We have pics now of the big day!
Go here to see pictures and skip the delivery details.
I went to my doctor's appointment last Tuesday afternoon at 3:40. My blood pressure was up at 144/92 and was not coming down after resting, so Dr. Ellington said it was birthday time.
I tried to talk her into another day or so, but she said I wasn't even allowed to go home. Do not pass go...go straight down the hall to labor and delivery. I'd never been so thankful that I had shaved, showered, put on make-up and used mousse.
So, I made some super quick phone calls (several to Shawn because his phone kept sending me to voice mail) including some "911" texts (because that was our emergency-call-me code). The hospital sent Shawn downstairs to admit me, and sent me WITH MY THREE KIDS down to my room. (internal voice was saying, "really hospital? I have high blood pressure and you'd like for me to go strip down, put on a hospital gown, leave you some samples, and rest while my three kids explore all of your gadgets and tools and potty 37 times in the room??)
Anyway, doctor came down and said that we would be delivering around 9:00 pm. My lab results came back showing that I was well into the pre-eclamptic range. My blood pressure was actually rising as I rested for 2 hours before surgery. It was go-time.
Thanks to Ashley who rushed up to the hospital to grab my kids, feed them, and take them back to our house. Thanks to Sumer for putting my kids to bed and reading stories to them, and thanks to Big Nanny for spending the night with my kiddos and a dog, who apparently had eaten something that did not agree with him (sheesh...of all the times to not have bowel control).
Shawn and Ashley were in the room as I was wheeled out to surgery. Ashley took some last minute pictures and I choked back tears as I left the room. Mom was booking the first flight out of SE Texas to Nashville. I hated not having my mom there, but having Shawn and my best buddy there was so nice and I'll never forget that moment. Shawn adorned the handsome blue scrubs and met me in the o.r.
I was 36 weeks 6 days which was my earliest baby delivery. I have to say that I am not one to wish for early deliveries. I prefer for my babies to cook as long as they need to. While I feel a little cheated out of the end of my pregnancy, I know that it was time. We have had some scary outcomes with my high blood pressure (with Mia) and I knew in my heart we did not need to take any more chances. And, I knew there were so many of you praying for a safe delivery. God is good all the time. All the time, God is good.
Ava Francis came into the world at 8:58 pm weighing in at a tiny (for Hanks standards) 7lb 1 oz and 20 inches long. She has strawberry blond hair and beautiful skin.
Post-surgery, Tracey came to stay with me while Shawn went home to grab some essentials.
Sweet multi-tasking Tracey, held my baby and my hair as I threw up and hemorrhaged all at the same time. She was able to see me have a shot of something stabbed quickly into my leg for fear that I was bleeding out, and then watch two nurses tackle my freshly operated on belly to "massage" my uterus back to "normal." That procedure is so wrong on about 57 different levels. Oh the things no one tells you before you have children.
Everything calmed down and Shawn, Ava and I settled in for the night (at like 2 or 3 am).
We had an awesome couple of days in the new labor and delivery floor until every preggo in Williamson County decided to deliver and kick me out of my room. Mom, Sumer and Alicia caught the brunt of my post-pardum hormones as I complained and cried that I had been moved to a less-than-stellar hospital room.
The rest of our stay was fairly uneventful. My blood pressure started going back up on Thursday (and is still up a little today). Ava had a little scary moment on Friday right before we left for home that landed her in the NICU for 45 minutes for some monitoring. Just a little preemie issue that turned out to be okay. All looked well, and we went home.
Just want to give a little shout out to Angela Hailey. I have no idea who you are, but some how my nurse gave me your prescriptions for percocet and naproxen. I hope that your husband didn't have to wait in traffic as long as mine did when he drove all the way back to the hospital to retrieve your prescriptions in 5:00 traffic. Note to others: Kroger Pharmacy will not give you someone else's narcotics, no matter how much pain you are in. Who knew?
We're home now and settling in nicely. Ava and I pretty much sleep and nurse 24/7. It always takes my babies a while to get the hang of nursing, but I am determined to make it happen. So, I will continue to take advantage of having my mom here (who is an angel in disguise and Cinderella on the side) and concentrate on the essentials.
Thanks to all of you who have cooked us meals and are going to cook us meals. Thanks for the phone calls and prayers. We love you all and will someday try to repay your kindness and generosity.
Love,
Heather
Hope you enjoy the pictures! I'm quite sure there are more to come.
Go here to see pictures and skip the delivery details.
I went to my doctor's appointment last Tuesday afternoon at 3:40. My blood pressure was up at 144/92 and was not coming down after resting, so Dr. Ellington said it was birthday time.
I tried to talk her into another day or so, but she said I wasn't even allowed to go home. Do not pass go...go straight down the hall to labor and delivery. I'd never been so thankful that I had shaved, showered, put on make-up and used mousse.
