Mommy Talk Monday

Birth Story:

I've been meaning to share this with all of you since we only have 5 1/2 weeks until our new little one arrives...so here it goes:

This is a copy of the letter that we sent with Kallen's birth announcement...It's a little long, but I hope you enjoy!

Hello everyone,

My name is Kallen, and I was born on November 8th at 4:55pm. I was born by Cesarean Section 2 weeks before my due date and weighed in at 7 pounds 10 ounces ans was 20 inches long. Here is my story.

Mom and Dad found out they were expecting me on St. Patrick's Day, the same day they brought home our new boat! Dad had a list of things he wanted before they started having kids, and the day he brought home the last thing on their list, I made my presence known!!! Pretty fitting I thought! The months that followed were full of joy and anticipation for everyone in the family. Mom and dad didn't want to know if I was a little boy or a little girl, so I always kept them guessing! It was really fun to be a surprise!

I didn't bother mom too much during her pregnancy, and in fact I just kind of hung out. It wasn't until I got stuck in the breech position that I gave her any troubles at all. I just couldn't get my head down into the position it needed to be fore mom to have a regular delivery. On November 7th the doctors tried to turn me around by pushing on my mommy's tummy, but I didn't like that very much, and just stayed put. It was obvious to me that I was causing her some discomfort, and I was tired of having my head jammed into her ribs, so that night the contractions started. Since the doctors didn't have any luck turning me, mom and dad planned to have me by C-Section on November 18th, but God and I had different plans. On Tuesday morning the 8th, my mom called the doctor who suggested we come in to get checked out. At 2:30 pm, the doctor told them to head to the hospital and get admitted because I was ready to come out! At 4:00 pm they wheeled us into the surgery room and pulled me out at 4:55 pm. I was so excited to hear my daddy yell "it's a boy" and couldn't wait to be in their arms!

After the doctors started to examine me, they noticed that I was a little "sluggish" and having a hard time breathing. I only got to see my mom for a split second before they ran me off to do a bunch of tests; at least dad was there to hold my hand through it all. I thought I would get to see my mom in her recovery room, but I was still not breathing well enough. As they wheeled her into the post-partum room, my nurse snuck me into the hall so mom could see me for another split second. Not near long enough if you ask me. After several tests and x-rays the doctors determined that I had more fluid in my lungs than normal and were worried about infection. They put an oxygen tent on me to try and give me more air, but that didn't seem to work. They they put a CPAP mask on as a last effort to try and get me breathing better before sending me to a better equipt NICU like Salem or Eugene. I still hadn't seen mom for more than a second, and was worried that they would send me away without being with her. At 9:45 pm, mom's angel labor and delivery nurse went to her room with a "hunch" that she needed to see me, and my grandpa sent out a special prayer request to the church. They wheeled her down to the nursery where she was able to touch me and talk with me, and that, along with the many prayers, was all I needed to pull out of my hard time! I still wasn't in the clear, but I was able to have the CPAP removed so I could try to breathe on my own. It wasn't until 3:30 in the morning that mom actually got to hold me. We waited almost 12 hours for that special time together and it was very emotional for all of us. The doctors and nurses continued to monitor my breathing and oxygen levels, while administering an IV, and I had to stay in the NICU for while longer until the pediatrician felt that I was okay to be in my mommy's room.

It was a scary couple of days for all of us, and definitely not what mommy and daddy were anticipating my birth to be like. With a lot of prayer and support from family and friends we made it through and are now happily adjusting to being a family. I can't wait to meet you all!

All my love (and my parent's too)

Kallen