A Baby Story {you've waited long enough}

Friday, December 12, 2008

 5:30 pm: Arrived at the hospital. This was the time Dr. Erwin told us to be there.

6:15 pm: Finally taken to my room to get settled.

7:00 pm: My admission was complete and I was hooked up to the monitors.

7:40 pm: Cervadil administered.

At this point I thought we were just smooth sailing. But the nurse came in at about 8:00 because they kept loosing the baby’s heartbeat. I was a little nervous, but at the same time I remembered with Lorelai that she would move and no big deal they’d readjust and find her again. By 8:15 she called Dr. Erwin (who I am sure was settled in for the evening) at home. By 8:25, no kidding, he walked in my room to see the monitors. He said to give it just a bit. At this point, or maybe before, they put an oxygen mask on me...which again scared me a little, but not a ton. At 8:45 (only an hour later) he said we were going to have to do a c-section. He asked if I understood why and I said yes, and the reason I chose to go to him was because I knew he was the best and would do what was best for my baby, no matter what. 

At that point, I told Matt to call my mom and have her get there NOW. At about 9:20 my mom came in and said that Nicole and Lorelai were with her. At first I didn’t understand why, but in hindsight it all makes sense.

Side story...I guess when Mom called Nicole she said she was coming too. So they bundled Lorelai in blankets...no coat, thank you very much, and got her in the car. Nicole wants me to mention that my mom was so frazzled and anxious that she almost walked out the door without zipping her pants. Nicole drove to Defiance and my mom made her pass a car or two on the way to get there. They got there about 9:20 and at that point I didn’t want Lorelai in there because I didn’t want her to see me upset. My mom took her down to the waiting area so she wouldn’t even see me coming out of the room. The last thing I remember before going back was Nicole running in, saying “I love you” and giving me a kiss on the forehead

At 9:30 I was taken back to the c-section surgery area. I was shaking pretty bad at this point and scared. My fears were more that I wouldn’t be able to nurse her soon enough more than anything. But in the end that all worked out great. I had a spinal (which numbs you from the chest down pretty much. And also can cause a spinal headache after I got home...joy.) The incision was made at 9:44 and Maelynn Johanna Gardner arrived at 9:46 pm. She was 6 lbs 7 oz (the same as her big sister) and 19 inches long. Matt said “I see her” as he had tears in his eyes. It was pretty cool because the nurse took our camera and got a picture of her as the Dr. pulled her out. They quickly took her over to the warming bed and Matt went over to see her and take a few pictures, also. As they were stitching me back up I could hear her crying and screaming. Matt brought the camera over to show me a picture of her and the first thing I said was, “She looks like Lorelai.” Once they had her cleaned up some, she had a bowel movement in utero (meconium) they brought her over to see me. She was beautiful and I kissed her on the forehead. (Then I realized she had poop on her and I kissed her poopy face!) The nurse told me she had a lot of poop on her and they had to suck all the fluid and such out of her lungs. She was going to take her to the nursery and finish cleaning her up, etc.

As I laid in recovery I could hear her crying. It was officially at this time that I found out how much she weighed and was amazed she was the same size as Lorelai. I was shaking pretty badly the whole time so they put lots of blankets on me to warm me up. At this point Matt was with her in the nursery, and Mom, Nicole and Lorelai were looking from outside the window. At 10:20 Lorelai officially got to see her baby sissy thru the window. She saw the ink on her feet from the footprints and said, “Ew, dirty.” After she was all cleaned though, Lorelai said, “She got a bath!”

At 10:43 I was finally back in my room waiting for my baby girl. The nurse came in and said, “Is someone waiting for a baby in here?” I said “YES!” and finally got to hold my baby girl at 10:49. She was licking her lips and ready to eat and at 10:50 Maelynn nursed for the first time. During this time I found out that not even Daddy had held her yet. I was really touched that Matt “allowed” me to be the first to hold her. It was such an emotional time. Maelynn nursed for about 25 minutes and then at 11:19 Daddy got to hold Maelynn for the first time.

After Daddy got some time with her, Lorelai got to hold her baby sissy. Then Grandma Caroline got her turn and of course Miss Nicole. At about 12:30 am they headed home. Lorelai was such a trooper and did a great job. She was so excited to see her baby sister and for it being the middle of the night she listened really well. It was also at this time that I realized she was brought out without a coat! :)

Dr. Erwin told me that my amniotic fluid level was so low even another hour and we could have had some serious issues. He is such an incredible Dr. and we were all impressed with how well he handled everything. Some women can deliver vaginally after a c-section, but for whatever reason my body won’t go into labor on it’s own, so it’s c-sections from here on out.

Some little facts:

• She and her Daddy have the same initials (MJG)
• She and her Daddy both have the same freckle/mole on the same place on their scalp.
• She and her Daddy’s names both mean “Gift of God”
• She looks like her Mommy did when she was a baby.
• Her first name is a combination of Mae (her Great-Great-Great Grandma on Mommy’s side) and Lynn (her Aunt Pubby’s middle name, her Aunt Kaitlyn and her Great Aunt Debbie’s middle name.)
• Her middle name is in honor of her “Pap Brat” (Samuel John Toy)
• Johanna means “God is Gracious” and is so appropriate given the events of the day of her birth.
• She has worn cloth diapers since we brought her home from the hospital.
• Maelynn watched her first Steelers game on Sunday, December 14, 2008 and just watched her Steelers win Super Bowl XLVIII. :)
• She is a joy in our lives and we love her more than we ever thought we could!!