An Unexpected Shift...

There have been some significant changes since I last posted...

Life at Simpson University has been getting very busy and hectic as I have been madly preparing for the return of our student leaders and a week and 1/2 of intense training. This is always a very busy time of year but this was the first time that I was in charge of putting together all of the training for our Student Life student leaders so the pressure was higher than normal.

Last Saturday (August 21) I spent the day taking it easy and winding down from a busy week. In the evening Priya and I went out to do some grocery shopping and I began to have some rather painful contractions (I was almost 27 weeks at the time). After several hours of being unable to stop them I called the doctor on call and was advised to go into the hospital. Ashish was working while all of this was going on but his boss was very supportive and let him go so that he could take me. Fortunately we were able to bypass the ER and went straight up to Labor and Delivery. It took 5 hours total (not 5 hrs in the hospital) to get the contractions to stop (much longer than any episode I ever had with Priya). And they eventually released me, assuring me that the baby was healthy and that I would be fine.

I slept a lot of the day on Sunday and then went back to work on Monday but found myself having painful contractions yet again after walking across the parking lot and over to my office. They seemed to hit almost every time I stood up or moved about at all. I called my doctor and he put me on bed rest for 2 days and told me to come in on Tuesday morning. After meeting with him, his recommendation was that I go on disability for the duration of my pregnancy (I have 3 months to go). This came as quite a shock. I thought this would pass and that I'd simply be instructed to reduce some of the stress and peripheral activities in my life, get extra rest, keep my feet up more, drink even more water, etc. I was wrong about that!

This has been a hard decision for me on so many levels, but in looking at the bigger picture I know that it’s what I need to do for the health of the baby and for my health as well. It was hard to walk away from a job that I really do love and to leave my team (the day that round one of our student leaders were scheduled to arrive). But the positive side of things is that I now have the opportunity to do what my heart has been yearning for – to be home with my daughter and to have the opportunity to be a mom and wife without having my emotional and physical energy depleted by the demands and stresses of work. I love my job (most of it anyways) and find a great deal of fulfillment in what I do, but it really can take away my family and my ability to be as invested in them as I'd like to be. So I am focusing on the positive and thanking God for this *blessing* while I have it.

The past week has been difficult but good. My stress levels have definitely decreased and I've been feeling more "normal" as each day passes. I am able to move about here and there but have to be careful not to be on my feet too much or those crazy contractions come back. Fortunately by putting my feet up I've been able to stop them every time. I'm thankful that I'm not on strict bed rest and that I do have some freedom, but I definitely have to be careful.

My parents are back in Redding (they arrived the day my doctor put me on disability), so the timing couldn't be better. It's been great to have this time with them and to have some additional hands to help Priya get the exercise that I'm not able to adequately give her right now. She, of course, is thrilled that they are back as well!

Ashish has been really helpful and supportive through these transitions. He is back in school, taking some pre-requisites to an RN program. He's trying to get some of the hardest classes out of the way before the baby arrives, so he is definitely keeping busy with his studies and with his job as well.

So there you have it. Life is definitely never dull around the Christian household! There always seems to be something going on... :) We are thankful for God's provisions, that our baby boy is healthy and strong and for the support of family and friends.