10 Weeks, Part 1

Ten weeks ago today, Baby Olivia arrived.  I haven't had much time or inspiration to write about her arrival until recently.

On the early morning of July 5, I went into the doctor's office for a routine weekly check-up.  There, I learned my blood pressure had shot up almost twice higher than my normal.  It wasn't a complete surprise since my ankles and legs have been swollen for several weeks prior.

"We take blood pressures very seriously around here" was what my doctor told me.  He immediately marched me up to the Birthing Center for blood tests and monitoring.  Mom was with me that day.  She had another appointment at the health complex.

That was a Tuesday.  On Tuesdays, I meet with a group of ladies and pray.  We pray for just about everything under the sun.  That particular morning, with Wendy and Renee, I remember praying for the baby that she'll grow up to be a great woman of God.  That morning, a theme ran through the meeting.

"God is good.  God is sovereign!"

Renee even had a song; Renee always has the best songs for the moment.  It was just a typical morning that day until the doctor's visit.

I got to the Birthing Center.  One of the nurses made me change into a hospital gown and took several tubes of blood for analysis.  I asked her, "Will I be able to leave in a couple of hours?  I need to get to work."  She chuckled and answered, "If you're lucky..."

By noon, I was hooked up to magnesium solution by IV to prevent seizures.  Nope, I was there to stay.  I was coming down with preeclampsia.  I was to be induced.  The baby will have to be delivered to cure me.  I called John, "We might have ourselves a baby by the end of the week."  I called work, "Don't think I'll be in for the rest of the week."  I called Wendy, "God is good.  God is sovereign!"

From noon on Tuesday to the afternoon on Thursday, I was hooked up to saline and more magnesium.  Except going to work, John stayed with me in the hospital, through the beeping machines and the nurses stopping in every hour.  He's a trooper.  By noon on Thursday, my water broke, I was in labor and in intense pain.  By around 3pm, the nurses were having trouble monitoring the baby's heart beat.  She was going into distress.  Through the pain and grogginess, I heard, "Emergency C-section."  More doctors and nurses swarmed into the room and whisked me away into the OR.  The last thing I remember was betadine being poured on my stomach.

When I woke up, John was there looking relieved.  They had a hard time reviving me.  They told me the baby was fine and she was very cute.  I was relieved.

So, Olivia was born on July 7, 2011, the year of the rabbit, at 3:25pm, weighing 3 lb, 10 oz and measuring 16.5 inches long.  She was born almost 5 weeks premature.

Still groggy from the magnesium and very uncomfortable from the C-section, I had to wait until the next day to see my baby.  That's OK.  Daddy had already gotten to hold her and take pictures of his little Bunny.