It's Go Time!

Sunday, August 22, 2010

Dear Stella Rose,

It was 3:25am once mama and papa arrived at the hospital.  Papa got mama a wheelchair and had mama wait in the lobby for papa to park the car.  He was actually faster than the free valet service.  And up to the 4th floor they went.

They checked into Triage and mama got changed into her gown, while they waited for a nurse to get everything started.

Mama's last picture pregnant with you.

Papa wore his Ryan Adams "Electric Rose" shirt in honor of your middle name :)

The nurse put you on the monitor, and it was such a relief again to hear your heart beating.  Mama had to answer some questions, and her nurse checked to see how far dilated her cervix was.  Just since 2:30, mama's new found labor contractions had changed her cervix from 0 to 4, almost 5 cm!

The nurse also couldn't tell if you were still breech or not.  She could tell something was down there but she couldn't tell for sure if it was your butt or not.  They were just going to have to wait until the doctor came in with the ultrasound machine to be able to tell for sure.

Some of the nurses from the 5th floor had heard that mama had come in to deliver, and they came downstairs to say hi.  They also said that they were getting mama's same room ready for after the surgery!  You guys wouldn't have to stay on the 4th floor after all!  Mama was happy that she would get to be on the 5th floor again where most of the nurses she had gotten to know would be.


In the meantime, mama's contractions were becoming stronger and more frequent.  The kind that you have to breathe through.  Papa was great at talking mama through each one and reminding her to breathe.

There was a bit of scare for a minute, because it sounded like you had a really big movement and your heart rate changed from normal to arhythmic.  Thankfully, it didn't last long, so the nurses were no longer concerned.  When the doc got there, the ultrasound revealed that you were definitely still butt down...so a c-section it still was!

The anesthesiologist had already been in to educate mama on what she would feel and what to be concerned about after getting the spinal injection.  Mama wasn't worried about anything because she was so excited that she would be holding you in her arms in just a matter of minutes!

The plan was for papa to head back to their room and wait until mama was all prepped for the surgery before he could come in to the operating room.  After mama got her IV and drank this "oh so yummy" liquid (sarcasm) which she forgot what it was for, papa packed himself like a pack mule with all their stuff and mama wheeled out on the bed up to the 5th floor.

Papa gave mama a kiss as he went to room 5212, and mama and her nurse continued down the hall to the operating room.  Mama felt a wave of excitement as the doors opened to the bright white sterile environment.  She was surprised how many people were in the operating room.  She thought there would only be one nurse and the doctor, but there were 5 nurses, the doctor and the anesthesiologist! 

Mama was transferred to the operating table, and it was now time for the anesthesia.  The two injections weren't that painful.  At least mama wasn't feeling those contractions anymore!  The doc tested to see if the injections had kicked in yet.  They had because apparently the doc pinched mama really hard and mama didn't even know it.  Mama definitely could tell the injections were working, because it felt like her legs were paralyzed.  It wasn't the most comfortable and mama started to feel like she was about to have an anxiety attack.  All she wanted to do was to be able to wiggle her toes and move her left leg over just an inch, but she couldn't.  Between that and wearing the oxygen tubes on her nose, she was starting to have feelings of claustrophobia.  She started to pray silently, for it was all she knew to do to help her anxiety go away. 

Finally, papa walked in the door in his gown, hair net and mask on, and he came and held mama's hand.  Papa and the anesthesiologist were a big help for mama's comfort, using a tissue to rub mama's face.  The anesthesiologist had warned mama that the medicine would cause her face to itch, and that it did...like crazy!  Mama kept wanting to scratch her face herself and rip the oxygen tubing away from her face, but she was supposed to keep her arms outstretched making a "t." 

They had draped below mama's waist so that she couldn't see anything, so papa took a few pictures.  It's probably a good thing that mama couldn't see or it probably would have made her anxious again!  The surgery started at about 5:30am, and you entered this world at 5:37am!

