Our plan was to spend the whole week catching up with our closest friends here, who just returned from the States. Our plan was to finish things slowly and methodically and coast into leaving for two months relaxed and ready. Our plan was to leave Friday, the 25th and have under two months of being away...
But again we are reminded of WHO is in control. We welcomed our friends back Thursday night, and on Friday morning I started having some serious stomach cramping, consistent but not regular. It is so hard to tell if it was a stomach bug. The clincher for me, that really made me stay on the couch most of the day was the periodic low back pressure, or cramp that was so reminiscent of my hours and hours of back labor with Sophia. I didn't feel it much, but the few times I did, made me wonder. This is when we started consulting our doctors. All of these 'symptoms' tapered in the afternoon, though I still didn't feel well. At dinner time I had some more pain, but basically after that nothing. Just tired and scared to eat much.
By ten o'clock that night (Friday) I was still on the couch and David and I were finishing a movie, taking my mind off of things (The Fighter, which was a very good drama, true story). Our doctor called and as we talked through things she said she would feel much more comfortable (since I am just about 36 weeks, have had two C-sections, and the clincher, the low-back pain) with me getting closer to Bangkok as soon as possible. We talked through lots of scenarios, and everything she was saying made complete sense. Originally just I was going to go, but since we were so close to leaving we decided to see if all of our tickets could be changed without cost and all go together....
And God has proven himself so faithful through all of this. After the ten o'clock phone call and decision to leave David stayed up LATE finishing all he was going to do for work in the coming week. I finished up packing. Can I just say Praise Him, that the packing was pretty much done already. Though we were 'rushing' we were not panicky, Our Father still gave us calm reserve about the whole thing. I tried to rest and not do too much, our helper was awesome. And K came and we spent an hour talking and crying and praying, it was SOOOOOO good. I am thankful for that hour, and that I had it to spend. Our flight left that afternoon to the capital and we knew there was no Bangkok flight that day but we would at least be one step closer. We (the doc and I) decided that if I had even one more cramp then I would get checked out in the capital, but if no more symptoms occurred then we would just get to Bangkok as soon as possible.
The next day's flight to Bangkok was overbooked by five people. No way our family of four was getting on. My words were 'barring a miracle...but God can do miracles,' David and Sophia prayed right there at the airport, out loud, asking for provision. Not ten minutes later the guy came to get David. We were all on the flight. What?!!! And while David checked us all in, Sophia and I prayed out loud again, a prayer of praise and thankfulness.
So here we are, in Bangkok, a little earlier than expected, but resting in His will and all that He has for us. We will see the doctor tomorrow, I have had no more cramping, though I still don't feel completely 'well.' Could have been a stomach bug, could have been weird braxton-hicks contractions, who knows? But we are comfortable with the decision to come out early, and so thankful for all of the blessings of provision along the way....we will keep you posted.
And yes I know, we better get on the whole 'name' discussion.
