Saturday night, March 2 we had dinner at our favorite restaurant with Todd"s Stepdad and Godmother. We arrived at home around 9pm. The girls got a bath and then went to bed.
It was around 11pm when I told Todd that I just did not feel well. I was having contractions-but they didn't hurt-so I figured they were Braxton Hicks. I have said all along-that Amelia was going to be my labor baby and come when she was ready (she has had a very fiery spirit since day 1)
Around 1 we downloaded a contraction timing app and started timing them. At first they were irregular 8-10 minutes lasting about 30 seconds each. Finally, around 2am they were 6 minutes apart and 59seconds to 1 minute apart. I got up to use the bathroom and as I walked back to the bed a constant trickle was running down my leg. I told Todd I wasn't sure, but I think my water was breaking...slowly. (because the big gush would have just been too made for tv movieish)
At 3am-with contractions now 5minutes apart lasting over a minute and very strong-I decided to call my mom (who was 40 minutes away) and ask her to come over so we could go to the hospital and get checked out. I wasn't in pain, but it was very uncomfortable and I just did not feel good.
She arrived 30 minutes later (Lord knows how fast she was driving) and we headed to the hospital. Our drive is usually 20 minutes but in Broadus drama fashion-we had to run into a police chase-a wreck-and make every red light.
By the time we checked in at 4:45am, I was uncomfortable-yet still...no pain. The nurse did all the paper work, asked a gizillion questions, and finally around 6:15 checked me...1 cm. Really? (I was for sure thinking at this point, we were going to be 9 and I was going to have a natural delivery) They did start an IV (a whole other blog post about how it took 4 tries and a lot of digging to finally get that) of fluid-just in case. Then they left us to rest-around 9:45 the on call doctor (whom I had never met and was not in my doctor's practice) came in and gave the long speech about how if I haven't progressed anymore then they would send me home and go from there.
I assured her I was okay with that-but I needed to know why I didn't feel good-I needed Amelia to be checked out-just in case.
She checked me and sure enough-progression. She said, well okay-we are having a baby today. The nurses cheered, Todd cheered. And at this point-My mind goes into a blur.
From 10:00 am-10:20am there were a lot of people in and out of the room. At one point I noticed a familiar face-Cathy-my nurse from my horrible labor/delivery of Madyson walked in. We bonded that day-almost 7 years ago. And I was relieved to see her. Todd got suited up for surgery-They hooked all sorts of things up to me. I remember the anesthesiologist (whom I fell in love with according to all) coming in and getting the run down of my history. Then at 10:30 they wheeled me back to the operating room.
This is usually the scariest time for me. 1) I am alone because Todd isn't allowed back there until I am ready to be opened. 2)everyone has one mask and I can't see who is who. 3) it is cold.
But this time, it was like a slow motion movie. I took in account the scrub techs 1 looked like Ma from golden girls. The other had on colored eyeshadow and deep brown eyes. Cathy was there, along with my other nurse (still don't know her name) and the anesthesiologist. I do not remember the spinal block at all. I was too busy focusing on the scrub techs and nurses counting all the supplies. I don't remember getting moved from bed to bed. But I do remember my legs going numb. Crazy feeling.
I remember asking for Todd to get here. and Cathy getting on the phone, calling the room and him coming in. The doctor that I had never met and who looked like Barbie came in. And all I could think about is how Dr. Barbie was delivering my baby and how much I loved the anesthesiologist. Todd came in and sat beside me. He was talking and rubbing my head and I couldn't talk. My oxygen mask was muffling the sounds of my voice and he kept saying "HUH?" So finally I told him to hush. The anesthesiologist stayed in my face the whole time. He was updating me on what was going on and I was telling him how much I could feel. In the past the whole stretching of skin and such isn't painful-this time it was very uncomfortable.
He dropped the curtain and there in my face was this TINY little baby. The doctor said, "how big did you think she was going to be?" I remember clearly saying 6lbs.
Then I laid down and it felt like I was having a heart attack. The pressure on my sternum was crazy. I told the anesthesiologist this and he adjust medicines and it felt better. I don't remember seeing Amelia again. I don't remember Todd taking her out. I don't remember leaving surgery.
My next memory I was being wheeled back into my room and people were in there. The only people I remember seeing is 1) Todd. 2) a very concerned nurse and 3) Aubrie Kate. She was explaining how nasty Amelia's belly button was.
I remember wanting to hold her so bad. The nurse and Todd were talking and he was taking pictures.
I don't remember how I got to hold her-but I remember it was only for a few minutes. A practitioner had come and determined Amelia needed the NICU because of her breathing.
this was my baby-she was fine. She was little but so was I. She needed mommy-not the NICU, I kept telling them.
I remember them taking her away and that was it. Apparently, I sat and had conversations with family members. I had a bad case of the shakes and my eyelids and chin itched like hell.
