Monday, November 29, 2010

Memories of Things Past

Recently, while I chopped tomatoes for bruchetta and the Salad ate their dinners, I recounted bits and pieces of my pregnancy with them. It was quiet in the kitchen before I started talking and the hum of the refrigerator reminded me of the one R bought me to keep in our bedroom. It was literally one hour after I was released from the hospital after my first bout with preterm labor, that R hauled kitchen appliances into our master bedroom. And so for the four months of bedrest, our room was like a hotel, complete with the white noise of a refrigerator and soft lights of the microwave time clock.

I told them that when I got cholestasis, the soles of my feet itched so badly that I thought I'd lose my mind. It only happened at night and would wake me from a deep sleep. I'd spend an hour scratching my feet on our bedroom rug. I often seized the opportunity to drink in some more of the 3200 calories a day the doctors told me to consume during a triplet pregnancy, so I'd gulp down a giant glass of orange juice. What's weird is I never really liked orange juice and have not wanted any since.

That time when I was pregnant must be on my subconscious lately. Maybe it's the time of year. The last time I was allowed to drive myself was the day before Halloween, 2006. I remember because with my last bit of freedom, I drove myself to Target to buy candy for trick or treaters.

Or maybe it's on my mind because not long ago, we drove past the hospital where the Salad was born. I laughed with my mom, as we recounted stories of her poor wheel chair driving skills. The walk from the parking garage to the high risk doctor was just too long for me, so for the last 2.5 months of my pregnancy, whoever had driven me to the hospital that day would have to roll me to the office. Many, many people thought I was in labor, asking in the elevator, "This is it, huh? The big day!" No, I would tell them, I'm only 27 weeks along. "Oh!" they'd say stealing glances at my gigantically huge belly and the wheel chair, and stare at the door or the ceiling uncomfortably, until they could run from the embarrassment. It always cracked me up.

Because, I'm mean like that.

4 comments:

  1. I was just talking about your bedroom when you were prego. I was telling someone about the belt contraption you had to lift yourself up.

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  2. Hey, you got through it, right? I wouldn't mind having some conveniences in our bedroom (even now!). So cool to share these little memories :)

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  3. Oh and I always love hearing my mom's memories of her pregnancy with me & what I was like as a newborn...even to this day :)

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  4. I told you that my sister in law with the twins is pregnant again? She's due on Christmas and they think she might have cholestasis again!

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