So, I made some super quick phone calls (several to Shawn because his phone kept sending me to voice mail) including some "911" texts (because that was our emergency-call-me code). The hospital sent Shawn downstairs to admit me, and sent me WITH MY THREE KIDS down to my room. (internal voice was saying, "really hospital? I have high blood pressure and you'd like for me to go strip down, put on a hospital gown, leave you some samples, and rest while my three kids explore all of your gadgets and tools and potty 37 times in the room??)
Anyway, doctor came down and said that we would be delivering around 9:00 pm. My lab results came back showing that I was well into the pre-eclamptic range. My blood pressure was actually rising as I rested for 2 hours before surgery. It was go-time.
Thanks to Ashley who rushed up to the hospital to grab my kids, feed them, and take them back to our house. Thanks to Sumer for putting my kids to bed and reading stories to them, and thanks to Big Nanny for spending the night with my kiddos and a dog, who apparently had eaten something that did not agree with him (sheesh...of all the times to not have bowel control).
Shawn and Ashley were in the room as I was wheeled out to surgery. Ashley took some last minute pictures and I choked back tears as I left the room. Mom was booking the first flight out of SE Texas to Nashville. I hated not having my mom there, but having Shawn and my best buddy there was so nice and I'll never forget that moment. Shawn adorned the handsome blue scrubs and met me in the o.r.
I was 36 weeks 6 days which was my earliest baby delivery. I have to say that I am not one to wish for early deliveries. I prefer for my babies to cook as long as they need to. While I feel a little cheated out of the end of my pregnancy, I know that it was time. We have had some scary outcomes with my high blood pressure (with Mia) and I knew in my heart we did not need to take any more chances. And, I knew there were so many of you praying for a safe delivery. God is good all the time. All the time, God is good.
Ava Francis came into the world at 8:58 pm weighing in at a tiny (for Hanks standards) 7lb 1 oz and 20 inches long. She has strawberry blond hair and beautiful skin.
Post-surgery, Tracey came to stay with me while Shawn went home to grab some essentials.
Sweet multi-tasking Tracey, held my baby and my hair as I threw up and hemorrhaged all at the same time. She was able to see me have a shot of something stabbed quickly into my leg for fear that I was bleeding out, and then watch two nurses tackle my freshly operated on belly to "massage" my uterus back to "normal." That procedure is so wrong on about 57 different levels. Oh the things no one tells you before you have children.
Everything calmed down and Shawn, Ava and I settled in for the night (at like 2 or 3 am).
We had an awesome couple of days in the new labor and delivery floor until every preggo in Williamson County decided to deliver and kick me out of my room. Mom, Sumer and Alicia caught the brunt of my post-pardum hormones as I complained and cried that I had been moved to a less-than-stellar hospital room.
The rest of our stay was fairly uneventful. My blood pressure started going back up on Thursday (and is still up a little today). Ava had a little scary moment on Friday right before we left for home that landed her in the NICU for 45 minutes for some monitoring. Just a little preemie issue that turned out to be okay. All looked well, and we went home.
Just want to give a little shout out to Angela Hailey. I have no idea who you are, but some how my nurse gave me your prescriptions for percocet and naproxen. I hope that your husband didn't have to wait in traffic as long as mine did when he drove all the way back to the hospital to retrieve your prescriptions in 5:00 traffic. Note to others: Kroger Pharmacy will not give you someone else's narcotics, no matter how much pain you are in. Who knew?
We're home now and settling in nicely. Ava and I pretty much sleep and nurse 24/7. It always takes my babies a while to get the hang of nursing, but I am determined to make it happen. So, I will continue to take advantage of having my mom here (who is an angel in disguise and Cinderella on the side) and concentrate on the essentials.
Thanks to all of you who have cooked us meals and are going to cook us meals. Thanks for the phone calls and prayers. We love you all and will someday try to repay your kindness and generosity.
Love,
Heather
Hope you enjoy the pictures! I'm quite sure there are more to come.
5 comments:
Glad to finally hear "the story". hope all is settling down. will come see you soon and steal away 3 kids for awhile!! Love ya!
All I've got to say is: THAT DARN DOG! & I'm sorry about the carpet. I did my best to clean it up but you might want to put in a call to Stanley Steemer;) I would have never let him in had I known.
Wow Heather! This was obviously a memorable birth! I am so glad in the end you are doing well and little Ava is healthy too! You'll just have a very exciting story to tell her when she grows up! :) CONGRATS!
She is beautiful. Glad to hear you are all doing well.
Oh my!!! Glad to hear the whole story. Wow. You really could be a stand-up comic Heather! I mean, I'm thinking this part about Angela Hailey is going to be all serious and then you come out w/ the funny on that too!!! Hilarious. I guess it wasn't for Shawn and you in pain, but the story sure is. :) What up with the pharmacist--what is a little percoset among friends, especially those who've just given birth!?
She is a beauty!!! Love the picture of Mia holding her. Ahhhh … what a big girl she is. I remember having her in the 3-year-old TK class when I was your *helper* that you didn't even need. Talk about a multi-tasker.
Oh and the part about your dog. I can just imagine. Yuck! And poor Angela. What a minister will do for her families! This should earn her a bonus or something.
Thanks for sharing!!!
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