Happy BIRTHday, Little One
December 23 doc had just set (and reset) the date for Baby Girl's arrival January 1. Shortly after they began monitoring.
Like I often did, I sat back and watched the paper roll out of the machine. It made a strangely soothing noise (when it wasn't jammed). It was a tick tick tick with a slight sound of paper rolling to the floor.
I also watched because it was I found it fascinating to see baby's heart rate right there in black and white. It also charted any contractions I might be having. We saw that in action the week before.
Today was different though. There was A LOT of activity. I was seeing spikes or mountains almost constantly. But what I wasn't seeing were "hills" which were how contractions looked on the tape. I've said before that monitoring picked up every movement of mine. Every Cough, sneeze, giggle would show. Seeing that much activity made me do my best to stay still. However, the activity was still thru the roof.
This went on for a time when my nurse came in and asked if I was feeling contractions. I said no to which she replied, "well you're having them every six minutes". WHAT?!? I almost didn't believe her. So I sat as still as possible. Still nothing.
I knew when my doc came in with an entourage that it was for more than a friendly hello. He finally said those words that we'd been patiently impatiently waiting for: "We're having a baby"!
I had just called my husband less than five minutes before to let him know about the contractions. He had asked if he should head my direction. (It was a 40 minute drive). I had said I didn't think he needed to. At that moment, I thought they may try to stop them again. Now I was on the phone again telling him that Baby Girl is coming. He said he was on his way but he wasn't going be there before I had her. I said it was ok we'd be there when he got there.
Suddenly my room was a flutter of activity. Nurses, doctors, an an anesthesiologist or two all working in sync trying to get us prepped and to the O.R.
I was shaking uncontrollably which by no means helped with getting a second IV in. (They actually didn't put it in until I was under in O.R.). That shaking was just my body's response to all of this. I did it the three times before and I was doing it again. I was also trying to not freak out and cry. So, I did what comes so naturally. I joked.
Finally, they were done with all their prep and my nurse and I walked to the operating room. It was just me, my IV pole and my favorite nurse, Caroline.
Side note: I often wonder if she was holding my gown shut as we walked down this very public hallway. I'm sure she did. But at that moment, my last concern was people's view
We entered O.R and there in front of me was the big, shiny stainless steel table. My doctor was off to the side and told me to climb on up. This was quite the feet. The table was about chest high on me. The stool they give you is about six inches tall (maybe)
But I climbed up and made myself as comfortable as possible. I was a wreck on the inside with a million thoughts and emotions flooding my mind. I was excited, of course to meet Baby Girl but the unknowns terrified me. Was she going to be ok? Was I going to be ok? All of our ultrasounds showed a healthy baby, but there could still be a thousand and one issues once she actually arrived. They had done their best to prepare us. But really, can one truly be prepared for that?
And then there was me. That was way down the list of concerns at that point, but it was there. Of course, there were the thoughts of recovery after my c-section and all the fun stuff that goes with that. But there also quite a few unknowns with me as well. There was a huge risk of hemorrhaging. There was also a chance that they would have to do a hysterectomy. All things we wouldn't and couldn't know until this very moment. And as crazy as it sounds, it terrified me to be awake thru this whole ordeal. So when they decided to knock me out, I could've high-fived someone. If my right arm wasn't attached to an IV pole and my left strapped to a board awaiting a second IV.
We were just minutes from Baby Girl arriving.
The nurse, you know the one that talks you thru everything, was talking ever so calmly to me and ready to give me play by play to what was about to unfold. I told her I didn't want to know details. I am not one who wants to know all the nitty gritty.
Suddenly, I heard one nurse say to the other "don't forget to turn on the anesthetic machine". I said jokingly, "please don't forget that" and then I burst into tears. My nurse reassured me that they don't forget such things. I then closed my eyes and continued to pray.
The next thing I remember is waking up in my room, good ol' 240 where I had spent the last few weeks. Art and Drake were both there. They had been able to get some great pictures, but were unable to hold her yet. Art said everything had gone well for both of us. She was doing great and had even tried to "run" from doc. This left a couple little bruises on her legs because he had to chase after her.
I know I was back in my room by 1pm and I have no recollection of ever being in recovery although they said I was.
Every time I used the pain button I would instantly shake uncontrollably from head to toe. I don't know if that was a reaction to the morphine or the anesthetic or a combination of both. Even my teeth would chatter. It was quite amusing.
We did make it down to NICU that day. Navigating the halls in a wheelchair while still attached to an IV was interesting. Once inside, we had to scrub. Just getting up and out of the chair was challenging. I was weak from surgery. But that was magnified by my time spent on bed rest. We made our way thru the second set of doors, turned the corner and there she was. Our little Miss Arden.
I don't remember much from that first day. I couldn't even give you an accurate time line other than we welcomed Arden Emary Fader into this world at 11:38am. She weighed a whopping 4lbs, 1oz and was 17" long. She was perfect. She required no medication and no IV. She was breathing beautifully on her own.
