Friday, July 9, 2010

Hello!

I have decided to start a blog to help keep our relatives and friends up-to-date with the happenings that go on in our family. I hope to blog at least once a week, at least while I am still on maternity leave...but we will see how often I am able to since being a parent is pretty time consuming. 


So, where to begin? Since this website is primarily dedicated to our daughter, I guess it is fitting to start with her birth. The story is actually pretty interesting considering what a whirlwind it was. I had a very normal pregnancy for the most part, except my first trimester, which I was considered "high-risk" due to having a miscarriage less than a month before we found out we were pregnant again. The first trimester included the morning sickness and increased tiredness. Both the second and third trimesters were pretty typical as well... Lily was growing perfectly and even measuring a little ahead than schedule. Mark and I had planned for me to work up until her due date, which was April 30 and up until the 29th, I had been able to do just that. On the afternoon of the 29th, I had my last doctor appointment prior to her due date. Mark was going to meet me at the hospital with lunch and we were going to have our last sonogram to see how big she was measuring. But, as luck would have it, he was running late from work and couldn't pick up lunch. Ironically this turned out to be a blessing considering what was going to happen later that afternoon...


The sonogram showed Lily to be around 9 lbs. 5 oz. and I wasn't dilated at ALL! My doctor was a little concerned with inducing me with a baby that could potentially be this big when most of the time it would end in a C-section anyway. So, he planned for me to come in that following Monday (May 3rd) for a confirmation sonogram. If Lily was still measuring that big, we would schedule the C-section that afternoon. So...at this point I am planning on having another weekend to prepare (even though we were ready). Mark had to go back to work, so he left while I was checking out. After I paid and was walking out the door, my doctor comes up to me and asks if I will stay a little longer to take a non-stress test (test that monitors the baby's heartbeat and movements). He said he re-reviewed the sonogram and I didn't have much amnionic fluid left in the womb. So I obliged, and the test revealed that whenever Lily would move, her heart rate would drop drastically. After reading me the results of the test, my doctor just simply states..."Well, plans have changed. The nurses are waiting for you upstairs, we are going to take your baby now." 


WOW. I really didn't have any time to digest what was going on. It was 4:00 in the afternoon, I called Mark and asked if he was ready to be a daddy. He replied, "NOW?" I didn't tell him about Lily being in distress as I wanted him to be completely excited. So, after a few more phone calls, I went upstairs to the Labor and Delivery floor where three nurses were literally waiting for me. I was rolled in a wheelchair (even though I walked the entire way earlier), where they took me to my first room and proceeded to hook me up to IV's, monitors, take my blood, and register me all at the same time. I just laid there and answered the questions while still trying to comprehend what was going on. It wasn't until my nurse, who was watching my contraction monitor, asked me if I was in any pain did I realize it was happening. I told her no and asked why. She replied, "Because your contractions are two minutes apart." However, I didn't feel anything and wasn't dilated. Weird. 


Mark finally got there as they were rolling me to the operating room and gave me a quick kiss. After we got to the OR, it was all very quick. Epidural in... doctors came in... and Lily was out! At 5:31 PM, Lillian Rose Jemison was welcomed into this world at 8 lbs 11 oz. and 19.25 inches. As soon as the nurses had her clean, she was placed on my chest, she held her head up and wanted to eat! It was so funny and so precious! I could not have asked for a more perfect gift from God, and I thank Him everyday for our daughter. 

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