My Daughter Gave Birth to Quadruplets!

Praise the Lord! Blessed is the man who fears the Lord, who greatly delights in his commandments! His offspring will be mighty in the land; the generation of the upright will be blessed. Psalms 112:1-2







Sunday, August 22, 2010

Week 33 & The Old College Try/So We Wait



Week 33! It won't be long now.

These last few days have undoubtedly been the hardest for Sarah. She tore a ligament while trying to turn over. The pain was excruciating. She cried for hours and was unable to get up to go to the bathroom. Finally, a nurse helped her to maneuver enough to get out of bed. The doctors kept checking the ligament, concerned that it might have separated from the bone. They think it is just torn, but said it will be at least a couple of months before it feels better. Just add that to the surgery-bedrest-recovery list. They finally gave her a morphine-type drug to give her some pain relief. This latest development helped her decide to schedule the surgery soon. She is at the end of her pain tolerance. Contractions with a torn ligament are no good for anybody.

FYI--The male doctors are wanting her to give it the old college try and go to 34 weeks. The female doctors (and nurses) think she has gone far enough and should deliver now. Why is that???

We are so worried about Sarah that it is getting hard to decide who we are most worried about: mother or babies. I was telling a friend that it feels like a sick version of one of those values clarification games we played in college classes. "If you were on a sinking boat and there was only one life raft, who would you pick to survive?" I am praying for God's wisdom, direction, timing, and peace while trying to keep my own thinking out of it. With God, there are always more possibilities than there are in the hypothetical situations we create.

Yesterday was a day of adjustment--trying to look forward while wanting to look back. My son Eric went away to college.


When we loaded Eric's belongings, I had to resist the urge to chain myself to his trunk and refuse to move. What I really wanted to do was lock myself in his room and cry. Instead, I put on a brave face and actually helped him move away.

On the way, we stopped at Sarah and Tony's house to pick up something of Eric's. We had Callie with us. I wondered how this brave little girl would react when she saw her house for the first time after all these months. She was so excited at first! She ran up to the front door and tried to open it. When she realized it was locked, she cried hysterically for her mommy and daddy to let her in. It was heartbreaking. That was when I decided that I didn't like this day.

I know that Callie will love her brothers and sisters, and will be fine when her mom comes home. But I also know that she will never go back to that life she knew as the center of attention with Mommy and Daddy at her beck and call. With quads coming, those days are gone forever.

We hit the road loaded with boxes and bags. After hours of driving, we found Eric's dorm and reversed the process by unloading and unpacking. His room is on the third floor, of course, so we got a workout. Callie immediately commandeered his bed for a trampoline, undaunted by the presence of Eric's roommate.

Whenever I want a day to last forever, it goes at warp speed. After a late dinner at the local pizza place, we prepared to go. Tom gave Eric some last minute encouragements and instructions. Callie wanted Eric to get in the truck with us, but when he didn't, she was quiet. Either she didn't understand that we were leaving him there, or she is getting used to goodbyes.



It was time. My 6'4" son gave me a big bear hug. I wrapped my arms tightly around his waist and closed my eyes so he wouldn't see my tears. For just a moment, time went backwards and he was my little boy again.

"Mommy, I want to be with you and Daddy forever."

Looking down into my five-year-old's deep brown eyes, I said, "Honey, I want to be with you, too, but someday a very smart girl is going to grab hold of you and never let you go."

With a shy half-smile, he asked, "Will you ever leave me?"

"Not if I can help it," I promised. My little boy smiled contentedly and snuggled closer. Although I didn't realize it at the time, it was a moment to cherish
.

"Mom?" Eric pushed back and saw the tears on my face, laughed, and held me even tighter. Slowly, I let go of my only son and climbed into the truck. As we drove off, I watched Eric walk away in the darkness. I left him in spite of my long-ago promise.

As we pulled onto the highway, I wondered why the milestones of our lives often bring so much pain. It doesn't make sense.

It is hard to explain, but I do have peace about Eric's decision to go away. It is a beginning--a new stage in his life. But it's also the end of something precious. I have a feeling that Eric will be very different the next time I see him.

Tom reached over and grabbed my hand. "Sondra, this is a good day. He's going to be fine! You should be proud. You did a great job with our kids. We should have had a few more." He turned on the radio and headed for home.

One day, everything will make sense when we stand in the presence of our perfect Saviour. I long for that day, and I pray that all of my friends and family will be there with me. So we wait.





One day eyes that are blind will see You clearly
And one day all who deny will finally believe
One day hearts made of stone will break in pieces
And one day chains once unbroken will fall down at Your feet
So we wait for that one day come quickly

We want to see Your Glory
Every knee falls down before Thee
Every tongue offers You praise
With every hand raised
Singing Glory
To You and unto You only
We'll sing Glory to Your name

One day voices that lie will all be silent
One day all that's divided will be whole again
One day death will retreat and wave it's white flag
One day love will defeat the strongest enemy
So we wait for that one day come quickly

We know not the day or the hour
Or the moments in between
But we know the end of the story
When we'll see Your Glory
Every knee falls down before Thee
Every tongue offers You praise
With every hand raised
Singing Glory
To You and unto You only
We'll sing Glory to Your name

Glory by Nicole Nordeman

5 comments:

Unknown said...

Still praying for you all. Wow momma what a roller coaster you have been on lately.. Just imagine those precious babies in your arms. You hae done a wonderful job with your children and soon you will get thejoys of being a memaw 4 more times over..

Cassie said...

male doctors want a record (34w for quads maybe 10 by year)the female doctors and nurses (and surely still mom) see and understand the suffering. that already 39 weeks with a baby, women are pressured to give birth because they are very tired can no longer walk ...with quads her belly is like single full term pregnancy since the 20th weeks!
an exemple : mrs wilkinson was 32w pregnant to quints, none set quints born after 33w, the male doctors want try the record but the mom said a big no 1 more weeks would be so hard for her

you can contact quads mom who gived birth after 33w, for advice
four-by-two.blogspot.com
facebook.com/rtuite
themorethemerrierinmerion.blogspot.com/

Jacqueline said...

praying even more intensely. God bless you with peace and the knowledge that you are doing a great job.

Becky said...

Praying, praying! I can't imagine having to make Sarah's decisions. Praying for wisdom! Praying for strength and peace for you- Peace that passeth understanding!!

Becky said...

Praying, praying! I can't fathom the decisions that lie ahead. Praying for wisdom, strength, and peace that passeth understanding!!