Over the next few hours-I remember nothing.
It wasn't until around 7pm when I came too. I was in a different room. Todd was there and my nurse was the lovely April who had taken care of me after my surgery with Aubrie Kate. I don't remember many conversations we had. I am sure Todd explained everything to me. He had even been down to take pictures for me.
Not exactly the first images you want to see of the child you have prayed and waited on for over 4 years.
I needed to see my baby.. I asked April what I could do to get down there. And she said 12 hours after surgery I could get up-that would be 10:50. So at 10:30pm she came in and took out my catheter and my IV line and all the other contraptions I was hooked up on and I got out of the bed and walked down to the wheelchair. She took me down tot he NICU and we scrubbed in. Amelia was in this tiny, little, dark room (#15) by herself. She was in the incubator all hooked up with numbers flashing and beeps and cords everywhere. I stood up and just cried. I could stick my hands into the little holes but that was it. She was just laying there-working hard to breath. And I was on the outside-with no way to help her. THE. WORST. FEELING.
I prayed and cried and prayed and cried and really prayed. About an hour and a half after standing over her bed-her NICU nurse, Becca walked in and said she had talked to the dr. and we could try taking her off the machines so I could hold her.
Becca unhooked everything and swaddled her up. She pulled in a chair for me and I sat there for 2 hours holding my sweet baby. As as talked and prayed her little self calmed down. Her numbers were right where they were suppose to be and she was showing major signs of improvement. I left the NICU around 2:45am. When I got back to the room I had to pump to get food down to little miss-who was still not back on her machines! (she had a feeding line in and being so small-I didn't want to attempt breastfeeding and making her have to work hard) After dinner was "served" I attempted to go to sleep with every staff member coming in and out, checking vitals, blood work,e tc.
Around 7am-Todd got up and went down to see her. She was doing amazing and would be up to our room once the doctor made rounds.
I had breakfast (BLAH) and then walked down to the NICU to see her and meet MS. Jo, her daytime nurse. She needed to eat-so I fed her and held her til the doctor came in. He released her and I rushed back to the shower!
Amelia was "checken In" to the well-baby nursery. Then she was brought straight to me.
We left room 3305 on Tuesday at 1pm. Just a little over 48 hours after labor, surgery, NICU and all that jazz.
It was around 11pm when I told Todd that I just did not feel well. I was having contractions-but they didn't hurt-so I figured they were Braxton Hicks. I have said all along-that Amelia was going to be my labor baby and come when she was ready (she has had a very fiery spirit since day 1)
Around 1 we downloaded a contraction timing app and started timing them. At first they were irregular 8-10 minutes lasting about 30 seconds each. Finally, around 2am they were 6 minutes apart and 59seconds to 1 minute apart. I got up to use the bathroom and as I walked back to the bed a constant trickle was running down my leg. I told Todd I wasn't sure, but I think my water was breaking...slowly. (because the big gush would have just been too made for tv movieish)
At 3am-with contractions now 5minutes apart lasting over a minute and very strong-I decided to call my mom (who was 40 minutes away) and ask her to come over so we could go to the hospital and get checked out. I wasn't in pain, but it was very uncomfortable and I just did not feel good.
She arrived 30 minutes later (Lord knows how fast she was driving) and we headed to the hospital. Our drive is usually 20 minutes but in Broadus drama fashion-we had to run into a police chase-a wreck-and make every red light.
By the time we checked in at 4:45am, I was uncomfortable-yet still...no pain. The nurse did all the paper work, asked a gizillion questions, and finally around 6:15 checked me...1 cm. Really? (I was for sure thinking at this point, we were going to be 9 and I was going to have a natural delivery) They did start an IV (a whole other blog post about how it took 4 tries and a lot of digging to finally get that) of fluid-just in case. Then they left us to rest-around 9:45 the on call doctor (whom I had never met and was not in my doctor's practice) came in and gave the long speech about how if I haven't progressed anymore then they would send me home and go from there.
I assured her I was okay with that-but I needed to know why I didn't feel good-I needed Amelia to be checked out-just in case.
She checked me and sure enough-progression. She said, well okay-we are having a baby today. The nurses cheered, Todd cheered. And at this point-My mind goes into a blur.
From 10:00 am-10:20am there were a lot of people in and out of the room. At one point I noticed a familiar face-Cathy-my nurse from my horrible labor/delivery of Madyson walked in. We bonded that day-almost 7 years ago. And I was relieved to see her. Todd got suited up for surgery-They hooked all sorts of things up to me. I remember the anesthesiologist (whom I fell in love with according to all) coming in and getting the run down of my history. Then at 10:30 they wheeled me back to the operating room.
This is usually the scariest time for me. 1) I am alone because Todd isn't allowed back there until I am ready to be opened. 2)everyone has one mask and I can't see who is who. 3) it is cold.
