2013 is a good year!!!

January we rang in the New Year, unfortunately by ourselves. Our friends were up in SLC celebrating with their family, seeing a concert at the Tabernacle. We spent the night with our girls, and went to bed right after midnight. We're boring, I know!!! Ian was laid off the end of December and the next couple months would be tight for us. The middle of January we had one of our friends move in with us. It's been nice having him live with us, especially when it was difficult for me to get upstairs to take care of the girls. Our friend also had her baby in January, and it was nice to see them in the hospital.

February Ian started a new job, working for a company that he worked for last year. He works for a call center in Draper, working Data Entry, taking phone calls from representatives who install security alarms in homes. He loves working there, and was sad when the season ended last year. Thankfully he got on pre-season this year, so he is able to build up time and expertise and stay on after the season ends in October. I'm ready to have him working somewhere that he loves and somewhere where there's room to grow, and this company has both. February also brought us closer to the end of the pregnancy. I had my baby shower, I had my weekly doctor's visits, and began the fun phase of Braxton Hicks contractions.

March 3rd was a Sunday that I will never forget. Ian and I went to church, I managed to get through all 3 hours, even though I wasn't feeling well. I felt hot, dizzy and was ready to be home and relaxed. We got home at 12:15, had lunch, put the girls down for a nap, and went upstairs to watch tv. At 2:30 I felt a small gush of fluid. I text my doula, she came over at 3:30, and began working with me to get my contractions going. We went on a walk with the girls (it was a nice day outside), and when they became regular, we dropped the girls off with the babysitter and headed for the hospital. We got there at 6:30pm, got me hooked up to an iv (since I was somehow dehydrated), and the contractions began coming even more regular. They were still small, so easy to breathe through, and they sent me walking the halls for 1 hour to see if I would progress faster. I was admitted at midnight while my husband was sleeping and my doula was at home sleeping (since my contractions weren't strong enough to do anything), and I tried to get some sleep. At 3:00 the doctor came in and asked if he could start me on pitocin and break my water. We decided to break my water first, and see if that would help. After 1 hour, I was dilated to a 4cm, but not fast enough for the doctor (since I had been there for 10 hours already with not much progress). They began me on pitocin, and those next 6 hours would be the worst of my life. I began having regular contractions, which became stronger as the pitocin dose was made stronger every 30 min. I climbed into the tub to try to calm me down, but that didn't work and the water quickly became cold. At 9:30 (after 5.5 hours of pitocin), I was at a 5.5 cm. dilation, and I quickly went to a 7, then 20 min. later I was at an 8, then 10 min. later while feeling like I needed to push, I went to the bathroom. When I realized that he was coming. my doula whisked me off the toilet as fast as she could, drug me to the bed (since my legs hurt so bad I couldn't walk), and the nurse checked me. I was at 10cm and ready to push. They whisked a couple nurses in to help me deliver, since the doctor on call was in the room next door delivering. They realized that Connor was not going to wait, and they began getting things set up. I was in so much pain, after reaching level 18 on pitocin (the highest dosage they can give you), and could not sit still. I couldn't listen to anybody and was trying to push him out on my own. The doctor told me to push, and I pushed once and his head was out. 1 more push and his shoulders were out. I felt so much better, and realized I still wasn't done, as there were other things the doctor needed to do to me. Connor was born at 10:43 am, Monday, March 4, 2013. He weighed 6 lbs. 4 oz, and only being 17" long. He came out crying and breathing just fine. The nursery nurses were there taking care of him, and things were looking good. Ian and I were busy crying, relieved that he was here! They took him away to the nursery to clean him up, but let me see him first. He was beautiful!!

March 4th he spent in the nursery, and after him being there for 4 hours, we went to check on him. We found out that he was having to breathe a lot harder than normal, and he wouldn't be in our room. They said it would be 48 hours, then he could come home. That would be Wed., that's fine, I could wait. I was being discharged from the hospital on Tuesday, and could wait 1 more day. Then things became worse, when I found out he would be on oxygen, an iv, and that he possibly had pneumonia. That was later confirmed on Tues. morning.

March 5th I was discharged and came home to rest. I made sure to see Connor a couple times that morning before I left and held him. He was so out of it, almost lethargic, and it was sad seeing him like that. As I was leaving the nursery, the pediatrician called with more devastating news. He would need more care than they could provide, and they needed to transfer him to a NICU capable hospital. I authorized one of the two hospitals, which wasn't very far from where we lived, and we went home heartbroken. We also found out that his pneumonia had spread, his heart wasn't pumping fluids to the other side of the heart, and we were worried we were going to lose him. Tues night was very hard for us. I sent Ian and Matthew to go give him a blessing on Tues. night once he was settled into the new hospital. Little did we know that blessing would open up a world of improvements.

March 6th he woke up, was breathing better, his levels of oxygen were coming down as for what he required to breathe with, and he was eating better through the feeding tube they had put in. I called so many times that day for updates, and it was nice to always hear good things from the nurses. I'll start posting status updates from facebook as there are too many updates on him for me to remember when they happened. "YAY!!!! He's now only on 30% oxygen, instead of the 40% that he was on yesterday. He has shown more interest in wanting his pacifier, he slept through the night, and they're thinking they should be able to feed him today just fine through the feeding tube." "Another Connor update: (I hope none of you are sick of his updates) He has kept his formula down that they fed him at noon. He finally had a messy diaper (after not having one since he was born), his oxygen has gone down to 22% and 3 liters (down from 40% and 5 liters), and he's doing better sleeping." "Went to go see Connor tonight. He had a little bit of jaundice, but it will probably go away by tomorrow. While we were there, he kept taking the oxygen tube out of his nose. I think he's ready to be breathing on his own. The respiratory therapist said he can go off oxygen when he gets to 2L (he's at 3L now). We were able to hold him and take his mask off his eyes, that protects his eyes when under the jaundice light. He opened his eyes!!! It melted my heart. I posted a couple pics of him from tonight. I want to thank my amazing cousin, Sharon Crown, who offered to take time out of her night to drive me, take pics, and sit with me while I held him. You're the best!!! Thanks to her daughter Tamara Johnson, who watched Em so your mom could be with me. Thanks!!!!"

March 7th: "Connor was pulled off feeding tube and nasal oxygen today. We're going to see him tonight and we're excited to be able to feed him a bottle and hold him with nothing in the way. Thanks so much for your positive thoughts and prayers. We love you all!!!!".

March 8th: "Connor is off all wires. His jaundice is gone, he's drinking a full bottle of formula (and then some), so his IV is out. We get to dress him today and hold him with nothing attached. This was news I loved hearing this morning. Tuesday can't come fast enough....." I will try to post pictures when I can, possibly tomorrow. Stay tuned...