Mama was waiting to hear your cry to know that you were born, and she got nervous when papa told her that you were out but she didn't hear you cry.  There was nothing to be nervous about.  It just took you a little bit, and then you belted it out!

Your First Cry

You got put on the scale and weighed 6 pounds 15 ounces.  Everyone joked that you would've weighed 7 pounds, but you pooped on the doc on the way out!  Little stinker!

After you were weighed, you got put in the warmer as you got cleaned up.  They also had to check your blood sugar to make sure it wasn't too low, since mama was on insulin the whole third trimester.  Your blood sugar was perfect! 

Papa had waited patiently to hold you, and the time so greatly anticipated had finally come!  What a proud papa!

Mama had to wait even more patiently while the doc stitched her up before she could hold you.  It only took about 25 minutes and watching papa holding you made it go by in a blink of an eye.

Once everything was all done, mama got transferred from the operating table to her bed.  Then it was time to finally hold you in her arms.  This moment was so sureal!

Mama got to hold you in her arms as you both were wheeled back to your room.  This was the start of something truly amazing!

Love,
Mama & Papa

Your Water Broke!

Sunday, August 22, 2010

Dear Stella Rose,

Saturday night was one of the last nights for mama and papa to spend as just them, so they decided to stay up later than normal hanging out and talking since Sunday they would want to try and get to sleep early for the big day on Monday.  Your scheduled c-section was for Monday morning at 8:00am which meant they would have to be there at 6:00am.

By the time mama finally laid down to go to sleep, it was already 2:00am on Sunday morning.  You were officially 39 weeks!  Mama woke herself up at 2:30am talking in her sleep.  When she realized what she was saying was actually reality, it was like she was frozen in a trance, trying to figure out what was actually happening.  Mama's water had broken and she had been calling out to papa telling him her water had broke!

Papa was caught off guard, being that he was in the middle of sleeping, that all he said was, "Are you sure you didn't just wet the bed?"  Oh, mama wet the bed, all right!  But not that kind of wetting the bed!  Once they both realized what was happening, mama didn't know what emotion she should be feeling, because it seemed like a bunch of different ones all at once.

At first, mama felt like crying.  She wasn't prepared for this.  This wasn't the plan.  Her scheduled c-section was for Monday morning, not NOW!  It meant, Dr. K wouldn't be the one delivering you, it would be whoever was on call.  Mama hadn't packed the bag yet, because she was going to do it on Sunday!  Mama wanted to shower but she wasn't going to have time.  The 23rd was the date, not the 22nd.  Now she would have to come in on the 4th floor maternity section rather than on the 5th floor where everyone mama had gotten to know had been.  Negative.  Alll these thoughts.  Mama didn't know how to sort through them all.

Mama tried calling Dr. K's office to try and reach the on call number, but she was so anxious that she didn't listen to the prompts carefully.  Then she called the maternity floor at the hospital trying to figure out what to do, while at the same time it seemed like a waterfall was continuously flowing.  Mama was getting concerned as to how long they had until they needed to get to the hospital since she was losing so much fluid so fast.   The lady on the phone advised mama to call back the number to listen for the prompts to an on-call number.  She found the number to an answering service.  The person on the other end of that line called the on-call doctor who called mama back within 2 minutes.

Mama was full of anxiety at this point.  Papa looked at her and said, "Babe, don't worry about anything.  This is exciting!"  Although, this wasn't what was planned, neither was being on bed rest for 3 months!  Your fluid was expected to drop or mama's blood pressures were expected to sky rocket by 36 weeks and neither of those happened, either.  Why would they ever expect this to go as planned, too?!  And papa was right...this WAS exciting! This is normally the excitement you would expect to experience in the average pregnancy, so at least they weren't missing out!  Plus, mama and papa were going to get to meet you a day earlier than they thought!!

Mama's whole mind set changed in an instant.  After mama talked to the on-call doc, he advised them to come on in.  Something else ironic was that mama was just talking to one of her home healthcare nurses the other day about how she wasn't going to get to experience what a real contraction felt like, since mama was going to have a scheduled c-section probably before she ever had a labor contraction.  Boy, was mama wrong!  As soon as mama's water broke, there came the contractions!  They started at about 1 every 5-10 minutes to every 2 minutes, with the pain increasing ever so slightly!

