Things are much different now. Just trying to find a new normal; fitting things in the schedule. Not that I'm complaining about having to do that, no. I wouldn't trade my baby girl for nothing. But it's one of the unspoken things that people deal with after having a baby that can bring you down.
It's no longer James & I, along with the 3 animals we have. We now center our lives around the little blessing we have.
Kyra has stole my heart. I will be quite honest. I wanted a healthy baby first & foremost, but I was hoping for a boy. So when Dr. Teagarden announced it was a girl, I was quite shocked. Most people thought it was a boy anyway, and after hearing one of the Dr's sound like he said a boy, several months ago, I was all but sure it was a boy.
I feel ashamed now that I was shocked & somewhat disappointed. God forgive me for that. Because she is an amazing gift from God to us! Nothing I have ever had can compare to her.
Now I can't imagine having a little boy. God knew what He was doing, that is for sure. But then again, He always does!
The Caesarian section was something quite new to me. Until that procedure, I had never had any type of surgery, nor even any strong medical pain killer. So to say I was a bit nervous was an understatement. But at the same time I was also quite excited. It was all new!
James was the same way.
I could not eat breakfast, but he refused, said he was not hungry. Even though there was homemade cinnamon chip muffins in the refrigerator.
We loaded up the car with our bags of stuff, for him & I. And the diaper bag & car seat for the little one that was soon coming.
We talked on the way to the hospital. I was slightly nauseated having not eaten or drank anything since 3:57 am. Yes, that was the time I woke up & looked at the clock. I saw I could drink so I guzzled a sufficient amount of water as 4 am was the cutoff for drinking or eating anything till after the C-section.
The nausea passed thankfully, and we arrived at the hospital. Unsure where to go. While our Dr's office is in the hospital, it's on a different floor. We found that we needed to go to 1st floor. Labor & Delivery is there along with registration.
We made it to registration, a longer walk seeing it seems like it's a block from the L&D area. We went into the small room & finished registration.
I had pre-registered online several months back per Dr's orders. Plus the night before they had called me confirming the C-Section & got a bit more information from me.
Well with all that finished, the lady told us where to go, and we were off.
It was all serious now. James & I still joked some, but I was scared at times. While I know C-Sections are common, there is always that fear that something will go wrong.
We walked back to the locked L&D doors. I was slightly confused, because there was a waiting room in front of the doors, but the doors said on them "Authorized Personnel past this point only" or something similar.
A nice man in the waiting room told us to push the intercom button & they'd buzz us in. They told us to come right in.
After telling them what we were there for, we escorted to a prep room.
If things weren't already real then, it became even more. I was instructed to put on the gown, street clothes were no longer to be worn except my socks!
It was like 10:40 or so by the time the nurse started seriously prepping me. Her name was Debbie. Very nice & helpful nurse.
She had put a heart monitoring device on my stomach & it was recording the baby's heart. I also had to remove all of my jewelry, piercings, and even my wedding ring I was wearing on a chain around my neck. (The swelling had gotten so bad over a month before where I had to remove my ring. Although I did not like that.)
Along with inserting an IV in my left wrist. Which hurt extremely bad. I had never had an IV inserted on the side of the wrist, always top of hand or bottom, or the crook of the elbow. She also drew some blood around that time too, for the blood bank, should I need some later.
James & I were alone off & on between times the nurses were in with us. We were cracking jokes, definitely trying to keep the mood light.
They gave James his clean suit, along with a face mask & hair net thing.
The anesthesiologist came in & introduced herself, as Katie, to me. She seemed nice, & professional.
Of course she asked me some of the same questions that I had already been asked. But I've come to find that is quite normal for a hospital.
She explained somewhat what they were going to do & said she'd be back in a few to get me.
Another nurse, Kendra also came in & said she'd be my nurse in the Operation Room. Debbie was not going in surgery. Kendra seemed quite happy & energetic.
Debbie came back in the room & gave me a shot of some medicine that I had to take before the procedure. It cut the acid down in my stomach. Tasted like a salty, sour warhead. But yet it was more gross than that, but wasn't horrid. Very hard to explain, but it was not a surprise as they had pre-warned me about that shot.
