Birthday Memories...

As our youngest son's birthday was quickly approaching, I found myself doing something that I imagine might be common among other mothers...I began thinking back over the events that lead up to his actual birthday.  My heart has again been filled with gratitude for all that happened, both challenging and enjoyable that brought our little guy to us.

For the majority of the pregnancy all went smoothly...even though we were completely caught off-gaurd by it!  Remember, I'm the woman that can't seem to get pregnant...hmmmm.  As we were approaching about 34 weeks I was measuring small at my appointment.  Dr. Hutchinson, who is AMAZING, nonchalantly sent me over for an ultrasound to see if we might find some answers.  It seems that I was low in the amount of amniotic fluid that was surrounding the baby.  She sent me home with instructions to rest, drink lots of water and a follow-up ultrasound two days later.

Two days later, our ultrasound only showed even less amniotic fluid.  Non-Stress tests were now ordered regularly to make sure the baby wasn't under stress.  A few days of this passed, when after an evening of watching a movie with my greatest love, I noticed that the baby hadn't been moving much.  After a bit of moving around there was some movement, so I went to bed without too much worry.  Early the next morning, I woke up.  Nothing out of the ordinary as I was up and down throughout the every night!  This time though, I just felt concern.  As I was lying in bed, I concentrated to feel our baby's movement.  There wasn't any.  I didn't get too concerned, but went downstairs and ate a bit of food and drank something to get some sugar into my blood--hoping the baby would respond.  I then went back upstairs and layed down in bed to again wait for movement.  Nothing.  Even as I type this, tears come to my eyes.  I was scared.  The Big Guy Lowe was awake from all my ups and downs and through tears, I explained to him what was going on.  He immediately said that we needed to call our doctor.  Because it was now about 4 AM, the on call service took my message and our doctor called us just a few minutes later.  After explaining what I was experiencing, she camly said that she was heading over to the hospital for another patient and that I should head over too.

Phone calls were made, Grammy and Grandpa HB arrived at our home, and The Big Guy Lowe and I headed to the hospital.  I was immediately hooked up to many different things, an ultra sound was performed and again I was told that I was very low in amniotic fluid.  Dr. Hutchinson looked at The Big Guy Lowe and I and with a big smile said "How do you feel about having a baby today?"  I was moved into a labor/delivery room, paper/computer work completed, and an induction began.  Dr. Hutchinson said that she didn't want to jump to a C-section unless the baby was in danger, but that it was something we needed to be aware of.  Gratefully, our baby seemed to be doing well now that we were at the hospital.  That started a LONG day of waiting!   Grammy brought the boys over to visit...

And they got to watch a Power Rangers movie--just like when our middle son was born!  Hmmm, it must have been pretty intense!

By the end of that day, I had not progressed much at all.  Dr. Hutchinson let me rest through the night and we started everything again early the next morning.  I was determined to have the baby that Saturday!  After a few hours I noticed that my contractions basically stopped if I sat or layed down.  From that moment on I did lunges--hours of lunges to keep my contractions moving!  I wouldn't regret that...until the next day when my legs were extremely sore!!  Yikes!

Gratefully, The Big Guy Lowe and I were able to watch General Conference, but by the end of the afternoon session I was beginning to feel real contractions.  Oh, interesting little fact, when Dr. Hutchinson broke my water, we found that there was copious amounts of fluid!  She was amazed as were the nurses.  No one knew how they couldn't have found those large pockets of fluid in any of the ultrasounds that were performed for that very reason!  Oh well!  I was planning on having an epidural, so we had the anesthesiologist come in and get things started.  While I am a huge fan of epidurals, I haven't ever had them go very smoothly.  This time was no different.  Unfortunately, I have now experienced an epidural that only works on one half of the uterus.  Yep, I felt everything on one half of my body and nothing on the other.  Let me tell you, only half doesn't really help.  By that point though, I was just interested in having our baby.

Joyfully, our little guy was born that evening.  It had been a long two days! 

 

I did notice though, after delivery, Dr. Hutchinson sent the placenta to pathology.  That was something I would learn about later...

Dr. Hutchinson--we love her!

Our newest sweetheart.

Grammy HB

Grandpa HB

Grammie Lowe

Then time for bed...for all of us!

This picture leaves us feeling that all was well.  And it indeed would be, after a few more challenges! 

We were released from the hospital.

We all commented on what a good baby this little guy was.  He slept so much the day we were released. 

We were all so excited to have him home!

Our oldest son wanted to make sure he introduced the important things in life early on...

never too early to introduce a brother to Star Wars!

Our "new" middle son was pretty curious about this new baby too.

 I kind of cringe when I see these pictures.  We didn't know that our new baby's body was already beginning to struggle.  We didn't know at this point, but the lab results from the placenta would show that a Staph infection had been present.  I was later told that if we had waited a day or two longer before delivering our baby we wouldn't have had such a joyful birth-day.  I know all the events that lead to our early delivery were for a purpose.  As Dr. Hutchinson said a few weeks later when we were talking about the delivery experience and those of the following days, "Sometimes you are in the right place, doing the right thing, with the right people.  I'm so glad we were that day."

I am too.

I know our Heavenly Father is aware of us...each of us.  I know He loves us and cares for us.  I know we can each be inspired, prompted or motivated to do certain things that will bless our lives or the lives of others.  I believe those are tender mercies from our Eternal Father; mercies that any loving father would want to share with his children...if we would just listen.  I am so grateful for His love.

The day after we were released from the hospital, we were re-admitted as our little baby was struggling.  Gratefully, Grandpa HB and The Big Guy Lowe were able to give him a special Priesthood blessing before we headed back to the hospital.  Our precious baby had lost a large percentage of his body weight and had an alarmingly low core temperature.  I remember watching the nurses as they started his I.V.  When they inserted the needle and he didn't even flinch they looked at eachother with an attempt to mask their concern.

After a very stress-filled 24 hours, we were able to finally go home.  We had a very strict protocol that we were to follow for the next month and many doctor visits, but no more hospital stays.

Wow, two years later.  We continue to face different challenges as they come and we continue to revel in the joys as they come too!  How grateful we are for our sweetheart J.

   

Happy Birthday little J.  Oh how we love you!