Once mama and papa got packed, it was GO time!

On the way to the hospital.

To be continued...

Love,
Mama & Papa

Nesting

August 20, 2010

Dear Stella Rose,

When mama and papa got to come a home a couple weeks ago, Doc said it would be a good thing to be home and "nest."  Although there still seems to be a lot to do before your arrival, they have tried to get as much accomplished as possible.

Mama went through all of your many clothes, bibs and blankets, and Lola helped wash them all.  There is still quite a bit of organizing to do in your room and in the office turned storage room, but it will all get done eventually.

Papa had a good time putting together all of your gifts.  When he and Uncle Ben were little, they used to tell Papaw to read the "constructions" whenever he was trying to put something together.  So below is Papa following the "constructions" to put your cradle swing together!  (Thank Auntie Eree for this special package that came in the mail for you!)

Papa put together the bassinet and your travel system, too!

Mama thought she would never get around to it, but she finally got to start on your curtain for your nursery. Inevitably, the dining room has turned into a temporary sewing room!

It was mama's first sewing project on her own, and she really enjoyed it! She hopes you love it!  Here is the finished curtain...

There is still lots to do, and mama and papa can't believe this is the last weekend before you are here!  But they think they will just relax this weekend in anticipation of your arrival!  The countdown has already begun! 

Love,
Mama & Papa

38 Week Ultrasound

August 17, 2010

Dear Stella Rose,

Papa took time off work to take you and mama to the doc's office this morning for your last biophysical exam.  Of course you passed with an 8 out of 8 again!  Why wouldn't you?!  You definitely passed the movement portion of the exam right away.  Opening and closing your hands.  Yawning.  Too cute!  It even looked like you were making an "Okay" sign with your hand, like you were telling mama and papa that everything was A-okay!

Your fluid was even up to 14 and officially the highest it's ever been!  That's the 50th percentile!  Dr. K was very happy!  She said that she couldn't explain it, other than some things are just God's providence!  So very true.

Now it's only 5 more days until your much anticipated arrival!  Mama keeps staring at your cradle swing when she's down stairs and your bassinet when she is upstairs thinking, "There is going to be a baby laying in that in less than a week!"  It's getting so close, and mama and papa have never been more excited!

Love,
Mama & Papa

Prayer Blanket

August 14, 2010

Dear Stella Rose,

The other night Papa went to the Thursday night service at WRCC, and he came home with a gift for you and mama.  The elementary kids at church got to choose two people that they would like to make a prayer blanket for, and you and mama were one of the two recipients.

For every knot that was tied, each of the kids tying that knot had said a prayer for you and mama.  They even wrote cards with their well wishes and prayers.

It was such a meaningful and heartfelt gift to receive!  What is sweeter than the prayers of children!

Love,
Mama & Papa

37 Week Ultrasound

August 10, 2010

Dear Stella Rose,

Today was your 37 week ultrasound.  Mama and papa never imagined they would see week 37.  You are such a trooper...you made it to full term!  How exciting! 

You passed your biophysical exam with flying colors.  Everything looked great, and your fluid was 13.4 today!  You are measuring in at 6 lbs 7 oz, still growing bigger and stronger every week.

Mama got a couple good pictures of you today.  Mama and papa can't believe that you will be with them in less than 2 weeks, and they will finally get to meet your sweet face! Until then, the ultrasound pictures will do, but they are so anxious to finally meet you!

Stay happy, little star!

Love,
Mama & Papa

Fiddling With the Digital Software

August 9, 2010

Dear Stella Rose,

Mama was so excited today because the digital scrapbooking/cardmaking software came in! She fiddled around with it for a bit and designed a 12x12 scrapbook page using some of the pictures from mama and papa's wedding day.