She told James he could change now into the clean suit.
By now it was 11:50 or so. Procedure was scheduled for 12pm.
James had been texting friends & family. Sent them a picture of me on the bed all prepped. Of course I had been texting some of my friends, and definitely my mom & other family members.
Katie came back & it was GO time. She told me I could walk to the Operation room, as this was the last time I'd walk for a bit.
She was quite a bit more energetic now. Joking around some.
I walked into the room, through the double shut doors. James could not come with me at this time. He'd be allowed in after the anesthesia was administered.
The room was extremely fluorescent bright. Lots of stainless steel around the room. There was quite a few nurses in the room also. Kendra came in behind us I believe.
The room was quite energetic at this point. Most of the nurses in there, including Kendra & Katie seemed like they'd had at least 3 Red Bulls already this morning.
The mood was light, as they joked with me. Turns out I was C-Section number 3 today, and was not the last one either.
They had me sit on the table bare back facing the door, and then slump over where my back was bent. I had to keep my head down at the same time.
The table raised up some so that Katie had the perfect position for my back. Kendra came & stood right in front of me on the step-stool they had in place.
The whole time I am getting in position for them, there is playful banter going on back & forth between several of them.
They had informed me the worst part about this would be the numbing shot. They had to use a cold, cold soap on my back, then they'd give me a numbing shot that they described as feeling "like a bee sting". It'd hurt shortly.
Well they described it perfectly! It hurt extremely bad. Katie also had informed me to let her know if I felt nauseous, but I had to also let her know where, if I felt pain, was it: left or right. Along with be extremely still.
Kendra told me to rest my head on her chest & lightly kept my head down. It hurt so bad! The shot, plus it took a few minutes to get the right place. My back is curved slightly apparently. The first few attempts I felt pain on the right.
Well I had to have another "bee sting" shot. At that time I was about to be sick. I informed Kendra that I was really going to be sick. She told me that was fine, she had a change of clothes, not to worry about it.
All I could do was pray at that moment. Jesus answered my prayers too. I did not throw up. I felt it on the left once, and then nothing.
Katie had the right spot.
I was told I'd feel the effects immediately, but it'd take about 10 minutes for complete numbness. I don't think it took that long for me.
I started losing feeling fast. They helped me lay down on the table. I had to keep my arms spread out, but I did NOT have to have them strapped down. Which I was so thankful for. They did strap my legs down, but by the time they did that, and inserted the catheter I had no feeling about chest down.
All you can feel is pressure. No pain, nothing. A very weird feeling.
Katie told me that if I felt the numbness creeping up farther than my chest to let her know, along with feeling more nauseous. If I felt it climbing where I couldn't feel my arms, they'd raise my head some & it'd go back down.
I felt it a bit so she raised my head just a bit. She also gave me a cold wet towel to cool off & ease the nausea.
The whole operation Katie stood at my head & let me know what was going on, along with monitoring me. They all were still joking around some too.
I informed them that my iPhone was still in my robe pocket to which they thanked me. They were slightly shocked I remembered that I think. They took it & set it on one of the tables.
James was allowed in right after that. He came in & sat on the right side near my head. I held his hand.
At this time they had everything prepped. The blue curtain was in place. All we needed was Dr. Teagarden who entered sometime in that time.
Katie had told me that Dr. T would first poke me with this sharp object, that if you weren't numb, you'd want to hit her. If I felt it I needed to tell them. Plus they were going to use two even colder soaps on my stomach.
I did not feel the soaps nor the poking. Katie informed when she was poking me too. Making a joke about it also.
All I felt then was some pressure as they started the procedure, and my eyes watering & face itching.
I continued talking to James & Katie some.
Dr. Teagarden wanted to announce the sex of the baby as she rarely got to do it. James & I were okay with that. He didn't want to do it.
I could feel some pulling and pressure but it was all good to me. Didn't seem like it took that long & next thing I heard was the nurses exclaiming, "Wow look at all that hair!".
One of the nurses, I think it may have been Kendra almost said before Teagarden what the baby was. But according to James, Teagarden gave them a look that shut them up, as she exclaimed "It's a girl!".
