February 26, 2010

Welcome to the world Eloise!

I know that I haven't posted in over a week...my husband reminds me daily. I've had time to sit down and post, I just have been trying to take that time to take a shower, catch up on sleep, watch t.v....you know do something productive. So...let's start from the beginning.

Walt and I should have known that this journey to become parents was not going to be easy for us....Walt and I have a way of doing things the "hard way"....for example, when we got engaged, we found out that we were moving to Oklahoma two weeks before our wedding...this meant, finding new jobs, moving to a new home, getting married, telling family good-bye...it was hard.

Walt and I starting trying for a child and a year later we were going through insemination because we were having fertility issues....when we found out we were pregnant we were, once again, in the middle of moving back to Texas, me finding a job, going to London for a month, finding a house...that was hard as well.

Around the 20 week mark of our pregnancy the doctor told us that Eloise could possible have a cleft lip/cleft palate. This meant many more sonograms so the doctors could diagnosis this, we had genetic counseling, which was pointless, and even still at the end the doctors were wrong because Eloise has the most beautiful lips and did not have a cleft palate.

Then there was delivery. I had been carrying Eloise extremely low. For those of you that read on a daily/weekly/monthly basis you know that the doctor actually predicted Eloise to come early. HA. I ended up being induced, and on the day of induction was already having contractions 3-4 minutes apart. The doctor and nurses guessed that I would have Eloise by 12 noon that day. 12 rolled around, 1, rolled around, 2, finally at 3 it was time. Now let me go back for a second....Walt and I should have known from prior experiences that today was not going to go as planned. When we checked into the hospital at 5:45 that morning, there was a HUGE sign on the elevator and on the L & D floor that stated, "NO children under the age of 18 are permitted on the L & D floor because of H1N1." WHAT? Walt has a 12 year old brother, Tucker...this meant that he was not even allowed to come into the room to see me before giving birth, OR see Eloise once she was born. We should have known.
So... I started pushing at 3....mind you I was 80% effaced for 3 weeks....this shouldn't take long right? I remember after about 10 minutes of pushing, my doctor looked at Walt told him to get his scrubs on because we were being whisked away into the OR....Eloise's heart rate dropped to 80 and they needed to get her out ASAP. I was trying to remain calm....once we were in there the doctor told me that if I didn't want a C-section I had to push the hardest I have ever pushed in my life.... of course after I did this...thankfully, Eloise's heart rate came back up. So...after an hour and a half of pushing, Eloise finally made her debut at 4:23 p.m.... weighing 7 pounds and 5 ounces, 18 1/2 inches long.

Of course the doctor had to use a vacuum to get her out. I knew something was wrong from the moment she was born....mother's instincts? Nah...it was the fact that the nurses were all whispering to each other. Eloise was extremely pale and because of the vacuum she had suffered a HUGE hematoma on her head. The nurses whisked her away and Walt and I were left wondering what was going to happen to our baby girl. Come to find out she was placed in the NICU....they had to give her an IV because her blood count level was low, so they needed to treat her like she had an infection....they tried to find her veins 10 times before they were successful...poor baby...they blew 10 of her veins. Since she had a hematoma her head looked like a deflated water balloon...she was put on morphine because she was in so much pain. Obviously they had blood pressure monitors attached to her because her heart rate had dropped, and they placed a feeding tube through her nose because it was hurting her head too much to eat. This was not what Walt and I had planned. But..nothing ever is, right?

I didn't see my baby until 9 that night. The next 3 days were horrible. Going up into the NICU to see our sweet little girl was just heart wrenching. The only people allowed in there were me and Walt...so our families didn't even get to see their granddaughter/niece. The doctors had to give her a head ultrasound to make sure that there was not any fluid that had reached her brain.

Thankfully we had plenty of people praying for our baby girl. Thankfully God is an amazing provider who creates miracles. By Monday, after Walt and I had been discharged on Sunday, we went to see our sweet girl and EVERYTHING was perfect. She was well and we were able to take her home on Monday. I just can't even being to express how thankful I am for the power of prayer. God truly is amazing.

So....Walt and I have been taking in these past several days just in awe of this sweet little miracle that we created. Our journey was long, tough and sometimes we didn't even think that we would be able to hold a precious baby in our arms...but God had a plan and we have been blessed beyond measure.

Now, I'm not going to lie...yes, she has her days and nights mixed up....yes, I haven't slept since she came home...but if you were to ask me if I would do it all over again....without a doubt YES...to be able to have a small piece of heaven in my life everyday....I think our life is pretty darn perfect. Welcome to the world Eloise....you are our little miracle baby.


