Something to Buzz About

Four years ago today we were buzzing with excitement around our house. We were checking off the last few things on the 'to-do' list to get ready for #2 child to arrive on his scheduled c-section day. We had just finished a peaceful evening meal and the we headed outside to do some 'yard-work' so that we could check one more thing off that 'to-do' list.

As husband was in the midst of mowing our 4+acres I decided I would try to help out a little bit (remember, I was 8 3/4 months pregnant and it was 150 plus degrees outside) so I decided I would gather up the garden hoses in our backyard and lay them up on top of the well house so that he could just mow without having to stop and tend to hoses, etc.

Well, as I was picking up the hose, I felt something poke at my left thumb. I didn't think a thing about it b/c we're not the best yard-keepers around for sure! I was accustomed to lovely stickers and/or weeds poking at my skin all the time when I'm outdoors. Well, I got the garden hose all tended to and then took off waddling toward our garage. At this point I finally discovered that it wasn't a sticker/thorn/weed that had poked my thumb.

I remember looking up and seeing a tornado of buzzing things covering our entire back yard. PANIC MODE SET IN IMMEDIATELY. For the first time in 8 3/4 months I didn't feel pregnant. I was in the starting blocks at the Olympics. I sprinted (or whatever ducks do in high gear) over to the swings to retrieve child #1 who was 2 years old at the time. This is when panic mode really took over! Instead of running indoors, I decided I would continue this Olympic style race all over the 4 acres to chase down dear husband. All the while, the tornado of buzzers continued to intensify. I finally 'tagged' (or flagged) him down and was screaming that there were BEES everywhere. He finally comprehended my hysterical lingo!

So, once again I dash (or sprint waddle) across the 4 acres and make it inside the house. Now mind you, the entire time I was running this race, I was carrying not only child #1 who was 2, but also child #2 that was about to pop out any day! Anyway, after getting inside the house I immediately have to remove my maternity top b/c bees were inside my shirt and were stinging my oversized tummy. Then, realizing that bees had followed us inside and were attacking my head, I grabbed a towel and wrapped my head up like you do when you have just washed it.

By this time I guess I had locked my husband outside, and he's now BEATING on the front door wanting in! After he came in we slammed all doors. It was 150+ degrees outside and the sun was shining. But the sound we were hearing didn't match up with the picture in the sky. From the inside of all areas of our home it sounded like a terrible rain storm outdoors. It wasn't rain....it was the sound of BEES hitting our windows trying to get to us. Well, we're running around the house swatting the bees that managed to get inside with us. We finally realized that this isn't a NORMAL situation.

So, we phoned over to step-dad. He says call 9-1-1. So, we did. We could tell that they didn't really have a solution to our problem! Later the local fire dept. arrived at our house and parked right in front of our house. They start getting out of the trucks, etc. Guess they didn't get a clear explanation of our problem! It took them about 2 seconds to load back up into their trucks and move the trucks a mile or so from our house...and I think they stayed inside their trucks for a while. After much advise and thought from several guys, they came up with a solution: spray them with a chemical from the air! New problem: how are we going to get the pilot to the airport?? So, the ambulance backs up to our front porch, paramedic dresses up with this gear that covered him from head to toe so that the bees couldn't get to him. They load all 3 of us up in the ambulance. One volunteer took dear husband to the airport to 'load-up'. The paramedics check out child #1's b/c her lips had started to swell, etc from the bee stings. They checked my blood pressure and said it was fine. I wasn't having labor pains, so they thought all was well. We remained inside the ambulance for a good while.

Finally after husband has sprayed our house from the air and things were relatively clear, we get out of ambulance and sit and wait in my mom's vehicle. We decide to go back to the house. Well, husband did a 200% job spraying b/c our house was filled with the smell of chemical so bad that we couldn't even go inside without wanting to throw up!

So, we ended up staying the night at my mom's house without any of our personal belongings....just the clothes that were on us when we were 'rescued'! We went to mom's house, took showers, and headed to bed. I thought I wasn't feeling normal b/c I found it very difficult to walk and especially step out of the shower. By about 11:00, the pain was unbearable. So, husband and I head to hospital with nothing....I mean no luggage, no wallets, not the suitcases that had been packed at home for the past month or so, etc. Sure enough child #2 apparently dropped down into my pelvic area while I was running my Olympic race. Child #2 had torn the cartlidge between my pelvis! OUCH doesn't even begin to describe this pain. So, they just tried to keep me semi-comfortable the rest of the night and dr. came in next morning and ordered c-section!

So tomorrow's post will be...Happy B-day Child #2!