A Birth Story of God's Faithfulness Part Five

  I left off the last post sharing about how Matt had to pick up Ella Ruth and take her home while I stayed in the hospital with the new reality of c-diff.  I remember asking Matt to pull out Ella Ruth's  going home outfit from my duffle bag.  I was sick at heart and becoming increasingly sick in body.  The GI specialist that was sent in did not have a good bedside manner which made things even worse.  I began seeing several different doctors from different fields daily.  It seemed my days and nights were consumed with doctors and nurses constantly rotating in and out.

Matt was a very courageous man to take home a new baby by himself knowing full well that he also had to be daddy to six other people when he returned home.  

God's grace carried Matt through that first night at home with a new infant.  She did remarkably well for a new baby, and Matt was blessed with decent sleep.  Of course he was up in the night but not for long stretches of time.  She went back to sleep after a bottle.  That was God's grace in a huge way.  

The next day Matt was able to visit me in the hospital while friends stayed with our other children.  Because of the love of sweet friends this went on for weeks.  Someone came every day so that Matt could go to the hospital and take care of me.  Many people came multiple times, and our dear friends the Mazyns came on a daily basis.  My sweet friend Dianne Mazyn texted me that if I could not be there to take care of my baby that she wanted to be there in my place.  This kind of devotion from my friend meant so much to me.  Words cannot even express how grateful we feel for all the people that came and went and loved on our children, did laundry, brought meals, helped little ones with school work and cleaned house.  

I remember Matt sending me pictures like this so that I could see Ella Ruth.  I was so happy to see her and yet I missed her so very much.  Those pictures tore at my heart.  

While at the hospital it was such a strength to me to receive pictures from the home front of Ella Ruth and the other children too.  It was also fortifying to me to receive texts of encouragement and Scripture verses to think on.  I remember one friend who would even send verses in the middle of the night when she got up to nurse her baby.  I truly felt support, prayers, and encouragement around the clock.  Those first few nights without Ella Ruth I was dreadfully sick.  Due to caesarean pain and swelling in my legs and feet it was very hard for me to get in and out of bed.  That was not good as c-diff had me running to the bathroom over and over.  I had some of the sweetest nurses who would come as many times as I needed and help me in my utter helplessness. They did it with incredible patience and kindness.  It humbled me to be so helpless and to to have them care for me so attentively.  I have a whole new appreciation for nurses and how they serve those in need.  Truly some of these ladies were angels of mercy to me.  I wish I could see them again and thank them for their hearts of service.  It really made an impact upon me about how I need to serve others in love......even when it is not easy or pleasant.

Well, after a blood transfusion, nine days in the hospital and antibiotics for c-diff I was sent home.  It was so wonderful to see my sweet baby again.  She had not visited me in the hospital due to the risk of her picking up c-diff.  I remember a nurse explaining to me that I should not allow her back into my room.  The nurse told me that if Ella Ruth picked up c-diff she could die.  Because of this risk I had not seen her since Matt took her home.  

During the couple of days I spent at home I tried to nurse Ella Ruth in hopes that my milk would come in.  It was a struggle as I was still so sick but we tried.  I enjoyed holding her and letting her sleep beside me in the pack and play while I slept in the reclining chair.  I could not get in and out of the bed, so I slept in the recliner just as I had done during the last months of my pregnancy.  In fact......I have slept in this recliner during the last months of several pregnancies.  This, however, was a first to be back in the recliner after the birth.

 

I was brutally weak and still so sick but incredibly happy to be with my family again.  I did not know that my body was nowhere near recovery.  We had not yet seen the worst of all of this, and I should not have been released but at least it gave me a couple of nights with my baby before I would return to the hospital for another nine long days.  

Here I was thinking I was getting better and we were out of the woods but this was not the case.  

"The plans of the heart belong to man,

but the answer of the tongue is from the LORD." - Proverbs 16:1

Here is another song from my playlist that comforted me much during this fiery trial: