The Roller Coaster is Cresting the Hill (2 Days until Bayta)

I feel like I am in some kind of dreamy funk. In many many ways this has been the worst experience of my life. At the same time it is the kind of experience that if it doesn't break you you know it will make you stronger. My wife is sitting in the coaster next to me. I look over at her as we approach the crest and smile. She is smiling back at me. We are both scared to death of what will happen to us over the hill but we know whatever it is our love for each other and our boys will sustain us. The boys are in our laps. We are hugging them because the stupid ride attendant apparently forgot to belt us in. You have to be careful when you are hugging your kids to keep them from falling out of a roller coaster. Too tight and they can't breathe. Not tight enough and they might get really hurt. Sometimes you wonder if you are hugging them to keep them calm or to calm yourself.

Last night Amanda finally got to talk to Sarah the mother of Ben who was born with an Omphalocele and was out of the hospital in a week. Sarah was the answer to many prayers and her entrance into our lives at the top of the hill was meant to be. We had tried to talk to her earlier and because of a freakish phone problem we only made contact last night. Her words reassured Amanda. She validated Amanda's fears and despite not knowing us other than through 1 phone call and a cruddy blog filled with typos she offered her familes help and assistance while we are in St. Louis.

Today was spent putting out fires. Chris one of our long time employees got a problem with our network fixed that has been bothering me for weeks. It was such a relief to find out he fixed it and I didnt have to worry about coming back this week to hire someone else to do it. Amanda's folks arrived this afternoon and watched the Arkansas game... sad outcome...
I got my truck cleaned out so someone can use it while I am gone. Judy (my loving mother in law) let me know my blog was more than a little paranoid. after talking to Sarah Amanda has decided to have her folks come up and be with her immediately after the birth so I can go follow Bayta to her assessment by the surgeon. This last minute change means that my folkks will be sheparding the boys to preschool on Monday. My parents are missing a funeral to be available to help us and have already done so much to accomodate our many unknowns. I am charging every electrical device in the house... Cameras... Video cameras, I phones, extra Iphone batteries, and even laptops. Our electric meter will likely spin off its axis tonight. I still need to turn off the sprinkler system... and packing has been very difficult since the weather has been unseasonably cool. Tomorrow night we are staying at a place called Haven House. It accepts families with people in the hospital from out of town. It took some doing but they are gonna let us stay there tomorrow night in a two bedroom suite so larry and Judy can be with us. They charge some small amount for the space. The ladies who answer the phones there have been VERY nice. The one thing they warned me about was that they had a family coming in on Monday so we had to be out of the room by 11:00AM. I assured her that we would probably have our little girl by then. Larry bought a bottle of wine for dinner and I have to say for about fifteen minutes I felt the muscles in my shoulders relax. As a non drinker I could see how that feeling could become habit forming.

Tomorrow we are supposed to meet Tiffany our fairy "O" mother for dinner. I hope that works out because I think it would help keep Amanda's mind off the Monday agenda.

Here it is as I know it right now. Amanda will fast from Midnight on Sunday until delivery. We will leave the hotel about 8:30 (Maybe earlier because St. Louis Traffic is very different than Springfield traffic. We are to report at 9:30 AM Amanda will be prepped I will have to leave her while they give her a spinal blocker and prepare her for the birth. I will enter... and 10 to 15 minutes later she will be all done. We may or may not be able to hold Bayta depending on how she is doing. Then I will Follow Bayta and Amanda will be taken to a recovery room for a 3 to 4 day recovery period aided by her Mom and Dad. As all of you know this is a major surgery and we could really use any prayers you could spare for my wife, Bayta and their Doctors.

Hope you like the picture above. I apologize to Silver Dollar City for "stealing" it, but hey I paid about 20 dollars for the silly thing... and I think it catches the mood quite well.