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She is so excited to get to work on your birth announcements!  Actually, she's already started on them, but she'll post it once you're born!  She's already planning on designing photo Christmas cards for this year, too!  It will be much faster than trying to hand make them all!

This software will be great to put together your albums, too.  That will be so fun, and mama will never run out of paper, buttons, ribbons, etc!

Well, it's time for you and mama to go to bed.  Your ultrasound at Dr. K's office is tomorrow at 10:30.  You have passed your non-stress tests the past 3 days with the home health nurses within the first 20 minutes, so mama is hoping your fluid is still up tomorrow, too!

Love,
Mama & Papa

The First 24 Hours Back at Home

Friday, August 6, 2010

Dear Stella Rose,

That's right!  Homebound to finish bedrest again!  After Wednesday's ultrasound and biophysical exam, Dr. K thought it was a safe and good idea for mama to go home and "nest" for the next couple weeks.  Since your fluid was 13cm, she felt really comfortable with letting you and mama leave the hospital.  Plus, with you being full term on Sunday, there wasn't a risk of preterm birth anymore.  At least if you and mama went home, the next time you came back to the hospital would be for your birthday!!

Mama and papa actually felt more comfortable about going home this time.  The last few times it was an option, they both had a an iffy feeling about leaving.  Grumpa and Lola felt better about it also, which was important since they would be the ones helping out every day. 

Dr. K said you guys could either leave that night (Wednesday) or the next day.  They decided on the next day just to have more time to pack up all the things that had been accumulated in the past 2 months.  Plus, papa wanted to go home and clean the house and the sheets since the dog and cats had been jumping on their bed while they had been gone!  He sure is a good hubby!  Mama also needed to get educated on how to manage her gestational diabetes.

While papa was home getting the house ready, Grumpa and Lola helped mama get everything packed up to be taken home.  The whole cart was full of stuff, and there was still more to be taken home!  The next cart full would just have to wait until the next day.

That night was the last night to be monitored at 10:00.  It was weird for mama and papa to think they were actually going home!  Being at the hospital had become so routine.  They were looking forward to finally getting to sleep next to each other in their own bed after TWO months!

Yesterday morning was the last morning to be woken up at 6:00am to get monitored.  And the last blood draw for the preeclamptic lab work (which came back normal, again).  Dr. K stopped by at 6:30 before she went home after being at the hospital overnight.  She confirmed that it was good to go on going home.  She even told mama to go home and start sewing!

It was only 7:00am, but mama was wide awake, so she got up for the day to start her daily routine she had established.  Bible reading time and calling in her usual breakfast order:  an English muffin with butter and diet jelly, scrambled eggs, 2 orders of bacon, 2 decaf coffees and a newspaper.

Then there was a little bit of hiccup in whether you guys were going to get to go home yesterday or have to wait another night.  The Diabetes Care Center couldn't get mama in for an appointment to learn how to take her own blood sugar readings and give herself insulin injections until the following day.  Mama's nurse didn't know if the diabetes doc would want mama to go without insulin to cover dinner and the long acting insulin for bed time.  Plus, she would miss her breakfast dose, too.

Mama was a little bummed because she had gotten her hopes up about going home.  Thankfully, the doc said it would be okay to still go home and go without insulin for that period of time. 

Mama ordered her last cafe menu lunch and got on the monitor for the last time at 2:00.  No more hour long monitoring 3 times a day was going to be strange for mama.

The first picture below shows your heart rate on the left and mama's contractions on the right.  In the second picture, the top graph is your heart rate and all your wonderful accelerations they look for.  The bottom graph shows mama's contractions.  It looks like she had a big one, but mama hasn't had the painful ones, yet!

After the monitoring was over, mama jumped in the shower and finished getting things packed up.  Papa got to the hospital a little after 4:00 and he took another cart full of stuff down to the car.  Once they made sure they had everything, mama called her nurse to get ready to discharge her.  It was like de ja vu, because mama had the same nurse who discharged her the last time she got to go home!

