We have a One Year Old now!! I cannot believe it! She's so grown up, even though she is still so tiny. :) I still needed to tell Addison's birth story, I thought today would be a good day. :)
Addison's birth story begins the day before she was born. It was Monday the 14th and I had an appointment with my Dr that morning at 10 am to see if I was still showing signs of Preemclampsia. I had found out the week before that I had Preemclampsia my whole third trimester. The doctors said they were just keeping an eye on it and had hoped that things would get better before I delivered. Unfortunately by the time I had my appointment on the 14th my blood pressure and the level of protein in my urine had not gone down and since I was a week overdue and still had not progressed in my labor the doctors felt it was necessary for me to go to the hospital to be checked out. They said the hospital would tell me if I would need a C-section. I went to the hospital immediately after and was admitted right then and began the tests. For an hour I was monitored and they took my blood pressure three times to see if it was getting any better. After the hour in there they said that I was not in danger of needing to have a C-section but that they did want to take me up to labor and delivery and begin the gels to induce me into labor. The next 18 hours consisted of me sitting in a bed waiting for the doctor to come in every 6 hours to apply more gels. I was not allowed to eat anything but clear liquids so I had a lot of ice and sprite. (which wasn't a bad thing, I LOVED THE ICE!) After the doctor came in to check on me after my last dose of gels he said that I was ready to be fully induced with the Pitocin, I was now 100% effaced and at 3 cm. We began the Pitocin and broke my water and that started working very quickly. Within three hours I was dilated to 6cm. At this point I asked for the epidural and within 30 minutes I received the epidural and was feeling great! After receiving the epidural they wanted me to turn to my other side so that the epidural would evenly spread throughout my body, but when I turned on my right side Addison's heart rate quickly dropped very low. The nurses were concerned and had me turn to my left side again which did help a lot, but her heart rate was still dropping every time I had a contraction. The nurses then decided to turn the pitocin off for a little bit to see how Addi did. Addison's heart rate quickly went back to normal and so for an hour I was on my own. After the hour I had not progressed any further and was still at 6cm at which point the nurses decided to turn the pitocin back on but it quickly affected Addison again so they turned the levels down. For an hour we watched how Addison's heart rate was and my labor did start progressing quickly again until my contractions started peaking too high and Addison's heart rate started going down again. Since I was at 7cm the nurses decided to turn the pitocin off for good and just hoped that I would progress on my own without it. The next 8 and a half hours were the longest of my life. After turning the pitocin off for good I began to feel sick and threw up. The nurses checked my temperature and I had a fever so they checked me out and told me that I had an infection and that it was likely that Addison had the infection as well so they needed to get me on an antibiotic. From 12-7pm I was on an antibiotic, had a fever and was feeling very sick and throughout that time period my epidural wore off 3 times in which the anesthesiologist would come in and give me another dose because the pump wasn't working. At 7pm on the dot the nurse checked me and finally informed me that I was at 10cm and that they were going to start having me push. I pushed from 7-7:49 and then stopped so the nurse could check me. She said that Addison was still at a station 1 so she needed to call the doctor to see what he thought about that. She then came and told me that the doctor said I should keep pushing but that he wasn't quite sure why Addison wasn't budging at all. I then pushed for another 20 minutes and after her telling me that Addison had still not moved anymore I asked to see the doctor. The doctor came in and I asked him straight forward if I needed to have a C-section, but he kept telling me that it was up to me. That I could push for another 30 minutes to see if she'd come but that at that point I would have to do a C-section. After talking with Sam about what we felt I should do we decided on the C-section. I asked the doctor if he felt that was the right decision and I guess now because I had made he decision he was finally able to be honest and said he felt so. He felt that even if I pushed for another 30 minutes I would end up having the C-section either way. At 8:30 the doctor said he would start getting everything ready for me to have the C-section. At this point my epidural had worn off for the third time so they were calling the anesthesiologist in, but they were switching shifts so I had to wait for the next anesthesiologist to get in. At 9pm they gave me a "super dose" of the epidural and they wheeled me into the surgery room to prep me. What I remember of the rest of this is very shaky so I have had to rely on Sam for most of what happened. I remember feeling very scared because I was not prepared for a C-section. I had no idea what all they would be doing and I was terrified that my epidural would wear off again! I remember them telling me that after pushing for an hour an half that most likely Addison would be stuck, so I would feel some tugging to get her out. At 9:39pm Addison was born. She was finally here! I remember just crying realizing that it was all over and that finally our little girl was here! I told Sam to go be with her and to not leave her side. After that I remember hearing Addison cry while they were cleaning her up and then I immediately began having chest pain. It was not long after first telling the doctor that I was having pain that they brought in the anesthesiologist to talk to me to see what was happening. I told him that I was having very sharp pains in my chest. He told me that it was probably an air bubble from the C-section and that it would shortly go away, but it didn't It progressively got worse and worse until finally the doctor asked if he could put me under. I told him that I wanted to wait until I saw Addison but it got so bad that I was screaming