Let's do some catching up...

Lee grew up in the small Delta town of Indianola, MS. 

I grew up in the small Delta town of Greenwood, MS.

We met smack dab in the middle of the two towns at Mississippi Delta Junior College in the even smaller town of Moorehead, MS. 

We were in show choir together (insert oohs and aaahhhhhhs here).

We started dating. Lee Cave was very happy! (see picture for proof, I mean seriously!) 

After a few short years, a few broken hearts, a few concerns from my parents after meeting Lee (kidding, sort of), and lots of fun and chaos, wedding bells rang! 

The very next week after our wedding we packed up and moved to Hattiesburg to complete  our education at The University of Southern Mississippi!

About four months later, I called my Daddy, collect. I told him that I wanted to come home, and he said, "You are home, Bell." (He calls me Christi Bell.) "You'll be ok." It turns out going to school, being married and working wasn't all that fun, nor easy. Yet, there we were doing it, and my daddy wouldn't let me come home because I was at home, in our 800 square foot apartment with all hand-me-down furniture. Never fear, we had a twelve piece place setting of our Noritake China and Oneida Silver flatware. Our off brand peanut butter and jelly sandwiches tasted amazing on our china. 

We moved approximately 58 times. School finally came to an end, and those years ended up being some of the best years of our lives (and some of the hardest years)! I'm really thankful my Dad didn't let me move home. I wonder if he had to hold my mom down from coming to get me? 

Lee got a real job soon after graduation, and we could now eat Jif peanut butter and Smucker's Jelly sandwiches. It was time ... to have a Cave-ling! I left some things out here because honestly when God sends a burning bush and we both ignore it, we just don't like to talk about it much. But here's the bare minimum of the story. I got pregnant. Lee was offered a job in Memphis, TN. God sent signs up until the day we left that we were not supposed to go to Memphis. Needless to say, we made it back to the South, with a precious baby, and it was all God. We give God the glory for getting us back to Hattiesburg and back on His track. He let us follow our own ideas, and I imagine that He giggled and said, "This is not what I have planned for you." And sent us back south, and we are so thankful He did. Moving on...

Tatum Reid Cave came along in 1997 in a fairly normal fashion after a relatively normal pregnancy. To us, he was most definitely the only pregnancy that ever happened. He was the only delivery that ever happened. He was for sure the most perfect baby! You get the point! 

In 2000, Campbell Evans Cave came along. NOTHING about this pregnancy was normal. And I think this is where we need to begin our journey.  

It was early April of 2000. I was about five-ish months along. If my memory serves me correctly, we were having a garage sale. I wasn't helping much. But I doubt that had anything to do with my pregnancy and more to do with my distain of garage sales. Lee Cave and Darcie, and whoever was helping, sent me to take a nap at one point, and I was happy to oblige. I know you all remember the classic song "Pour Some Sugar on Me" apparently someone did that and put some quick rise yeast on me. Hey, work with me here, I'll get to the point and you'll understand. Don't stop reading now! 

I woke up from my nap and I had doubled in size! Lee Cave was seeing this before I was seeing this. My face started as the size of a dinner plate but now it was more like a serving platter. My big blue eyes were presenting as plump lines. But my lips looked GOOD! I don't know why everyone didn't want me to keep saying that, but they said, "Hush, this is serious." I did see those sausage fingers loud and clear! They were so plump they were shiny!

Lee Cave called our trusty friend and OB-GYN. Let's just call him Dr. Johnny Boy. You know, even as friends that HIPPA was getting on my nerves. I was in there admiring my new lips and Johnny Boy insisted on talking to me. He told me to put shoes on and go straight to the hospital. I asked if I could take a shower, and do you know that he YELLED at me?! Ok, maybe he didn't yell, and if you know him at all you know he didn't yell. But I had things to do! Still, he said, "No ma'am!" 

A plethora of people came to care for two year old Tatum as Lee and I headed to the Forrest General Hospital. I told Tatum that we wouldn't be gone long, and I would see him for dinner. 

When we arrived at FGH, I was taken to L&D, and within minutes I was hooked up to this and that and that and this. And because Dr. Johnny Boy is a friend, he stopped by after all of the labs got done and he told me that I would, in fact, not be going home until the baby was delivered. Hello Pregnancy Induced Hypertension

"WAIT! Pardon me!? I have a 2 year old at home. I used to like you! I want a second opinion! I'm sure that I will be fine tomorrow! I'll drink more water! I will lay on the couch at home! This is not right, I have too long to go! Nope.... not going to happen....!" 

That was DAY 1. 

I was moved to a room on the Postpartum floor. In the middle of that night I called Lee Cave crying and told him to come get me. I was NOT staying out there. I probably called every friend, too. And can you believe that they were all on the same page!? Traitors! They were trying to comfort me by telling me the plans. No one asked ME! 

