Since we had a C-section with Aspen we were scheduled to have a repeat C-section for Taylen. So many emotions were running through my head the night before as I put Aspen to bed for the last time as an only child. I tried to get some sleep but was just too excited and nervous to sleep much. The night before was Halloween so luckily getting Aspen ready to trick or treat and handing out candy at home kept my mind busy for awhile.
We got up bright and early to be at the hospital by our 5:45 check in time.
my last belly picture - 39 weeks, 1 day
I got changed and they got me all hooked up to the monitors so we could hear her little heart beating. At this point I was taking in every movement, knowing that I would miss it once she wasn't in there anymore and getting more and more nervous knowing I was heading into surgery. They got my IV going on the second try and looking back I can say that was the worst part of the whole surgery. We hung out while they were monitoring me and getting everything all set and watched Mickey Mouse. My mom got there to stay with Aspen and before I knew it we were walking down the hall to the OR.
Last family picture as a family of 3
Walking into the OR it really hit me what was going on and I got emotional. My nurse was great and walked me through everything, including breathing with me while they did my spinal. Joe came in after that and I immediately felt better. My toes and legs got warm and then the feeling disappeared and I was just more excited than anything. After a lot of pushing and pulling, tugging and even having to use the vacuum she was here!!
Taylen Ann born 8:32 am, 7 lbs 15 oz, 20 inches
After delivery we found out her cord was wrapped around her neck twice and she hadn't dropped very much so they actually had to pull and vacuum her down to the incision in order to get her out. She was crying off and on, but in between her cries she was turning a purplish blue color and was having a hard time breathing. They brought her over to me for a kiss and then took her to the nursery. Joe kissed me and followed her. They finished stitching me up and moved me into the recovery room. Before surgery they had told me that they would bring the baby in there with me so when they didn't I knew something was wrong. I kept asking about her and Joe came in and out giving me updates. This was about the longest hour of my life, followed closely by the hour after Aspen was born when I wasn't with her. Finally after my hour in the recovery room being monitored, my nurse just took my bed directly into the nursery. I will forever be so grateful to her for everything she did.
Finally meeting my second baby girl. Beautiful just like her sister.
After we were in there for awhile they updated us after the doctor had checked her over. They had done a chest x-ray and it showed some fluid in her lungs so they were going to treat her as if she had pneumonia. We were shocked and scared for our girl. They had to keep her on oxygen or her stats were dropping so she had to stay in the nursery until she was breathing on her own. They had to give her an iv and start her on antibiotics. The thought of my girl getting poked like that and being anything other than perfect was really hard to take.
I went back and forth from my room to the nursery in my bed several times and most of the rest of the day was a blur. Joe and I stayed in the nursery until about 11:00 and then went back to our room to try to get some rest. We slept off and on and finally at 4:00 am I couldn't take it anymore and got up out of bed for the first time and the nurses took me down to the nursery in a wheelchair. I held my little pumpkin for 2 1/2 hrs until I had to leave for shift change. At this point she was down to 21% oxygen, which is what room air is and they were going to start backing off the amount of flow she was receiving to see what she did on her own.
Joe went down to see her at 8:30 am and came back about 5 min later with Taylen!! We were both so happy to have her breathing so well on her own and in our room with us.
Aspen finally getting to meet her little sister. She just wanted to kiss her as soon as she saw her!
The rest of our stay was an up and down of IV's (baby's veins are so small they won't hold an IV for very long so after a few days they usually have to replace it in another spot). She first had her IV in her arm, that lasted for a day and a half- then they were able to move it to her foot and that one only held for one treatment. Then they brought her back to me with her IV in her head. It was so hard to see. Luckily that one lasted through the end of our stay. I was discharged from the hospital on Monday, but luckily they allowed me to stay in my same room to stay with her and she was in my room the whole time except when she went down to the nursery to get her dose of antibiotics. Joe went home to stay with Aspen at night- and they came in every hour to check on Taylen so I didn't get much sleep.
We were able to go home Friday, a week after she was born, after she finished 7 days of antibiotics through her iv. I was so happy to bring her home and to know that she's a little fighter and medically cleared and healthy. It felt amazing to be in the car with both Aspen and Taylen in the back and then to be at home with our new family of 4.
