Enjoying M & M's

This is Molly Marie. She was born on April 18th at 9:30 ish in the morning. Here is her story!

MONDAY

We were told to be at the hospital at around 7:30 am. So, around 7:00 am, we start to load up the car with hospital bags, diaper bags, breast pumps, busy bag for Madison, and the family. Andy had already been up since about 5 am so he had starbucks in hand. It smelled SO good. I had not been able to eat or drink since midnight the night before since I was planning on a repeat c-section. I had a c-section with Madison because she was breech. Andy and I had decided that this little angel would be our last so while the doc was "in there", she was going to tie my tubes.

We arrive at the hospital right on time. Little was said in the car on the way to the hospital. Madison was sleepy, Andy was a wreck, and I was just trying to focus on the end result. For some reason, I was more nervous this time. Maybe it was because I knew what to expect, I don't know. I definitely had the fight or flight feeling going on. They take all 3 of us back to this small room with 2 beds in it. There was a lady next to me that was obviously prepped for surgery so at that point I assumed that I would go after her. They were slightly annoying but probably only because of my nerves.

The operating room nurse hands me my lovely hospital gown. I proudly put it on and hop my big 'ole pregnant behind up on the bed. WOW, was this really about to happen!?!? The nurse takes my vitals and of course my BP was slightly elevated. How could it not be? Seriously, I would like to meet the person whose BP is normal right before going into major surgery! She lays out my arm to start my IV. Now this is where the fun begins! I have terrible veins, terrible! I ALWAYS warn nurses that I have these terrible veins in case they aren't confident so they can get someone else. This nurse seemed confident so I let her have at it. BIG MISTAKE! Andy and Madison are watching her start my IV, I can't see it because she has my arm kind of down beside the bed. I am watching Andy and Madison's face, no biggie, right?!?! Well, their faces were kind of scary. Something went WAY WRONG! My vein blew up to the size of a dime, yes a dime! She pulled out the needle and blood started squirting everywhere, yes, I said squirting! I warned her, I really did, but this was a first! Needless to say, she put the IV in the other arm and was much more careful the 2nd time!

So we wait, and wait for what seems like forever. They finally take the annoying couple next to us in the operating room so we know that we will be next! Let's get this show on the road! I was ready to run out the door and down the street with the back of my gown wide open! Why in the world was I so nervous!?!? Andy takes Madison into the waiting room where my Mom, Andy's parents, and his sister were waiting. Keep in mind, I am checking on him often because I remember c-section #1. Lord loves his heart, he was a hot mess! So far, so good! He is holding up. We sit there fairly quiet, not saying much. I know what was going through my mind: I hope this sweet love sent from heaven is going to be okay, I hope that I am not too sore, I hope Andy doesn't throw up while we are in there, I hope Andy doesn't pass out, I hope that Madison adjusts okay, I hope that I have enough love for two kids, I wish my Daddy was here like he was for my first baby. All this was going through my head! I did not expect what happened next!

The annoying couple that was next to us earlier were finally finished and returned to the room for recovery so we knew that our time was drawing near. A couple of minutes passed and they came in and got me. Andy had to wait outside until they were finished with my spinal. So, I walk into a bright, cold room. They had music playing and the nurses were chatting. I tried to make small talk and seem pleasant. I was shaking. I told them it was because I was cold but it probably was a mixture of coldness and nerves. I scoot to the edge of the operating room table, cell phone in hand-yes, I took my cell phone into my c-section, and they start to feel around on my spine. Now, I assume that a spinal and epidural kind of feel the same way. I haven't had the pleasure of an epidural, just spinal block. They numb your skin with the first shot, then they shoot you again with the leg numbing stuff. It worked immediately. My feet finally felt warm. Now, when I had Madison, I could still move my legs. I was even able to get myself off of the operating room table, but not this time! I had some serious dead legs! So the nurse picked up my legs for me and strapped them down, put the big blue sheet up and brought big daddy in! Dr. Shuck comes in and here we go!

Now, I know that I keep saying "When I had Madison" but when I had Madison, it was quick-1 hour tops. Not this time. This is what I should have been worried about but it hadn't even crossed my mind to worry about the surgery itself. Andy is up by my head and we make small talk. I am quiet, he periodically asks "Are you okay" and I respond with a smile and "yeah, I'm fine". I am watching the clock. 15 minutes have gone by and still no baby, I don't even feel them in my abdomen yet (gross I know). The anesthesiologist is up by my head with an assistant and Andy is still sitting beside me. Alarms start to sound, BP dropped, happens with spinals, shoot me up with something and all is good, for now. 30 minutes has passes, still no baby. Alarms go off several times, they keep shooting me up with meds to bring my BP back up. I get the shakes, also common with spinals, kind of freaks Andy out but he knew to expect it this time. 45 minutes, 1 hour, no baby. Okay, I am kind of wondering what is going on. Everyone is kind of quiet but I am trying to stay calm. I wanted to jump off the table and yell "Come on people, get this baby out! I am ready to meet my baby!".

I can tell that the time is getting near. I feel their hands inside my abdomen. I start to feel tugging and pulling. I look over and tell Andy, "They are about to get her out". We wait for what seems like 10 minutes but in all actuality it was probably only a couple of minutes. Finally I feel some relief in my stomach and she is out! Yeah, right, all is good, right!?!? They quickly show her to us! Many emotions start to flow. We both start to cry but she isn't. In fact, she was very blueish-purple. Now here I go again, when Madison was born, she was bright pink and screaming from the get-go. Her apgar scores were 9 and 10. Molly was silent. Andy and I look at each other and immediately start saying "breathe baby, breathe!". Again, it seemed like hours go by but she finally cries, just a little, but she cries. Oh, the joy! Thank you Jesus! I am pretty sure that my heart didn't beat during that time! Andy is able to see her and tells me that she is changing colors. The nurses call him over and I remind him to take pictures. She isn't crying but just hanging out over there, checking things out! Her first apgar was 6 and the second was 9. Boy, she had a rough start but all was well after that. The NICU nurses congratulate me and leave. Okay, so all that is left is tying my tubes and sewing me up. Shouldn't take long, right?!?! WRONG! It took them another hour or longer to fix me up. While I am laying there, relieved that my baby decided to breathe, I hear "Call down and get blood sent up for Amanda Carter". WHAT?!?! What's going on? Am I about to have a blood transfusion? Luckily, I didn't end up needing it but didn't realize that until afterwards. Finally, they are done! GREAT! Dr. Shuck and her OR assistant mention needing a general surgeon, really, why, what's up? I was too frazzled to ask details at that point! So, I am ready to have my baby. I am ready to breast feed her. They tell me that because my surgery took so long that my new baby has to go to the nursery to be checked out. I knew that I would probably miss out on the bath but wait, I hadn't even gotten a chance to feed her yet! I tell Andy to "follow that baby! Don't take your eyes off of her!" Now, his natural reaction is to stay with me but I shew him away, I was fine.

They wheel me back to the same "holding room" as before. Luckily, the annoying people had already been taken to their room and I had someone new in there. They were getting ready to go back. I was too tired to worry about them or what they were saying/doing. I tried to get some sleep, not sure that I did. Now, remember I told you that I took my cell phone into the OR with me? Well, it came in handy. Andy calls me and says "Della" (that is what he calls me sometimes). "They are getting ready to shoot her up with something!". I reassure him that it is just her first hep shot. He is freaking out and I am talking him off the ledge. While on the phone, I get an update of course. All seems well so far. I close my eyes again but not for long. RING, RING, it's Andy. Love his heart! He called to tell me that they were giving her a bottle but he started banging on the window telling them not to! Gotta love a guy that supports his wife's breast feeding wishes. She came to the window and told him that it was just water and they were checking to make sure all was well with her suck. He was in total protection mode, sticking up for me! I could have told them if her suck was good or not if they would just bring me my baby and let me nurse her! UGH!

Eventually, I get wheeled out of the recovery room. Started feeling kind of woozy, so the nurses grabbed a barf bag for me to hold. They wheel me left and right, up one hall and down another. Finally, room 5040. I am being wheeled in and uh-oh, barf! Okay, I expected to get a little sick, I did with Madison too! I call Andy-"Where is my baby?", waiting, waiting, waiting! BARF! Okay, I am fine, I think. Nurse comes in and I ask, "Where is my baby?". She assures me that they will go and check on her. BARF! Okay, this isn't cool! Finally, Andy calls back on the trusty old cell phone and says that they are on their way. In comes Madison, Andy, and baby Molly! Oh good, now I can finally breast feed her. It is 1:30-she has been in this world for 4 hours, let me feed that baby! BARF! This is not good!

Molly latches on well and nurses for about 10 minutes on each side. BARF! Oh, goodness, I am not feeling well. I then pass my sweet little love muffin to my sweet big love muffin!

Oh, the joy! I have been waiting to see this picture for many moons! This is wonderful! BARF! Yup, still sick! Andy's mom and sister then come in! I don't remember too much other than being sick. This should be passing. Someone gets me some ice chips. Maybe something in my stomach will help. Nope, BARF! This goes on for 12 hours. NOT GOOD! The visitors leave and it is just my little family of 4!

I had some visitors that evening, I don't remember much. I think I was in and out of sleep. Plus, I was so sick that I wasn't much of a host anyway!

My Mom came in around 8 that evening to stay with me and Madison and Andy went home. I think Andy called 10 times checking on me that evening. I stopped throwing up around midnight, after many drugs to try to stop it. I actually was feeling really good. Especially considering all that had happened that day! I asked the night nurse if they could take out my catheter because I wanted to get up. She checked my urine bag and it was brown. SERIOUSLY, can't a girl catch a break!?!? I started drinking more water, now that I could keep it down. They were afraid my kidneys were shutting down. Luckily, I was just a little dehydrated. After an hour or two, they freed me from my catheter and later my IV. I was up and moving around like nothing had happened-MUCH different from my surgery with Madison. I was so, so sore after Madison.

TUESDAY

Alright, I am feeling good! Let's go home!

Andy takes Madison to school and heads my way. Mom leaves shortly there after to get some rest. We had a couple of visitors, I had a shower, feeling great!

One of the pediatricians came to check out the babies. He came and talked with me and said "She looks good, has a good suck, especially after the rough start". That is when Andy and I started comparing notes from the previous day.

Molly choked a couple of times, freaked Andy out. Luckily, being a mom of 2 (did I just say that?), I was pretty aggressive with the booger sucker and she seemed fine. Andy went and picked up big sis from school and we spent more time as a family of 4. They left around 7 or 8 and Mom came and stayed with me again. I was ready to go home and kept asking the nurse about leaving on Wednesday. I didn't want to stay any longer than I needed to!

The night went well. Let's pray for leaving tomorrow!

WEDNESDAY

Andy takes Madison to school and arrives to relieve Mom. Before leaving, she gets a call that her Mom is non-responsive in the nursing home and they are taking her to the hospital. Mom mentally prepares for a drive to Delaware. She was upset because she knew that I was relying on her to help me but Andy was able to stay and help me the rest of the week-and I recovered well and really didn't need much help at all!

The dreaded picture lady comes in! Oh gosh! Here I am, chomping at the bits, ready to leave, and she rolls that cart in to take pictures. I change Molly's clothes and the picture taking begins. They put the pictures on the screen with some really sappy music playing and the water works begin! I start sobbing! Sobbing, like shoulder shaking sobbing! I was a mess! I tell the lady it's a good cry but she leaves temporarily so I can get myself back together-it was THAT bad. Andy tells her "You people shouldn't be allowed to do this to a woman who just gave birth". That's my guy-always sticking up for me! Needless to say, we bought the package that was $100+ with the CD. Major rip off but I was in no shape to make any other decision!

OK, I haven't seen my doc since my surgery and I KNOW that I have to see one of them to release me from the hospital so I become the squeaky wheel! Every time that nurse came in, I asked. Finally one of the docs came and signed off! Let's go, right? Well, if you have ever been in the hospital, you know it isn't that easy! Andy leaves to pick up Madison and I pack up. We wait, and wait, and wait. Finally, we are leaving! Let's go home.

I think I asked Madison about 100 times if her sister was okay while riding home.

We made it home! Life is good! Molly is such a great baby and Madison is such a great big sister. Madison asks to hold Molly so I hand her to her on the bed and walk downstairs to talk to Andy for a second. This is what I walk upstairs too!

I woke Madison up and she said "I was just really tired Mom, so I made sure to hold her head really good and I laid down". I think that this is the most precious picture of all! That is some serious sister love!

At my check-up, I ask the doc what took so long during my surgery. She proceeded to tell me that I had scar tissue like a cancer patient. She had never seen so much scar tissue. She was surprised that I even got pregnant. She said she wasn't even able to remove my uterus from my abdomen and that all of my organs were cemented together. She then said that she is glad she tied my tubes because it isn't safe for me to have any more children and that if I ever need another surgery involving my abdomen, that they need to be prepared for some serious battle. She said that my scar tissue was the worst she had ever seen!

Hey when I do it, I do it right!

So, that's it! That is the birth story of Molly Marie!

I am truly grateful for the blessings that God has given me! I am amazed by his love everyday! Our family feels complete! Thank you God!