Better late than never...

Keaton is 2 weeks old - which means I'm extremely late in getting this birth story posted. Better late than never, right? :)

So - the pregnancy had been text book - as previously mentioned. Then on Mother's Day I ended up catching a terrible cold/sinus infection. From there - my perfect pregnancy got a little chaotic.

MONDAY, MAY 11th: I had a doc appointment and they tested me for strep - which came back negative. I apparently had some sort of viral thing that antibiotics wouldn't touch. I had an ultrasound scheduled for the same day which showed that the baby's fluid level was extremely low. They sent me to the hospital immediately to receive "24 hours of hydration" with the hope that the fluid level would increase and we could keep the original scheduled date for the c-section (May 19th). Off to the hospital I went...totally unexpected and totally nervous. I was hooked up to an IV and was even ordered to spend time in the maternity "spa" - which was basically a big tub with luke warm water. Luckily, by the next morning a new ultrasound showed the fluid level had doubled - but my cold was also getting worse. The doc on call requested a test where they watched the baby for 8 different actions - in order to pass, you had to get a score of 8 out of 8. The last action was movement of the baby's diaphragm. With less than 30 seconds to go, the diaphragm finally started moving but wasn't moving long enough for him to pass the test. The doc requested the test be repeated in another 4 hours which he then passed and I was discharged. I was told to come to the docs office the next morning for blood work and to keep my last prenatal appointment on Thursday.

THURSDAY, MAY 14th: I arrived for my LAST prenatal appointment. I was STILL sick - coughing, sneezing, basically miserable. When the medical assistant went to take my blood pressure, I had a coughing fit which elevated my blood pressure (130 something over 80). They laid me on my side and retook my blood pressure which was then normal (117 over 70). When the doc came in (quick note - last appointment was with the doc that I'm not particularly fond of) she tried to tell me that when she looked at the "big picture", signs of preeclampsia were there (high blood pressure, blood work showing elevated levels, low fluid level, etc...) and she recommended that I deliver immediately. I tried to explain that I had coughed when the medical assistant took my blood pressure and that I was also taking Sudafed for my cold (which is known to elevate blood pressure). I continued to explain that the fluid level had also been low with my daughter and basically told the doc that I wanted the second opinion from Dr. Messer who was scheduled to deliver me on Tuesday. Unfortunately Dr. Messer agreed with the other doc and I was once again admitted to the hospital. I was set up for hourly blood pressure monitoring which came back normal every time. They drew new blood work which showed that my levels had remained the same and were not increasing like they would with preeclampsia. They also gave me antibiotics with hope that it would fight the sinus infection I was now dealing with. Dr. Messer decided to keep me over night for observation and would make a determination the next day.

FRIDAY, MAY 15th: Dr. Bullaro (the doc who delivered Rya) was now the doc on call. She said that ultimately, we could wait until the scheduled date to deliver the baby - though there was really no benefit of doing so. The baby was healthy and could be delivered at any time. She left the decision up to Roy and I whether we wanted to deliver or wait it out until Tuesday. After discussing it, both Roy and I decided that having the baby was the best solution - I was already in the hospital, hooked up to IV, I was tired and miserable (and STILL sick), and delivering on Friday would allow Roy to be there without having to take additional time off work (he had already missed most of the week due to my hospital visits). By now, it was about Noon and I was told that I would be in surgery by 2:30pm. After a couple of schedule changes, I was finally walked to the Operating Room (yes, I walked myself into the Operating Room) and Roy was given his scrubs and told to wait in the hall until they came to get him. Dr. Bullaro (who is the best Doctor EVER!!!) was with me while I was given my spinal and prepped for surgery - which I appreciated. With Rya, Roy was with me when I was given the epidural and without him there I was a little anxious. Roy was brought in, camera ready and before I knew it, the surgery had begun. Dr. Bullaro asked me how much of what she was doing did I want to know...I quickly answered "not much" - ha! :) I was more alert and aware of what was going on this time. I could feel pressure, but no pain. When it was time for the baby to come out, I started to feel a lot of pressure - and then all of a sudden a huge release with a "whoosh" sound. I hear the doc say "Whoa!" and everyone laugh a little - apparently the little guy just came bursting out like he couldn't wait to enter the world. He was a healthy 8lbs 1oz and 20.5 inches long (in other words, a big baby just like his sister - especially considering he was only 38wks 4days). They finished the rest of the surgery while Roy went with the baby. I was eventually wheeled into the recovery area where Roy and the baby were waiting. I was able to give him his first feeding - unlike Rya when I was completely knocked out after some complications during the surgery. We were then taken to the post-op room where Auntie Carlene and the grandparents showed up shortly after. Rya came up a few hours later and immediately took to her new role as Big Sis.

For the most part, recovery went well - because I was still recovering from my sinus infection and had a ton of drainage, I ended up getting sick Sunday which put my discharge on hold. They gave me some allergy meds and cough medicine and by Monday I was able to be discharged.

Which brings us to today. I'm amazed at how fast he's growing already. He's eating 4 ounces a feeding and sleeping about 2.5-3 hours at a time. He's a happy baby - at least until he poops...he HATES having a dirty diaper and will scream bloody murder until he's changed - LOL! Every day he looks more and more like his sister - who, by the way, is completely EXCITED about having a baby brother. She loves to help feed him and is always asking to "hold the baby". At his first doc appt, he was already back up to 7lbs 15 oz (he was 7lbs 13oz when we left the hospital) and was a whopping 21.5 inches long - nearly an inch longer. His 2 week follow up is Wednesday, and I'm interested to see just how big our Little Man has gotten :) So far, the biggest difference I've found between baby boys and baby girls - DIAPER CHANGES. You just never know what to expect...and yes...there have been a few "squirting" incidents. We've done a ton of laundry this first week :)

So, that's it - rather long and detailed, but really this is more for me to remember and so the kids will know how they were brought into the world. One day, they'll be able to look back at all these posts and see just how much love and care it took to help them get to where they are :)

Thanks for reading and as always...STAY TUNED!!!!

He has ARRIVED!!

Keaton Angelo McCormack has arrived!!

Born 05/15/09 @ 2:18pm
8lbs 1oz
20.5 inches long

Birth story to come. For now, enjoy the slideshow :)