She's Here!

One Week Old Today

Okay so where to begin with the whirlwind that has been our lives this past week!! As you all can see, our beautiful baby girl was born on July 3^rd and she is absolutely perfect. (but we all already knew that she was going to beJ)

Since moving to Georgia, at my last couple of doctor appointments my blood pressure had been on a rise. It went from the top number being in the 120’s, then the next appointment in the low 130’s, and then the next in the high 130’s. Just a steady rise. I also noticed that I was really retaining water. I have had people tell me how lucky I am that I don’t just retain water and swell in my hands and feet. Apparently when I swell it is moderate all over. I felt like even my shoulders, forearms, and back showed signs of being puffy. My feet had its moments of swelling but nothing too traumatic.

Last Tuesday Chris and I went in for a normal doctor check. She took my blood pressure and it was around 147/98. She then told Chris and I some scary news. She said that my urine showed levels of protein that were off the charts, and with the combined high blood pressure, I needed to be admitted into the hospital as soon as my appointment was over. She was putting me on a 24 hour hospital watch where they monitored my protein levels, blood pressure, and Elizabeth’s heartbeat. She also explained that I was showing signs of preeclampsia and could possibly need to be rushed for a C-section.

My eyes immediately started watering, and I know Chris’s did too, it was scary news for us. I started thinking about how we weren’t ready. We had just had our shower, her room wasn’t finished, I didn’t have her hospital bag packed, shoot I didn’t have my hospital bag all the way packed! I hadn’t stocked the fridge with freezer meals and the house was dirty.

We were allowed to make a quick dash home to pack a bag and then were ordered to return to the hospital as soon as possible. We both called our mom’s and they went into over drive for us. I can not express how much they helped us out those days in the hospital. They brought clean clothes, shampoo, food, and even made a big target run with gift cards and a list of things we felt like we still needed for her arrival that we hadn’t got yet.

The 24 hour watch at the hospital was filled with a very sleepless night. I have never been admitted to the hospital to stay the night, with monitors all strapped to my stomach, and nurses coming in and out to take my blood pressure. Finally the 24 hour watch results came in and a doctor came in to tell us the results. He said that I had moderate to severe preeclampsia. My urine showed signs that my kidneys weren’t working properly and could be on their way to shutting down. He said even though I feel fine, that I was sick, and the only way to heal me was to get her out. Lucky for us, he said I was golden because I was only a few days from being 37 weeks, and Elizabeth wouldn’t be too much premature.

They moved me to a labor and delivery room and started medicine to induce labor. If the medicine didn’t work or if my vitals worsened I was to be rushed in for a C-section. It took them 5 times to get my IV in one of my arms. Let me just tell you, whoever said that getting an IV didn’t hurt has never had 3 nurses all poking you with your blood vessels blowing each time.

At 9:30am the next morning they started Pitocin, which is medicine used to induce labor. That morning I was 2 cm dilated, around noon I was 4 cm, at 1:00 I got the epidural, around 4:00 I was 7 cm dilated and they broke my water, and around 5:00 I was fully dilated and ready to push. I only had to push from 5:30 to 6:07 and our sweet girl was born.

In all I was in labor for 8 ½ hours.

As far as labor goes, it was the scariest thing either one of us have ever experienced. My epidural worked immediately and I just have to praise whoever invited that medicine!

(this was me about 10 minutes after my epidural. so much happier!!)

When Elizabeth was born she was almost rushed to the NICU due to her respiratory rate. The doctors and nurses were all taking and worried about how she was more humming than crying. Poor thing finally settled down and got all the gunk out of her lungs and she was fine. 

Finally we got to all clear to allow our families in to visit and it was an incredible moment getting to show her off to everyone!

On Saturday night we both got the all clear to be discharged. I bawled my eyes out in the car all the way home. My leaving the hospital clothes were the same shirt and shorts I was wearing when I was admitted. It had been a long 5 days and 4 nights spent at the hospital. I was so tired of both Elizabeth and me being poked and checked, and so relieved to be getting out of Dodge.

I know this had been long, and filled with probably too many details, but I just started writing and it all flowed out. Being home with our tiny girl is the biggest blessing either one of us will ever receive. All those old sayings of how you don’t know what love is until you hold your child for the first time are all true. She has all of us, especially her Daddy, wrapped around her little finger.

It may sound cliché but I have known my entire life that I was meant to be a mother. Every decision has been on how I could best be one. I worked at a daycare to be with the children and babies, I went to college to be a teacher because I think it is the best job to have and be a mother with, even one of the main reasons I married Chris was because I saw qualities in him that I wanted my own children to have.

Now that I am a mother, I am determine to live out my calling to the best that I possibly can, smothered her in love, and raise her to the best of my ability to be Christ following adult.

Thank you for all of your prayers as we have endured our greatest blessing!