I have been debating if I should write a post about my Little Munchkin Face for a while now, trying to decide if I would open up that part of me to all of you. I know I have mentioned several times about how he is my miracle baby, he is the most precious gift (not that my other children aren't which you will understand by the end of this 3 part series.) So, with all that said I will write each post about my baby munchkin face for the next 3 days (
which will delay the party until Saturday and don't forget about the awesome giveaway going on right now here). So here we go...
On Friday, December 16 my little Munchkin Face, Lawson (or Aussie as we call him), will turn 2. He is the most beautiful, most perfect child I ever seen...
Around midnight, I starting bleeding again and called the nurse in. It was minimal but we talked a while about it and the fact I would not be going home the next day. It was upsetting but I was willing to do what it took to keep our baby safe and healthy. At this point, I was starting to think that he was coming early and I was very thankful that I was given steroids when we got there (to help his lungs mature, just in case). She left and as she did she told me to keep her posted and to let her know if I had what she referred to as a gush or anything abnormal. I was in NO WAY prepared for what happened next.
As I laid there wondering if I would be home for my kids on Christmas I decided I would go potty. All was well! I got up to return to bed and as I climbed back up into the most uncomfortable hospital bed ever, it happened. That gush she had talked about and it was not stopping. I pushed the button and tried to remain calm. Which really was not difficult considering. She came to check things and that is when I realized how bad it was. It wasn't just a one gush it was still gushing and everywhere. She pushed the button and called out some code. Before I knew what was happening my room was filled with nurses. One of them was on a cell phone of sorts talking to a the lab downstairs trying to order blood and the others were grabbing papers, having me sign things, asking me a million questions, trying to clean up...it was chaos. CHAOS!
As I laid there trying to figure out what all was happening, they slipped on an oxygen mask and I asked to call my husband. I knew I had to do it then because I could tell I was about to loose consciousness. Not a good feeling.
It was 3 in the morning when I dialed, no answer. About the 3rd time he woke up enough to pick up the phone. I explained what was happening but he must have still been asleep because he really did not say much. So I spoke a little louder and sterner. "THIS IS IT. WHAT THEY TOLD US ABOUT, IT IS HAPPENING NOW. YOU HAVE TO WAKE UP." That got his attention and he was on the way. Not that it would matter because no one would talk to him for another 5 hours.
I handed the phone back to the nurse with the cell phone thingy and grabbed her hand. "I am scared." She said she knew I was.
Next the anaesthesiologist came in and asked me a couple of questions. He explained a little about what was happening and I caught about every other sentence but I do know he said Placenta Aburptio and that I had to have the baby now. He talked to the nurse briefly asking where my Dr was, what had happened, etc.
Around 3:30AM they wheeled me downstairs for surgery. My OB AND his partner were waiting for us when we got off the elevator. My OB grabbed my hand and said everything would be fine and so did his partner.
I really do not remember much else about what happened.Except, that as soon as we got into the operating room the anesthesiologist started talking loudly and this is what I heard before I passed out, "She is ready, you have to go now. GO NOW!"
After all of that, I am not sure how we made but we did. We were a little beat up but we were alive. Around 8 when the surgery was finished and the baby was stable the Dr went to talk to my husband. He was relieved. I woke up in ICU where I would have to stay for 24 hours and listened as they told my everything they had done, c-section at 33 weeks, bleeding could not be stopped so I also had a hysterectomy, and then because it is in close quarters my bladder was severely damaged and repaired, plus I was given a transfusion due to massive blood loss (I was given 4 units). I would have to say that there must be some divine plan in store for me because I am not sure how many people make it out of situations like that. And could we all tell my OB a big fat THANK YOU for not letting me go home that night. He truly is an amazing Dr and always has my best interest in mind. After all of that I pushed my medication button and went back to la-la-land. 2 days later I was allowed to see my new baby. He had been in a tent, on oxygen, warmers, photo therapy lights etc in the the NICU but I had missed it all. The only proof left that he was less than perfect was a feeding tube.
He was exactly 5 pounds when he was born.
He lost a little weight in the 18 days he had to spend in the NICU.
They told us how lucky we were that I was able to get the Steroids. Which we found to be so true looking at the other babes in the NICU and those that had to be transferred to a different hospital.
We were only allowed to hold him for 15 minutes during each visit.
When he finally got the feeding tube out we thought we were home free.
New Year's Eve we spent the night with him in a private room and were planning on taking
him home New Year's Day.
He had to take one last test the car seat test which determines if he can breathe while riding in
a car with out apnea.
He failed. We ran out and bought a new special car seat.
He failed again and again.
Then some of the "older" more experienced NICU nurses came in and fiddled with him and
the seat set up.
HE PASSED and we were home free.
Everyone was ecstatic to home together at last!
He did have an umbilical hernia and that line on his forehead you keep seeing (and that I told you to remember from day 1) is where the bone plates in his skull did not have time to expand and now overlap. THAT IS ALL THAT WAS WRONG WITH HIM.
HE IS PERFECT!!
And everyone wants to help. HAHA!
We are so blessed! Tomorrow as we celebrate Lawson's (a.k.a. Aussie, a.k.a Munchkin Face) birthday we will also quietly but enthusiastically celebrate my life and all of the wonderful doctors and nurses that helped save our lives that night 2 years ago.
We are a miracle and
JESUS IS THE REASON FOR THE SEASON!
We are living proof!