It really was weird for mama to be leaving.  She would miss not seeing all her nurses she had made friends with, but it wouldn't be much longer until she was back and they would get to meet you!  Even the car ride felt funny.  You thought so, too, because you were rumbling all around in mama's tummy!

Mama was so excited to walk in the door and see Paoli, Zelda and Bandit!  They sure were happy to have us home!  Zelda was Lil' Miss Cuddlebug when it was time for bed!  She hadn't slept up there with them for two months!  Mama was surprised she didn't act mad like she usually does if mama and papa leave for the weekend. 

Mama didn't need a nurse to wake her up at 6:00am today to get monitored.  Between her body being used to waking up at that time and Zelda wanting to cuddle, she was woken up anyway.  At least she was able to fall back asleep for a little bit longer before she had to get up and get ready to head to her Diabetic Care Center appointment at 10:00am.

Grumpa took mama to her appointment, where she learned how to test her blood sugar after meals, give herself insulin injections before meals and at bed time. 

This is only a 2 1/2 week supply!  Mama sure is glad she won't have to do this after you are born!  However, those who get gestational diabetes have a 50% chance of getting diabetes when they are older if they don't make lifestyle changes in eating and exercise habits.  Mama is actually going to make eating healthy and exercising a priority (once she gains her strength back from being on bed rest, of course!)




When mama got home, her home health nurse called to come by to bring the monitoring machine, fill out all new paperwork, check mama's vitals and put you on the monitor.  There it is to the left...the $5000 machine!  You looked great on it, too!





It wasn't too much longer until papa would be home from work.  He was tired. and so were the kitties!

Mama sure has missed this!

So that was the first 24 hours back at home in a nutshell!  Steak on the grill for dinner tonight!  You and mama didn't get that in the hospital!

Love,

Mama & Papa

Maternity Pictures

Wednesday, July 4, 2010

Dear Stella Rose,

Mama and papa were blessed with a gift from a friend and photographer from WRCC, Kim White, who came and took maternity pictures for them.  Mama was so excited because she really wanted to get maternity pictures done, but with her being out of work, they didn't have the extra money to spend on pictures.

Kim came to take the pictures this past Saturday, and she even finished editing them and dropped them off last night.  She's the best!

Mama got to use one of her wheelchair rides to take a few shots outside. Mama even put on a little makeup, which she hasn't worn in 2 months!  She even put on a dress. 

Kim White Photography presents...

They didn't take too many pictures outside, because mama isn't supposed to be up standing and moving around for very long.  The rest were taken inside mama's hospital room, and they turned out really well.

The picture above is mama and papa's absolute favorite.  This along with another one of papa giving you a kiss while mama is kissing the top of papa's head.  Definitely getting blown up and going into frames!  There are more pictures that mama and papa love but are a little more intimate that mama didn't want to post for the world wide web.  But mama will show them to you.

Mama and papa had a lot of fun taking these pictures.  Just another way to remember this one exciting adventure!

Love,
Mama & Papa

36 Week Ultrasound

Wednesday, August 4, 2010

Dear Stella Rose,

Way to go girl!  Your fluid was up to 13cm this morning!  Doc thought your fluid might drop to 5cm by week 35 or 36, but instead it was the highest it's ever been!  You should have enough fluid to turn head down now...whaddya say?  :)

You got another 8 out of 8 on your biophysical exam, too.  The ultrasound tech said you're already getting straight A's and you haven't even been born, yet!  You've continued to look great on the monitor.  The nurses have said your monitoring strip looks like the classical perfect strip.  That means mama and papa are going to have high expectations of you!   ;)

Mama's blood pressures and blood lab work that is drawn every Tuesday and Friday for preeclampsia have continued to come back with good results, too.  She hasn't had to have an increase in her insulin dosages the past few days, either.  Everything seems to be moving right along.  God sure has protected both you and mama through all this!

Only 4 more days and you will be full term!  You've received lots of requests for your arrival date.  There are a lot of people who have birthdays in August who say it would be a perfect day for you to be born!

