Dear Sweet Snuggle Bear,
It's been exactly a week since you came wailing into this world.. In what your dad and I have called the longest-SHORTEST week of our lives. Now that the days have begun to blend together, the medicated haze has somewhat subsided, visitors have slowed down a bit and we've begun to slowly settle into our new family of THREE (not counting your sweet, furry sister Macie :).. The day you were born seemed like forever ago. But in some weird twist of time, the week also seemed to pass in the blink of an eye..
Welcome to the World
Everleigh Isabella Kelley
Born: September 25, 2012 at 8:36pm
7lbs 1oz, 20" long
Last Monday night, at exactly 8pm, we walked into Dallas Presbyterian hospital..(where we'd gone almost weekly for your doctors appointments for the last 38 weeks) and checked in for the very last time. Because of my diabetes, you and I both lost control of how everything would go and our doctor would dictate when we’d go to the hospital. We were actually ok with that fact because we could actually PICK your birthday! And because the number 25 had special meaning to our relationship (I met your dad on May 25th!), we knew the 25th would be a perfect day to bring you into the world. :)
I remember the drive to the hospital so clearly. I remember the sky being an amazing shade of pink as the sun set behind us as we got onto 635. I sent a quick status update to Facebook as I clutched the tiniest pink nail polish bottle in my hand. Determined to NOT let you get lost in the hospital shuffle, I had every intention of getting someone to “mark’ you after you came out. Lol.. Apparently, God realized how silly this paranoid mom was because as soon as we drove into the hospital parking garage and I opened the door, it flew from my lap and shattered on the floor. Boo…
It all seemed so surreal knowing that the next 24 hours would be the most life changing hours of our lives. After surprisingly only a few generic questions and signatures to give, the hospital check-in girl walked us back to our home away from home (at least for the next 24 hours), Labor and Delivery Room #11. (your dad and I were actually quite excited and hopeful that the day would go smoothly after being set up in room #11 because 11,14, 5 and 25 have always been lucky numbers for us!)
Labor and Delivery Room #11
Hospital Lockdown... Guess it was too late to turn back now.. :)
Monitoring Contractions and Everleigh's heartbeat
By the next morning (Tuesday, September 25th) After settling into our room the night before...meeting our awesomely sweet and informative nurse Cassie...being monitored throughout the night (both you and I were monitored.. For your heartbeat, for any contractions I may have been having and for my sugar levels)..And after being poked and prodded and set up for my IV, we were all set to start the petocin at 7am. I wish I could say there were exciting things happening at this point…but the reality of the waiting game was a bit boring. Nurses changed shifts, friends and family came and went, and the monitoring of our vitals was constant. It was probably about 5-6pm when I finally asked for the epidural. I had heard it could take up to an hour to get so as soon as I saw our Dr. in one of her runs to check out how far I had progressed, I made my request. Thirty minutes later, the sweetest lady came in to administer the sweet juice of the gods. ;) I have to admit that I was a bit nervous about this part. Even though I had gotten used to being poked and prodded by this point in the pregnancy, there was something about this needle in my back that freaked me out. Luckily (Whew!!!) it was a breeze and a few minutes later, I started to feel the effects of its goodness.
Dr. Blewett came in for one final check before telling us that I wasn’t progressing (past where she had put me) after breaking my water. Technically being considered high risk, she suggested a C-Section as soon as possible, in order to minimize any complications as the night wore on. We didn't hesitate and immediately the ball started rolling. Nerves peaked and your dad (trying his best to lighten the mood by being silly) got into his best dressed hospital outfit. ;) By this point, Grandpa and Grandma Maldonado had made it into town with just enough time to come in to say hello to all of us and they prepped us for surgery.
Your silly dad, calming his nerves by acting like a goofball. :)
All set and ready to go.. One last goodbye to family and friends before heading to the operating room.
7:45pm – It was so incredibly eerie how quiet the entire hospital seemed at this point. Wheeling me through dark quiet hallways, around several corners, past random equipment that made (what I’m sure were) wide hallways seem TINY. (Felt very back alley-ish to me I must say.) Lol.. Luckily the room I eventually landed in felt like a proper hospital surgical room full of people, buzzing about. Immediately I recognized the sweet lady who had given me my epidural and she began to explain the juice I was about to get. She asked me several times if I could still feel her pinches on my abdomen and wiggle my toes. Paranoid that if I could feel her, I would MOST certainly feel the surgery, I kept saying yes…and she kept pumping me with more numbing juice. Eventually she stopped as they finally let Chad in to sit beside me. Strange thing was… I could STILL wiggle my toes! BUT, by this point though, I KNEW they had already started (and I couldn’t feel pain) so I didn’t say anything to my sweet lady nurse friend.
Then… after a few pulls, grunts (and one doctor telling the other that she needed to work out more..lol)
And a short while later... at 8:36pm.. out came a screaming Everleigh..
Obviously NOT a happy camper ;)
8:36pm – you were OUT and WAILING!! Immediately the tears welled up in my eyes and I pretty much lost it. It was the single best sound I’ve EVER heard in my life. EVER. The sweet sound of life. Our creation. After nine months of baking, you were actually REAL. No more wondering about what you looked like, no more wondering how the labor would turn out. After taking your measurements, 7lbs 1oz, 20inches long, they handed you over to your dad as he sat by my side. I could see his eyes were red too as the nurses around us took our camera for pictures. Immediately following your birth, I started to feel the effects of all that numbing juice. Letting my nurse friend know that I was feeling nauseous, she immediately started me on meds that would counteract all that had gone inside my body. Luckily, whatever she gave me worked wonders as they wheeled me (and YOU!) back to our room. There, our family was waiting for our arrival to MEET YOU!! After a round of snuggles, Ooooooo's and Ahhhh's.. pictures snapped and hugs all around, they sent you to the nursery to get cleaned up. (With the gang in tow with STRICT instructions NOT to let you out of their sight!).
Our Recovery Room, very appropriately numbered 514 :)
(once again a good sign for us and our lucky numbers!!)
Four days later, on Friday afternoon we got our walking papers.. :)
FREEDOM!!
Meeting her furry sister Macie for the first time..
Welcome Home Baby Girl!!