Our lives were a mess during this time. Lee would work during the day. Just because I was on bed rest at the hospital didn't mean he could just stop his life! But then... What about Tatum? 

Sometimes my parents would get him, and sometimes they would keep him over night to give Lee a break. On the days they could help, they would come to visit me at the hospital. On the days they couldn't have Tatum, he would go to Mother's Day Out at church. And if that couldn't happen, friends had him over for play dates! But, of course, Mimi and Papaw had him the very most! 

After work, Lee would pick Tatum up from one location or the other, and they would come visit me. Tatum would get a bath at the hospital, and Lee would take him home for bed and do it all over again the next day! 

But of course, there were hiccups. Like the time he was dropped off for Mother's Day out, only  . . . there was no Mother's day out that day. So he joined in on the staff meeting and my friend Darcie picked him up. He spent the afternoon with her at the salon where she kept the books! 

There was also the time he was forgotten at Mother's Day Out. But of course he didn't care because he hung out with Jeff Powell all afternoon, took a nap in his office, and got exactly what he wanted from the vending machine. 

Like I said, our lives were a mess. But God and family and friends helped us every step of the way!  

My biggest worry was Tatum (and unborn Campbell) for 47,  FORTY SEVEN DAYS! Let's take a moment to remember that we did not have cell phones. I couldn't check on Tatum when I wanted to and no one could send me a picture of him. I just watched the door open to my room, and when it was him, I would be so excited! I missed him so much! 

Also let's just take a moment and remember that there were no laptop computers. No Smart TVs so no Netflix or Disney+. No DoorDash. No delivery of anything. In fact, I had just gotten my acrylic nails filled a few days before being admitted, and my Dad and Lee worked really hard to find someone that would go to FGH to fill my nails. No one would do it. My feelings were hurt. When Campbell was finally born, those nails were rocking, I tell ya! But just take a moment to imagine what it would be like to sit in PostPartum for that long without what we have today. I didn't even know what we would have, but OUCH! 

While there for the 47 days, everyone set up my room perfectly. I feel like they needed hire a moving company when I went home. I had rugs, I had my own quilts, I had a nifty VCR, I had art work from Tatum on my wall. I had cross stitch. I had tons of food. I had tons of gifts. It was a stunning room. It screamed Christi Cave.  

In that stunning room, I was well taken care of and have always been thankful. The ladies that came in during the wee hours of the morning to ensure my labs would be done by the time the doctor rounded, were the best except in one area. 

I had to get out of the bed and potty and weigh for them around 3:00 am. They were a team, and they worked together to get the job done. However, when I stood on that big bulky scale and one lady yelled to the other lady - "PLUS 10" or 'PLUS 15" in the quiet of the night I didn't really appreciate that. It took me about two weeks until I said, "Hey, y'all listen, surprise me with that number from here on out. I like surprises." Can you even imagine hearing how much weight you've gained in a 24 hour period yelled out to put in your records, in the wee hours of the morning? I knew it was from fluid but who stinking cared? ME! That's who cared!!! They laughed like I had just told the best joke ever. Joke or not, no one ever yelled "plus 45" ever again and for that, I was thankful! 

While in the hospital, I could "get up" for 10 minutes a day. I could choose between a shower or a ride in the wheelchair to look out another window of FGH. I'm sure you won't be surprise to know that I worked it so I could get a shower and roll to the window, because I reasoned that the wheelchair was just like sitting in my bed. Right? So, Lee and I had some "date nights" going to look out the window that looks over the cross walk and intersection at Hattiesburg Clinic. 

I was always so happy to see people still scurrying around in the world, but I also cried a little because people were still scurrying around and there I sat. But, I had precious cargo to keep alive, even though keeping his placenta inside of me was slowly shutting me down, it was clearly worth it to get our Campbell Cave! But since he is here, and 22 years have passed, can we just acknowledge how he's been a challenge from the beginning? I mean, I had to choose a shower or looking out a different window because of him. Obviously, I bargained with them but from day one y'all. Day ONE! We should have known. 

I had the same schedule pretty much for all 47 days with the exception of a non stress test thrown in there every 2-3 days and that was a big time! I got to go to Labor and Delivery and see other people and hear Campbell's heartbeat. But glory, if someone called while I was out of my room... remember old fashioned phones! No answering machine! By the time I got back, there might be 15 people in my room making sure that I had not birthed the child! The panic that not answering a phone caused! I wonder why they didn't get me an answering machine? 

In that room, games were played, food was eaten, tears were shed. More food was eaten, lots more tears were shed, many many prayers were prayed. A baby shower was given and more games were played. There were so many visitors, and we broke many many rules. But heads looked the other way, and I'll never forget! 

Then DAY 47 came... Dr. Johnny Boy came in and said, "Labs are back. Today is the day..." 

I have to stop here. Some of you know the next part. Many of you don't. God kept the surprises coming with this one. You don't want to miss it! 

Thanks for stopping by! 

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