This is the first time I actually laid eyes on Eloise for longer than 1 minute.
Daddy loves her

She already has him wrapped around her finger

Day 2 in the NICU...looking much better!

Look at those eyes!

Finally home!

Looking rough, I know...but I really don't care.

Hello World!

After Gambi gave her her first bath

Ready to take on the world...one smile at a time!

February 14, 2010

My husband....a man of NO surprises

Hopefully the last two pictures of me and my belly! Here I am at 39 weeks... I never in a million years thought my stomach could stretch this far....but it has! I got my haircut yesterday though, and the hairdresser made me feel really good. She is 5 months pregnant, and she said, "What are you about 6 months along?" I then laughed and said, "Girl, if this baby isn't here by Friday she is coming out then!" She couldn't believe that I was that far along, so of course, I tipped her a little bit more than normal. I am at that point where I feel FAT and UGLY! But...it's all worth it!

Does Walt give good presents? Point Blank...YES. Walt has always been a wonderful, thoughtful, gift giver....his only problem...he can't keep it a surprise. I have NEVER been given a gift on the day I was supposed to get the gift because Walt is like a 5 year old in the fact that he can't keep a secret. For example:
  • The night before our wedding, Walt pulled me aside in my grandparents garage and gave me my wedding day present then because he, "really wanted me to wear the diamond earrings to our rehearsal dinner that night." Did I love them? YES....did he give them to me a day early, so on my wedding day I got nothing....of course.
  • Right after Walt and I moved to Owasso we were in Dallas one day just browsing at birthstone rings. I mentioned to Walt that I loved the one in the window. Of course at that moment, he walked inside, purchased the ring and told me to think of it as a moving present.
  • The second Christmas that we were married I had been asking Walt for a new Louis Vuitton purse. Right before Thanksgiving a HUGE box arrived in the mail.... Walt, being the little kid that he is, could NOT wait to give it to me....so I received my Christmas present BEFORE Thanksgiving.
  • This year for Christmas Walt tried really hard to keep his present a secret... it was a Jon Hart Diaper Bag that I wanted....I wanted to play around with him for a little bit, so I kept bugging him about it. Finally on our way home for Christmas Walt couldn't take the suspense anymore and said to me, "Fine, this is what you got.... your lotion, the agenda that you wanted, and the Jon Hart Diaper bag." My mouth literally fell open because he just flat out told me my gifts.
  • And today....
  • Walt asked me what I wanted as a "push" present when Eloise arrives. I told him that I wanted something that had to do with her birthstone... which is an amethyst. We looked around at some things, and I knew I didn't want a ring because I already have a right hand ring. I knew that Walt had already purchased this present because he told me. I made him promise not to give it to me until the day she was born. Well, today Walt walked out to his car, and I knew it...I knew he was going to get my present. Of course, he came in, and said that it wasn't a Valentine's Day present, but he really wanted me to be able to have this present BEFORE Eloise was here.... he always has some reason...and then he surprised me with this:

It's beautiful and saying that I love it is an understatement. I've come to the realization that it is quite ok if Walt can't keep a surprise... I'm pretty blessed to have someone as thoughtful as Walt. What a wonderful gift to always remember my first little angel by.

My Loves

5 years ago, Walt and I fell in love with this little girl and made her our Valentine's. She's been making us happy ever since.

8 years ago, I spent my first Valentine's with my future husband....it must have been that kiss.

These are my two loves....can't wait to add another one to my life very soon!

February 10, 2010

Here's the status....

I've been 3 cm dilated and 75% effaced for 3 weeks.... the doctor put me on partial bed rest thinking this girl would come early...ha ha ha.
I've been consider full term for almost three weeks, and have been taken off partial bed rest and still.....nothing.
Walt and I went to the doctor today.... I am now 4 cm dilated and 80% effaced. Seriously.
So... we spoke to the doctor and if Eloise is not here by next Friday she wants to induce. This will be several days before my due date... Well..it will be the 19th and my due date is the 22nd...but because she is so low, and she has been hanging out for so long, the doctor thinks it would be best...and it's a weekend, so it's all good.
SOOOOO....if she doesn't come before then...I'll be a mom by the 19th of February for sure! I'm secretly hoping she hangs out until then because this would really work out in my favor... is that bad??!!
So now I guess it is T minus 9 days....and counting!