On April 8th, 2014 at 12:44pm, James & I had a healthy, 8lbs 4oz, 20in long baby girl!
I had been looking toward the curtain or James, so I was prompted to look over to the left where I saw for the first time, my precious baby girl. Dr. Teagarden was holding her up.
They asked again what the name was for her, as they had previously asked what my name choices were when they found out I didn't know what the sex of the baby was.
Which that had also made them quite happy & raised the energetic buzz of the room before hand another level.
I told them Kyra Lee is her name.
She was whisked away to the left corner of the room to be cleaned up as Dr. Teagarden finished taking me apart & proceeded to put me back together again.
To me, it seemed to take longer to sew me up, than it did the first part. Which was normal.
They came over & handed James Kyra. She was all swaddled up, in a blanket wearing a hat.
Katie had informed me they made her a special hat & they did.
They had cut one of the other hats bands & cut two small holes in her hat & made a cute bow for her!
Wasn't too long before they were done cleaning me up & with the procedure.
They had to have me roll over on my left side for some reason that I do not remember right now. But all I remember is it felt weird. Like I was going to roll off the table, and could not stop myself.
Kendra was back at my side I think it was & helped me on my side then they lifted me & put me on the hospital bed to take me to the room.
James walked beside me holding Kyra as we headed to our room.
We had room 153. Which as it turns out was not a typical Birthing room as the hospital was quite full. It was a Post surgery room. So it was quite smaller than the room we were expecting, plus we had no refrigerator in it. But that was soon solved when the nurse showed James where the big fridge was along with where the snacks, ice, and coffee machine was. The closeness of the room was not that bad looking back on it. Worked for us quite well.
Katie stayed in the room with us for about five to ten minutes then left. I never saw her again. I assume she went to the next C-section that was scheduled after me.
Kendra was in with us for a bit, but she soon was called out for the next delivery also.
We were left alone for a time. James had given me Kyra.
She was so small, even though she was born weighing in at 8lbs 4oz, and 20in long. But she was my (our) baby girl. Our little princess. She had a little but bright red birth mark on her face, right above her nose over her left eye that went down to her eyelid.
She was not a fussy baby either. She of course had cried in the operating room, but she was not one of those extremely crying, whining babies.
After a bit, not sure how long Debbie came back in. Which was great as it turns out she was our nurse all that day & the next. Sadly she didn't work the last 2 days we were there.
Things are kind of blurry after this. We sent texts & pictures out to all friends & family that wanted to know. Time kind of traveled fast & blurred together. Debbie came & got Kyra for a bath around 5 o'clock that evening. I couldn't watch but James & his dad & step-mom got to watch & take pictures.
It took till about 6-7 o'clock before I started regaining complete feeling back in my legs.
It is the strangest thing to look at your toes & will them to move only to have them completely disobey all your brain signals.
At 5 am Wednesday, the night nurse, Brooke, came in to check Kyra & I.
We kept Kyra with us at all times. I did not want her in the nursery nor away from us.
She asked me if I was ready to try to walk after she had taken the catheter out and I was like okay.
Talk about pain! Scooting out of bed was painful. By the time I made it to the bathroom I was about done. Definitely was after I made it back to bed. Felt like I was ripping open but it also burned. A unique pain.
I was told I could take a shower later on that day. Well after getting up just to go to the bathroom, I came back to the bed, feeling quite nauseous, & James told me my lips were white as I had lost color in my face.
Debbie had came in at that time. When she heard that & looked at me, she made me lay back down & said nope, you're not showering right now.
I successfully showered a bit later. One of the most refreshing showers I'd had in a long time. Felt so good!
We had quite a few visitors when we were in the hospital. To which I say thank you for all who came & visited with us, and who brought gifts. We, James, Kyra & I, appreciate everything y'all did for us!
We left the hospital Friday, April 12 around 3 o'clock. James had rented a Hyundai Sonata to take us home in since our Eclipse squishes me in the passenger seat from her car seat. We had to make a stop at Target & Food City to get a few things & my prescriptions filled. We arrived home around 5:30pm.
There started another completely new journey...