“Now unto him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us,”
Ephesians 3:20 KJV
Like I often did, I sat back and watched the paper roll out of the machine. It made a strangely soothing noise (when it wasn't jammed). It was a tick tick tick with a slight sound of paper rolling to the floor.
I also watched because it was I found it fascinating to see baby's heart rate right there in black and white. It also charted any contractions I might be having. We saw that in action the week before.
Today was different though. There was A LOT of activity. I was seeing spikes or mountains almost constantly. But what I wasn't seeing were "hills" which were how contractions looked on the tape. I've said before that monitoring picked up every movement of mine. Every Cough, sneeze, giggle would show. Seeing that much activity made me do my best to stay still. However, the activity was still thru the roof.
This went on for a time when my nurse came in and asked if I was feeling contractions. I said no to which she replied, "well you're having them every six minutes". WHAT?!? I almost didn't believe her. So I sat as still as possible. Still nothing.
I knew when my doc came in with an entourage that it was for more than a friendly hello. He finally said those words that we'd been patiently impatiently waiting for: "We're having a baby"!
I had just called my husband less than five minutes before to let him know about the contractions. He had asked if he should head my direction. (It was a 40 minute drive). I had said I didn't think he needed to. At that moment, I thought they may try to stop them again. Now I was on the phone again telling him that Baby Girl is coming. He said he was on his way but he wasn't going be there before I had her. I said it was ok we'd be there when he got there.
Suddenly my room was a flutter of activity. Nurses, doctors, an an anesthesiologist or two all working in sync trying to get us prepped and to the O.R.
I was shaking uncontrollably which by no means helped with getting a second IV in. (They actually didn't put it in until I was under in O.R.). That shaking was just my body's response to all of this. I did it the three times before and I was doing it again. I was also trying to not freak out and cry. So, I did what comes so naturally. I joked.
Finally, they were done with all their prep and my nurse and I walked to the operating room. It was just me, my IV pole and my favorite nurse, Caroline.
Side note: I often wonder if she was holding my gown shut as we walked down this very public hallway. I'm sure she did. But at that moment, my last concern was people's view
We entered O.R and there in front of me was the big, shiny stainless steel table. My doctor was off to the side and told me to climb on up. This was quite the feet. The table was about chest high on me. The stool they give you is about six inches tall (maybe)
But I climbed up and made myself as comfortable as possible. I was a wreck on the inside with a million thoughts and emotions flooding my mind. I was excited, of course to meet Baby Girl but the unknowns terrified me. Was she going to be ok? Was I going to be ok? All of our ultrasounds showed a healthy baby, but there could still be a thousand and one issues once she actually arrived. They had done their best to prepare us. But really, can one truly be prepared for that?
And then there was me. That was way down the list of concerns at that point, but it was there. Of course, there were the thoughts of recovery after my c-section and all the fun stuff that goes with that. But there also quite a few unknowns with me as well. There was a huge risk of hemorrhaging. There was also a chance that they would have to do a hysterectomy. All things we wouldn't and couldn't know until this very moment. And as crazy as it sounds, it terrified me to be awake thru this whole ordeal. So when they decided to knock me out, I could've high-fived someone. If my right arm wasn't attached to an IV pole and my left strapped to a board awaiting a second IV.
We were just minutes from Baby Girl arriving.
The nurse, you know the one that talks you thru everything, was talking ever so calmly to me and ready to give me play by play to what was about to unfold. I told her I didn't want to know details. I am not one who wants to know all the nitty gritty.
Suddenly, I heard one nurse say to the other "don't forget to turn on the anesthetic machine". I said jokingly, "please don't forget that" and then I burst into tears. My nurse reassured me that they don't forget such things. I then closed my eyes and continued to pray.
The next thing I remember is waking up in my room, good ol' 240 where I had spent the last few weeks. Art and Drake were both there. They had been able to get some great pictures, but were unable to hold her yet. Art said everything had gone well for both of us. She was doing great and had even tried to "run" from doc. This left a couple little bruises on her legs because he had to chase after her.
I know I was back in my room by 1pm and I have no recollection of ever being in recovery although they said I was.
Every time I used the pain button I would instantly shake uncontrollably from head to toe. I don't know if that was a reaction to the morphine or the anesthetic or a combination of both. Even my teeth would chatter. It was quite amusing.
We did make it down to NICU that day. Navigating the halls in a wheelchair while still attached to an IV was interesting. Once inside, we had to scrub. Just getting up and out of the chair was challenging. I was weak from surgery. But that was magnified by my time spent on bed rest. We made our way thru the second set of doors, turned the corner and there she was. Our little Miss Arden.
I don't remember much from that first day. I couldn't even give you an accurate time line other than we welcomed Arden Emary Fader into this world at 11:38am. She weighed a whopping 4lbs, 1oz and was 17" long. She was perfect. She required no medication and no IV. She was breathing beautifully on her own.
“Now unto him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us,”
Ephesians 3:20 KJV