in pain. The doctor shortly after just knocked me out. The next thing I remember is waking up and asking to see Sam. Sam told me what had happened and showed me pictures of me holding Addison, which to this day I do not remember at all! I asked if I could see her, but Sam and my mom told me that Addison did have the infection and because she was overdue she did have meconium in her lungs so they had to keep her in the NICU. I then had a lot of nurses come in and do tests on me and they had the cardiologist come in and give me a heart monitor so they could figure out what was wrong with my heart. They told me that I would not be able to hold Addison or nurse her until my heart rate went back to normal. I was having such a hard time not being able to see Addison and because I was being monitored they could not take me down to see her even. 5 hours after delivering her, the NICU nurses snuck Addison up to my room to surprise me. I was ecstatic!!! The doctor allowed me to hold her but said that if my heart rate started to drop again I had to put her down. That did happen quickly after picking her up which totally makes sense because my heart was pounding holding my baby girl. I was so out of it still but I just remember feeling in awe that she was actually here and that I was holding my little girl. Everything that I had been through was finally worth it, holding her! After that Addison and I were in the hospital for 6 days ha. It was so long! Compared to those who had their child in the NICU for months I have nothing to complain about but it was very difficult for me to be in the hospital that long. I was so glad for the day that we finally got to go home. After a week of testing and my blood being taken SO many times I was glad to be going home and getting back into life. All they ever told me was that they think with all the stress of being in labor for so long and being sick that my heart just finally had it and started working too hard. After a week of wearing the monitor and having to take it very easy my heart was doing fine and I haven't had any problems since.
Well there it is, the story of how Addison became a part of our family. Haha. It was the longest week of my life, but the last year has been the best of my life. I am so grateful for Addison and the joy she is. She makes every day, every experience, better than ever! I love her with all my heart and I love Sam for marrying me and giving me our beautiful Addison. He is such a wonderful father and has made motherhood only an enjoyable experience because of all the help, love and support he gives me daily. I AM A LUCKY GIRL!! I am so grateful to my mom who came and stayed with me, kept me company while I waited for Addison and who stayed with me and Sam in the hospital after Addison was born and the week after to help me get everything in life situated. She was an absolute life saver!!! We couldn't have done it without her! I am also so grateful for my Heavenly Father and my Savior for giving me strength, courage and peace during labor and the last year when none of them are my strong points in any way shape or form. I love my Addison and am grateful that Heavenly Father placed her in our home. We will always do our best to take care of her!
We love you Addi Marie. Happy Birthday!
Addison's birth story begins the day before she was born. It was Monday the 14th and I had an appointment with my Dr that morning at 10 am to see if I was still showing signs of Preemclampsia. I had found out the week before that I had Preemclampsia my whole third trimester. The doctors said they were just keeping an eye on it and had hoped that things would get better before I delivered. Unfortunately by the time I had my appointment on the 14th my blood pressure and the level of protein in my urine had not gone down and since I was a week overdue and still had not progressed in my labor the doctors felt it was necessary for me to go to the hospital to be checked out. They said the hospital would tell me if I would need a C-section. I went to the hospital immediately after and was admitted right then and began the tests. For an hour I was monitored and they took my blood pressure three times to see if it was getting any better. After the hour in there they said that I was not in danger of needing to have a C-section but that they did want to take me up to labor and delivery and begin the gels to induce me into labor. The next 18 hours consisted of me sitting in a bed waiting for the doctor to come in every 6 hours to apply more gels. I was not allowed to eat anything but clear liquids so I had a lot of ice and sprite. (which wasn't a bad thing, I LOVED THE ICE!) After the doctor came in to check on me after my last dose of gels he said that I was ready to be fully induced with the Pitocin, I was now 100% effaced and at 3 cm. We began the Pitocin and broke my water and that started working very quickly. Within three hours I was dilated to 6cm. At this point I asked for the epidural and within 30 minutes I received the epidural and was feeling great! After receiving the epidural they wanted me to turn to my other side so that the epidural would evenly spread throughout my body, but when I turned on my right side Addison's heart rate quickly dropped very low. The nurses were concerned and had me turn to my left side again which did help a lot, but her heart rate was still dropping every time I had a contraction. The nurses then decided to turn the pitocin off for a little bit to see how Addi did. Addison's heart rate quickly went back to normal and so for an hour I was on my own. After the hour I had not progressed any further and was still at 6cm at which point the nurses decided to turn the pitocin back on but it quickly affected Addison again so they turned the levels down. For an hour we watched how Addison's heart rate was and my labor did start progressing quickly again until my contractions started peaking too high and Addison's heart rate started going down again. Since I was at 7cm the nurses decided to turn the pitocin off for good and just hoped that I would progress on my own without it. The next 8 and a half hours were the longest of my life. After turning the pitocin off for good I began to feel sick and threw up. The nurses checked my temperature and I had a fever so they checked me out and told me that I had an infection and that it was likely that Addison had the infection as well so they