You were born on 2/5/2014, 2 whole weeks ago, and I wanted to write down more of the birth experience while it's still fresh in my mind. Time flies so fast...
When I wrote last, I'd just been admitted the day before to the hospital. That was January 25th. On that day there was an ultrasound and a speculum exam to make sure you were doing OK (they said you weighed 4 lbs 9 oz) and that labor wasn't starting. Drs Boyd (who delivered you) and Dr. Acuna (who I went to high school with) were on call that day. I was so glad to have familiar faces.
I spent the next 1 1/2 weeks on hospital bed rest taking antibiotics, having my vital signs checked every 4 hours to make sure I didn't have an infection that would require you to be delivered, and having a non stress test two times a day to monitor your heartbeat and for any contractions. I loved hearing your heartbeat on that monitor. It was so reassuring to know you were still doing OK in there and I waited all day for that 20 minutes. We would hear you kick and hiccup on the monitor, too. I loved it. And you were easy to find... always right around my belly button. Pretty high for 33 weeks gestational age which just leads to the conclusion that you were comfy in there just like your brothers and sister were! Never any real contractions either. You were just content to hang out.
There were also twice weekly (M and Th) trips to the Maternal Fetal Medicine group (ROC) for ultrasounds to cheek your biophysical profile. At those ultrasounds they checked for fluid levels, movement, heart rate, and fetal breathing movements. Then the non stress test was the fifth part of the BPP. Since my fluid levels were low after my water broke, the best you could score was an 8/10 (I just realized I'm not sure why it's on a 10 point scale but I guess I won't get to ask that question!). We went to the ROC three times and the first two times the ultrasound tech waited and waited for you to do the breathing movements. The last time, the tech wasn't very patient and she kept using this buzzer thing to try to get you to do the breathing movements. After 25 minutes, your time was up and the doctor came in and pronounced that, with a good non stress test, the best score you could get on the BPP that day was 6/10... marginal. So, I was wheeled to Labor and Delivery (one floor down from where I'd been staying in the antepartum room for bed rest). All I wanted was to make sure you were OK and, honestly, to take a shower. They were going to monitor you but they had to wait 8 hours from when I'd eaten to deliver so I figured I could shower sometime in there, right? :)
As it ended up, Dr Gutavitz came in about two hours later and said your non stress test looked fine and that there was no reason to deliver that day. But that we would be scheduled for two days later at noon with Dr. Boyd. And we went back to the antepartum room (room 301) to wait.
So, two days later I was put on no food at 4am (my last meal before you were born was two bowls of honey nut cheerios). Then I got an IV at the same time... at 4am. Around 10am, the nurse came to give me the medicine to prevent nausea and we went back to labor and delivery to wait for anesthesia and for Dr. Boyd. Your dad, grandma, Aunt Darci, and brothers and sister were with us. Funny, while we were waiting, there was someone who came to the desk outside the room singing songs about hand washing (These Hands are Made for Washing?).
Around 12:30, the nurse came to walk me back to the OR. I got up on the table and bent forward for the CRNA to do the spinal anesthesia. I have to say that this time was the easiest of all of them because my belly was smaller due to low fluid. Still, my least favorite part. Then they laid me back and got everything ready for the surgery. I got nauseous from my blood pressure dropping, like every time I've had a C section, but the CRNA (David) gave me something to make me feel better pretty quickly. Your dad came in and sat next to my head while Dr. Boyd delivered you. As soon as you were out, you cried. He lifted you over the drape so I could see you and then the nurses took you to clean you off, do your footprints, clip the umbilical cord, and check you out. You were doing fine so they wrapped you up and let your dad bring you over to me. You were so small and so amazing! Hands down one of the top moments of my life to meet you for the first time. I got to nuzzle you some and give you some kisses but, too soon, they took you to the NICU. Dr. Boyd finished the surgery (which seemed like it took forever compared to the others because there wasn't a baby there to distract me!) and then the nurses moved me to the bed for recovery and rolled me to that room to be monitored for an hour. Darci, Grandma, Carson, Daddy, Reed, Owen, Grant... they all visited me in recovery. The NICU doctor came in and told me you were doing well and on an IV for fluids and antibiotics and a nasal cannula for oxygen. I got to see you via FaceTime on the phone but mostly I just sat and waited until I could be taken back to the 3rd floor.
On the way back to the 3rd floor, I started to get nauseous but recovered pretty quickly. The nurses moved me over to the bed in room 310 and then I had to wait. I wasn't allowed to come see you until I could move from the bed to the wheelchair (which happened later that evening).
Your dad will have to write down what was going on while I was waiting to see you again and I'll write another post about meeting you for the first time and your time in the NICU. I also need to write a post about that week and a half in the hospital and how much people took care of us. It was amazing.
I love you so much.
