Holstein Family Blog: July 2010

This post may be a little long and over the top, but I wrote it mainly for my daughter to read when she is older or perhaps when she is expecting a child.

This week was hectic to say the least. I am 37 weeks pregnant and feeling the effects on my body. A nap sounds like heaven, but instead the week starts on Monday with Baron's 18 month Well Baby check-up. To my surprise, the doctor heard a small heart murmur so instead of a quick visit we spent over half the day at the doctor office while Baron received an EKG and chest x-ray. It was emotionally taxing so once we were home it was nap time - for both of us!

Tuesday was relatively normal. Baron and I went to Stroller Strides in the morning. During the workout I told the girls it was my last. Something physically felt different and the work out was no longer comfortable. I told my mother-in-law later on the phone that I felt like Harper had "dropped" because something was different. That evening I told Nate that I felt like Harper wasn't moving as much. I laid on our couch that night and she moved a little bit, but nothing in comparison to the dance moves she typically did around 8pm.

On Wednesday Baron and I met up with my good friend Laura and her kids at the zoo. We spent 6 hours walking and looking at the animals. I felt fine until I sat down on our couch later that evening expecting Harper to dance because she had been lulled to sleep all day while I walked. She didn't dance. This is when my concern truly set in, but I knew I had a doctor appointment at 4:45pm the next day and I could wait.
Thursday morning I got up, drank my coffee and checked my email. Harper still wasn't moving and so I decided to lay down and do a "kick count" before calling my doctor. Our doctors office likes us to do a 2 hour kick count, but I was only able to do it for 40 minutes before Baron woke up. In those 40 minutes she did not move at all - even when I pushed on her to try and aggravate her. At 8am I called the OBGYN and they recommended that I come in for an exam asap. I called my friend Heather to see if she could watch Baron while I went in for the exam. Thankfully she had the day off of work and said it wouldn't be a problem. So I showered, packed up Baron and off we went. I dropped off Baron and headed to the hospital. I remember some of my very specific thoughts on my drive:

I should pick up lunch for Heather on my way back as a thank-you for watching Baron.
I can't have a baby today - it's only July and my baby isn't due until August.
Maybe I should run to Costco and pick up dog food today because we are almost out.
My house is a wreck - this week has been hectic and I really should have cleaned more...or at least finished the dishes in the sink before I left. Oh well...tonight...or tomorrow...

Why did I share all of this ridiculous detail about my week? I just want it to be clear how shocking the next chain of events were for me. I was completely unprepared in all areas of my life.

At the hospital, I was put in a small room and hooked up to a monitor to track contractions and Harper's heart rate. The nurse was asking me multiple questions while watching the monitors. My favorite question was "In the past year have you been hit, kicked or hurt by anyone in your household?" Of course I said no, but then had to laugh because Baron has done a few of these things to me during fits of rage or on accident. All of the sudden the nurse stopped and looked at the screen. Then she looked at me and said "Vanessa, I don't believe this is going to be a standard one hour exam." At that same moment an OBGYN and second nurse came in the room. Everyone was looking at the monitor and then one more person came in the room with an ultrasound machine. Dr. Crummett introduced herself quickly and then said that I would most likely be having a baby today. In fact it would be happening in the next hour. I immediately started crying and said "my husband isn't here, we don't have a camera with us and I didn't get to buy dog food today." After they finished laughing at my dog food comment I was handed a phone and promised that they would try to wait for my husband and they would look for a camera for us to use. I am not sure what I said to Nathan on the phone, but I know it was not clear. I was crying and nervous and rambling. I believe I said something on the lines of "you have to hurry because I think we are having a baby today." Looking back it would have been nice of me to call Heather at this point, but I think this just shows my 100% trust in her with my child.

The next few minutes are a blur. The door was constantly opening and closing with nurses coming and going and buzzing around like bees. No one was saying anything to me. The doctor did not take her eyes off the monitor. An IV was put in my arm, oxygen on my face and they kept handing me tissues for my tears. The door opened again and there was Nathan. I can not even begin to use words to describe my feelings at that moment. I needed him more than anything at that moment. He was so calm and reassuring. He told me he had called our parents and his mom was already on the way to help take care of Baron. The nurses gave him scrubs, the doctor had us sign a paper that we were going in for a repeat c-section and then I was wheeled into the cold operating room. I was nervous, but not about the surgery. I felt unprepared for a new baby. All I could think is that I would be nursing a newborn in a few hours.

Nathan came in the operating room after I had my spinal and we sat there behind the big blue sheet waiting to hear our baby. After tugging and pulling, Dr. Crummett said "Harper is here! And she is wrapped up in the umbilical cord 2 times around the neck, once around the shoulder and another 2 times around her stomach...oh - and here is a knot right by her belly button." It was clear why she had stopped moving. They cleaned her up and wrapped her so Nathan could bring her to me. She looked so tiny and peaceful! I said that to Nathan and he said she was probably about 7 lbs. Then the doctors and nurses were taking guesses on her weight and everyone was saying roughly 6 lbs. Harper weighed 5lbs and 15 oz. She was tiny! At this point Nathan and I were worried again because she still wasn't crying or squirming. They tested her blood sugar level and it was a 5. A normal birth blood sugar level is 45 (on the low end). The pediatrician was keeping me informed while they treated her and it was obvious that this was urgent. While they wheeled me to a recovery room, Harper and Nathan were taken to the NICU.

It was a long 5 days in the hospital. Harper is a fighter. She was constantly being poked and tested for multiple things, but mainly her blood sugar level. She was on oxygen for the first 24 hours. Her heart had a murmur and so she had ECHO exams and EKGs. We were allowed to see her every 3 hours to feed her. Then it was back up to our room. Her nurses (Pam, Sue and Terri) were AMAZING. Not only did they keep her healthy, but they gave us the encouragement that we needed during the difficult times (and there were plenty). I was discharged one day before Harper so I was allowed to spend the last night in the NICU with her. It was emotional to finally say goodbye to everyone in the NICU, but it was time. We were ready to be home as a family. It was time for Baron to meet his little sister.

We feel so blessed to have Harper. Multiple times during our hospital stay we had nurses and doctors tell us how lucky we are to have her. Many of them said we are lucky that I listened to my body so closely. I occasionally think of the "what if" situations and I have to make myself stop. it doesn't matter how unprepared I was because she is here, she is healthy and we have two beautiful children. Baron loves his little sister. She gets more kisses from him in one day than I have gotten in 18 months! Life is good (and a little hectic too!). Welcome Harper!