needed to get me on an antibiotic. From 12-7pm I was on an antibiotic, had a fever and was feeling very sick and throughout that time period my epidural wore off 3 times in which the anesthesiologist would come in and give me another dose because the pump wasn't working. At 7pm on the dot the nurse checked me and finally informed me that I was at 10cm and that they were going to start having me push. I pushed from 7-7:49 and then stopped so the nurse could check me. She said that Addison was still at a station 1 so she needed to call the doctor to see what he thought about that. She then came and told me that the doctor said I should keep pushing but that he wasn't quite sure why Addison wasn't budging at all. I then pushed for another 20 minutes and after her telling me that Addison had still not moved anymore I asked to see the doctor. The doctor came in and I asked him straight forward if I needed to have a C-section, but he kept telling me that it was up to me. That I could push for another 30 minutes to see if she'd come but that at that point I would have to do a C-section. After talking with Sam about what we felt I should do we decided on the C-section. I asked the doctor if he felt that was the right decision and I guess now because I had made he decision he was finally able to be honest and said he felt so. He felt that even if I pushed for another 30 minutes I would end up having the C-section either way. At 8:30 the doctor said he would start getting everything ready for me to have the C-section. At this point my epidural had worn off for the third time so they were calling the anesthesiologist in, but they were switching shifts so I had to wait for the next anesthesiologist to get in. At 9pm they gave me a "super dose" of the epidural and they wheeled me into the surgery room to prep me. What I remember of the rest of this is very shaky so I have had to rely on Sam for most of what happened. I remember feeling very scared because I was not prepared for a C-section. I had no idea what all they would be doing and I was terrified that my epidural would wear off again! I remember them telling me that after pushing for an hour an half that most likely Addison would be stuck, so I would feel some tugging to get her out. At 9:39pm Addison was born. She was finally here! I remember just crying realizing that it was all over and that finally our little girl was here! I told Sam to go be with her and to not leave her side. After that I remember hearing Addison cry while they were cleaning her up and then I immediately began having chest pain. It was not long after first telling the doctor that I was having pain that they brought in the anesthesiologist to talk to me to see what was happening. I told him that I was having very sharp pains in my chest. He told me that it was probably an air bubble from the C-section and that it would shortly go away, but it didn't It progressively got worse and worse until finally the doctor asked if he could put me under. I told him that I wanted to wait until I saw Addison but it got so bad that I was screaming in pain. The doctor shortly after just knocked me out. The next thing I remember is waking up and asking to see Sam. Sam told me what had happened and showed me pictures of me holding Addison, which to this day I do not remember at all! I asked if I could see her, but Sam and my mom told me that Addison did have the infection and because she was overdue she did have meconium in her lungs so they had to keep her in the NICU. I then had a lot of nurses come in and do tests on me and they had the cardiologist come in and give me a heart monitor so they could figure out what was wrong with my heart. They told me that I would not be able to hold Addison or nurse her until my heart rate went back to normal. I was having such a hard time not being able to see Addison and because I was being monitored they could not take me down to see her even. 5 hours after delivering her, the NICU nurses snuck Addison up to my room to surprise me. I was ecstatic!!! The doctor allowed me to hold her but said that if my heart rate started to drop again I had to put her down. That did happen quickly after picking her up which totally makes sense because my heart was pounding holding my baby girl. I was so out of it still but I just remember feeling in awe that she was actually here and that I was holding my little girl. Everything that I had been through was finally worth it, holding her! After that Addison and I were in the hospital for 6 days ha. It was so long! Compared to those who had their child in the NICU for months I have nothing to complain about but it was very difficult for me to be in the hospital that long. I was so glad for the day that we finally got to go home. After a week of testing and my blood being taken SO many times I was glad to be going home and getting back into life. All they ever told me was that they think with all the stress of being in labor for so long and being sick that my heart just finally had it and started working too hard. After a week of wearing the monitor and having to take it very easy my heart was doing fine and I haven't had any problems since.
Well there it is, the story of how Addison became a part of our family. Haha. It was the longest week of my life, but the last year has been the best of my life. I am so grateful for Addison and the joy she is. She makes every day, every experience, better than ever! I love her with all my heart and I love Sam for marrying me and giving me our beautiful Addison. He is such a wonderful father and has made motherhood only an enjoyable experience because of all the help, love and support he gives me daily. I AM A LUCKY GIRL!! I am so grateful to my mom who came and stayed with me, kept me company while I waited for Addison and who stayed with me and Sam in the hospital after Addison was born and the week after to help me get everything in life situated. She was an absolute life saver!!! We couldn't have done it without her! I am also so grateful for my Heavenly Father and my Savior for giving me strength, courage and peace during labor and the last year when none of them are my strong points in any way shape or form. I love my Addison and am grateful that Heavenly Father placed her in our home. We will always do our best to take care of her!
We love you Addi Marie. Happy Birthday!
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