But this time, it was like a slow motion movie. I took in account the scrub techs 1 looked like Ma from golden girls. The other had on colored eyeshadow and deep brown eyes. Cathy was there, along with my other nurse (still don't know her name) and the anesthesiologist. I do not remember the spinal block at all. I was too busy focusing on the scrub techs and nurses counting all the supplies. I don't remember getting moved from bed to bed. But I do remember my legs going numb. Crazy feeling.
I remember asking for Todd to get here. and Cathy getting on the phone, calling the room and him coming in. The doctor that I had never met and who looked like Barbie came in. And all I could think about is how Dr. Barbie was delivering my baby and how much I loved the anesthesiologist. Todd came in and sat beside me. He was talking and rubbing my head and I couldn't talk. My oxygen mask was muffling the sounds of my voice and he kept saying "HUH?" So finally I told him to hush. The anesthesiologist stayed in my face the whole time. He was updating me on what was going on and I was telling him how much I could feel. In the past the whole stretching of skin and such isn't painful-this time it was very uncomfortable.
He dropped the curtain and there in my face was this TINY little baby. The doctor said, "how big did you think she was going to be?" I remember clearly saying 6lbs.
Then I laid down and it felt like I was having a heart attack. The pressure on my sternum was crazy. I told the anesthesiologist this and he adjust medicines and it felt better. I don't remember seeing Amelia again. I don't remember Todd taking her out. I don't remember leaving surgery.
My next memory I was being wheeled back into my room and people were in there. The only people I remember seeing is 1) Todd. 2) a very concerned nurse and 3) Aubrie Kate. She was explaining how nasty Amelia's belly button was.
I remember wanting to hold her so bad. The nurse and Todd were talking and he was taking pictures.
I don't remember how I got to hold her-but I remember it was only for a few minutes. A practitioner had come and determined Amelia needed the NICU because of her breathing.
I remember them taking her away and that was it. Apparently, I sat and had conversations with family members. I had a bad case of the shakes and my eyelids and chin itched like hell.
Over the next few hours-I remember nothing.
It wasn't until around 7pm when I came too. I was in a different room. Todd was there and my nurse was the lovely April who had taken care of me after my surgery with Aubrie Kate. I don't remember many conversations we had. I am sure Todd explained everything to me. He had even been down to take pictures for me.
Not exactly the first images you want to see of the child you have prayed and waited on for over 4 years.
I needed to see my baby.. I asked April what I could do to get down there. And she said 12 hours after surgery I could get up-that would be 10:50. So at 10:30pm she came in and took out my catheter and my IV line and all the other contraptions I was hooked up on and I got out of the bed and walked down to the wheelchair. She took me down tot he NICU and we scrubbed in. Amelia was in this tiny, little, dark room (#15) by herself. She was in the incubator all hooked up with numbers flashing and beeps and cords everywhere. I stood up and just cried. I could stick my hands into the little holes but that was it. She was just laying there-working hard to breath. And I was on the outside-with no way to help her. THE. WORST. FEELING.
I prayed and cried and prayed and cried and really prayed. About an hour and a half after standing over her bed-her NICU nurse, Becca walked in and said she had talked to the dr. and we could try taking her off the machines so I could hold her.
Becca unhooked everything and swaddled her up. She pulled in a chair for me and I sat there for 2 hours holding my sweet baby. As as talked and prayed her little self calmed down. Her numbers were right where they were suppose to be and she was showing major signs of improvement. I left the NICU around 2:45am. When I got back to the room I had to pump to get food down to little miss-who was still not back on her machines! (she had a feeding line in and being so small-I didn't want to attempt breastfeeding and making her have to work hard) After dinner was "served" I attempted to go to sleep with every staff member coming in and out, checking vitals, blood work,e tc.
Around 7am-Todd got up and went down to see her. She was doing amazing and would be up to our room once the doctor made rounds.
I had breakfast (BLAH) and then walked down to the NICU to see her and meet MS. Jo, her daytime nurse. She needed to eat-so I fed her and held her til the doctor came in. He released her and I rushed back to the shower!
Amelia was "checken In" to the well-baby nursery. Then she was brought straight to me.
It's been a week today-that we have been home with Miss Mia (still working on what we are going to call her) and it has been heavenly.
I have healed wonderfully. I have til Sunday then I can drive and take a bath again. Then 4 more weeks til a normal routine.
We have had to go back to the hospital 3x for weight checks. I can say she is on the up and up and getting every oz back she had lost after birth.
We are so excited and so blessed that God has given us our sweet baby #3. Thank you all so much for praying with us over the past few years for her. We never imagined it would have happened this way but we are grateful that it has.
aka Baby #3
Born 3/3/13
5lbs 13oz
19 3/4 inches long
(click her name for video)
What a crazy experience, but glad to hear everyone is doing well. She is beautiful. I love her name. Take it easy and enjoy every moment with all your little ones.
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