silver lining, though, she ordered an ultrasound, so I'll get to see the little booger again!
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2 hours later, they finally come get me for my ultrasound. On the way down, the nurse tells me that all the tests look great! I do a little happy dance in my wheelchair thinking I should get to go home soon! I go down, u/s tech does what she needs to do (get confirmation, once again, that she is in fact a "she"!). All while thinking I'll get to go home after she's finished. (Found out Madison's weighing in at about 5 1/2 pounds right now. I guess that puts her on the smaller side of "normal" for this far along...I like small!) Anyway, she calls back up to L&D to tell them they can come get me, while I get back in the wheelchair to wait.
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New nurse comes down to get me, and takes me back to my room. She tells me she's not going to hook me up just yet until she talks to the other nurse that was monitoring me. First nurse comes back in, and gives me the wonderful news that there's still one more test result the doctor wants, so it's time to get hooked back up again. Oh goodie!! 45 minutes later, a new nurse comes in to tell me she's replacing Misty (apparently my first nurse; I'm sure she told me her name, I just didn't listen!), and that they have the test results she wanted so she's going to call my doctor and make sure that was all she wanted. 10 minutes later, she walks in, takes the monitors off, tells me to sign some paper basically saying I'll call them if I'm in labor (well, duh!), and tells me I can go. So finally at 7:50 pm, I walk out of the hospital. I arrived around 3...FIVE HOURS!!! I know I did the right thing by going in and getting monitored, but holy crap! Five hours!
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So to wrap up, I fell, went to L&D, they knew after an hour she was fine, but I stayed for another 4 just to make sure, Madison's still Madison, and mommy needs to be more careful while walking!
And when I opened the box, I found this...