Mama thinks you are going to stay strong and hold out until the 23rd. Not only is it papa's favorite number, but there is another reason that date would be so special.  It will be the 5 year anniversary of Aunt Shelli's papa's death.  Your birth on that day would bring her much joy to remember that particular day by!

Continue to do well, sweet pea, while mama, papa and everyone else anxiously wait your arrival!

Love,
Mama & Papa

August Baby

Monday, August 2, 2010

Dear Stella Rose,

It's official!  You're going to be an August baby!  Mama is so excited to have made it to 36 weeks!  She can't believe it's already August, and kids are already going back to school next week!

Doc said this morning that everything is still looking great.  She would love to make it to 39 weeks.  With the gestational diabetes and with mama being insulin dependent, she said the closer you get to 39 weeks the better it is for your lungs.  She's not letting you go past 39 weeks though, due to mama's preeclampsia.

August 23rd is your scheduled arrival date as of now.  Unless your fluid drops to 5cm or you decide to put mama into labor sooner, that will be the date.  It's a scheduled C-section for now, too, since you are still breech.  Even if you do turn around, if August 23rd comes and you are still cooking, doc will just induce labor.  Not only will it be great to make it to 39 weeks, but it would be neat if you were born on the 23rd because that is papa's favorite number!

Everyone is so excited to meet you, and it is getting so close!  Get ready to become a part of Crazy Town...your parents and their friends are really just Jr. High kids in adult bodies! :) That's probably why youth ministry is what they love!  See for yourself...this is Papa and Uncle Corey being pushed around the hospital room by Aunt Leslie on the cart used to transport all your baby shower gifts:

Get used to the goofiness, because that's what your family is!  Even Grumpa wants to have wheelchair races when he sees empty wheelchairs downstairs in the hospital lobby!  Everyone is ready to share in the goofiness and have tons of fun with you!

"A cheerful heart is good medicine, but a broken spirit saps a person's strength."  ~Proverbs 17:22

Love,
Mama & Papa

Pet Visitation

Thursday, July 29, 2010

Dear Stella Rose,

Last night mama finally convinced papa to bring Paoli to visit.  It is so nice that the hospital allows pet visitation.  They try to make the antepartum stay as much like home as possible.  Papa was hesitant about bringing her to the hospital, because he thought she would act crazy in an unfamiliar environment.

She didn't do so bad!  When she first got up to the room she just kept walking back and forth trying to figure out where she was at.  Once she finally felt comfortable, she just made herself right at home.

It was so nice for mama to get to see Paoli.  She misses her and the kitties a bunch.  She was so afraid Paoli wouldn't remember who she was since it has been 7 weeks since she's seen her.  Paoli didn't forget!

Paoli got to stay for over a half an hour, and then it was time for her to go home.  Papa was nervous that Paoli would go #2 somewhere in the hospital because of all the excitement!  Mama told him she wouldn't do that.  She was 6 months old the last time she did that!  Here's the story...

When Paoli was just a puppy, mama and papa started taking her to an obedience training at their vet's office.  They said she was too old for the puppy class, so they had to enroll her in the 2 year old dog class (which didn't make sense because she wasn't even a year old, yet!)  Anyway, at every class you had to walk your dog around the room in a circle with all the dogs and practice making them "heel."  This one particular time, Paoli, in all the excitement, decided to stop while all the other dogs were still walking around.  She wasn't just taking a break, though.  She decided to go #2!  Right on the training room floor!  Papa got a dirty look from the instructor and had to clean it up!

Thankfully, Paoli didn't go to the bathroom in mama's room or anywhere else in the hospital.  She is good about letting them know when she needs to go.  She seemed ready to go, so mama got ready to go on a wheelchair ride to say bye bye to Paoli.

She didn't have a hard time getting into the elevator on the way up, but she must not have liked the ride because she didn't want to get in the elevator on the way down.  Once she was in there, she was ready to get out!

Bye bye, Paoli! 

Mama is going to miss her, but it won't be much longer until you both will get to see her...and the kitties!

Love,
Mama & Papa