A Walk Down Memory Lane

Sunday, August 27, 2006

This was the day before my sweet Sara Catherine would grace us with her presence. My actual due date was September 1st, but my doctor was going on vacation. In order to ensure she would deliver SC, I would have to be induced. The day before her arrival, we went to church and pretty much had our normal routine. Sunday afternoon we had to take pictures for the football program! Needless to say, I was HUGE and swollen in the picture! I hated it at the time, but now I just laugh and think it was a great memory. We ate at Mom and Thad's house for my "last super". Once you go into labor, it is ice chips only, so they wanted to feed me well! That night, we were all packed, and it was like Christmas Eve. We were both too excited to go to sleep! We were going to wake up around 3 because we had to be in Dothan at 5! Right before we went to sleep, I asked Ronnie if it would be funny if my water broke at 2??!! And now for the crazy part!

Monday, August 28, 2006

At 2 a.m., I was awaken because I needed to go to the bathroom. Well, it was not what I was expected! My water broke! I woke Ronnie up and said "You are not going to believe this!!" Of course he guessed it! I called the nurse hot line because I didn't know if I just needed to wait another hour and get there at 5 like they were expecting, so she connected me to my doctor. I could tell that she was obviously at home asleep! I felt awful for wakening her up! She told me that ANY time your water breaks get to the hospital! I had no contractions and felt great!

When we arrived at the hospital, the nurse did not believe my water had broken because I was not feeling contractions. I am horribly terrified of elevators, and I told the nurse at admissions that I would walk up the stairs. Of course, they wouldn't let me! Once I was settled in my room, she confirmed that my water had broken, and by the monitor, I was having contractions! She also checked my blood pressure and took some blood. She said that my b.p. was high. I told her of course it was! I just rode an elevator, and I was so excited about the baby. She told me she would come back in a little bit and take it again. At this point, our parents had made it to the hospital.

Our parents were not planning on getting to the hospital so early, but since my water had broken, we didn't know how long it would take before SC was here! Little did we know it was going to be ALL day!

The nurse came back several times and took more blood work and my b.p. My blood pressure was rising, and my blood platelet count was dropping. Around 7, my doctor came by and gave me some not so good news! She informed me that my blood platelet count was too low to have an epidural, so she was going to try to make me as comfortable as possible! Ahh! Luckily, our pastor and his wife were in Dothan, they have 10 kids (now) and are pros at lamaze. They gave Ronnie and me a crash course, and I must say it SAVED me! Even though my water had broken, they had me hooked up to potosin, and it made my contractions much stronger. I was actually okay until after lunch, and then my contractions were so strong I could not talk while I was having one and slept in between them. To me the day was not long, but it everyone else, it was! They also gave me statol and it made me feel like I was in a fog.


Around 9 p.m., I had only dilated to 8, so the doctor told me that it was probably best for a c-section because my pelvic was too narrow and I was not going to be able to deliver. All of that work and I was going to have a c-section! I really did not care at that point! They even had to put me in an elevator to get me to the O.R. I did not even care! Because I could not have an epidural or spinal block, they were going to have to put me completely under, and Ronnie could not be in the room. He could stand right outside the door. I remember praying to God that if I were going to die to please let me see her at least one time! While they prepped me I was awake, but when my doctor walked in and told me everything was going to be ok, I remember feeling very calm and closing my eyes. They had SC out in 5 minutes! She was born at 10:01 p.m. 6lbs, 50z.



Ronnie said he was just praying while he waited. He said that he heard SC cry and figured she was okay but was still worried about me! Of course I don't remember too much within that next hour. Before I was in my room, our families gathered around the nursery windows and got to see sweet SC. I guess around 11 or so, they let our families come in my room and tell me bye. Around 12, they brought SC in my room. I remember Ronnie waking me up and telling me she was in our room. I then prayed to God to please let me remember that moment! And I did! She was BEAUTIFUL! I know that every parent thinks their child is the prettiest thing on this Earth, and it is the truth! I was so in love with this baby. She was perfect! She even had white hair! Even the nurses commented on her hair. They said that they do not see white very often! That night, she only came in my room to feed because I was so out of it!


Tuesday, August 29, 2006

I woke up feeling great! I even put on makeup! I called mom and told her all about SC! She was on here way back to Dothan! I think it is so cool how God answers our prayers! I do not remember any of our family coming into my room to tell me bye, but I remember meeting sweet SC! They told me that I asked every single one of them to tell me all about her since they had already seen her! Around 7, when the doctor was making her rounds, she told me that the reason my labor had gone so crazy was because I developed HELLP Syndrome. They then hooked me up to some magnesium that completely knocked me out! I would fall asleep eating, holding SC, or talking to people! So needless to say, that day was a blur! The next day, they took me to a post deliver room, and we stayed at the hospital until Friday to monitor me. My doctor was super sweet and told me that I was patient of the year. She said that every time they came in my room while I was laboring, I would smile at them. Ronnie was also super sweet and had flowers sent to me. The card in flowers was very simple, but meant so much. It said... You are my hero. I love you, Ronnie! I did feel like a champ after the laboring!
I know I have blogged about this before, but my love for him grew so much after having a baby. I know for the women reading this who have babies, you probably agree with me. I also couldn't look at my beautiful Sara Catherine without crying. I remember calling mom one night, and she was so scared something was wrong because I was hysterically crying! I told her everything was okay it was just that I loved Ronnie and SC so much! I would even cry thinking about how hard it would be the first time she came home from school upset because someone made fun of her. She was just so tiny, pure, and innocent. I couldn't fathom some kid picking on her when she was older. I know, I was obviously hormonal, and I do think a lot of women cry like I did!
Here are a few pictures down memory lane of my sweet Sara Catherine!



Her first football game! She was born the week of the first game, and Ronnie did not make it to that one because we were still in the hospital. I think she was 6 weeks old in this pic. We only stayed for 1 quarter!


I took this last picture on this past Saturday (her birthday) at almost exactly 10:01! I will do a completely separate post for her birthday party. I will say that I think I will cry next year when she turns 5 because it took everything I had not to cry on Saturday with her turning 4!

The past 4 years have been the best! Sara Catherine is a precious, beautiful, caring, funny, loving, and smart little girl. She is everything and more that I envisioned in my child. God truly blessed me with a perfect gift (two to be exact!)!