Dr. Torrie, Medicine Woman

I'm known in my family as a bit of a Drama Queen. So much so, that when I was preggers, my brother sent Alex an email saying (and I quote) How is it dealing with pregnant Holli? Regular Holli is bad enough; I can't imagine what pregnant Holli is like. Thanks Bro! Preciate it! I have absolutely no idea why, but they say that I have a flare for the dramatic, which to me is never a bad thing, boring people are so very...boring! I consider myself to be an open and honest person; you never have to wonder what my real opinion is if we are friends, but hopefully I will deliver the honesty with compassion and kindness; that's the goal anyways. Goal being the operative word here.

On Monday we stopped by to see Alex's younger brother and his wife who's due date was looming near. When we got there, Andrew came to the door and said they were timing her contractions!! They were still pretty far apart but regular and uncomfortable. So, like any good brother and sister in law, we barge right in! I mean there are only a few people in your life who you are close enough to hang out with while they are in the early stages of labor. As soon as I saw the Mommy To Be, a little voice (my inner medicine woman) sounded off in my head something is not right! So, of course my thought filter that should tell me when to say something politely to the very pregnant, laboring, first time Mommy To Be shut down and I blurted out "Erin, your face, it's so swollen, are you okay?" Then she showed me her feet and legs and they were blown up too, so I started asking her about her blood pressure. It had been fine at her 38 week check up which was four days before, but Dr. Torrie was not satisfied with that. Are you feeling light headed? Do you have any dizziness? Have you had a severe headache in the front of your head? How about spotty vision? These questions were chiseled into my brain from the Midwives, and I knew the signs and symptoms of high blood pressure like nobody's business. No? Not feeling any of that stuff? Well, me neither sister. The day I got admitted to the hospital I was running errands and feeling great, but my face was puffed up; it was the first thing the Midwife noticed when I saw her.

Before we left, I took Andrew aside and said that Erin's swelling didn't seem normal to me, and if she had any dizziness or spotty vision they shouldn't hesitate to go to the hospital. Well, folks, they took my advice and look who they ended up with less than 12 hours later:

Claire Abigail Torrie

They left for "town" shortly after we left because I had "scared them a little" as Andrew told us when he called to announce that sweet little Claire was here. They went into pick up a pizza for dinner and thought they'd have Erin's blood pressure checked at a drug store. And the rest is history. So the lesson here? When I say jump, you say How High? Too dramatic? How about, I feel like the Lord led us over there on Monday because he had something for us to do and we praise Him for the healthy arrival of little Claire and for a safe labor and delivery for Erin.


And on the home front, here is a one minute progression of Xan's flare for the dramatic. I don't know where he gets it.

Content to sit and look at Mommy


Even happy to sit and look at Mommy


The world is full of wonder


Life couldn't be better


Not to sure about sitting by himself


Definitely knows he is Not all about sitting by himself when Mommy is right there in front of him



Red Lobster anyone?