When my neighbour Mary saw this picture she asked "who is that?"
Yup, that's me.
September 20th, 2005- I. Felt. Awful. In a period of 2 days I had ballooned and was so saturated with water that I looked like what Maren described as "a water bed." I remember going to work and saying to the secretaries look at my ankles....they are gone! Not only had I lost my ankles, but my face, arms and legs had all swollen. Being a first time pregnancy I didn't know what was normal and what was terribly wrong, so I carried on feeling soggy and huge. My mom who had been out of town returned, took 1 look at me and said, "you are NOT alright, we are going to the hospital NOW!"
We arrived at the hospital and they immediately hooked me up to the monitors. Shortly after they took me in to have an ultrasound. During the ultra sound I noticed that they measured the baby at 2 and a half lbs. and I knew that the baby was supposed to be nearly 4lbs. according to my pregnancy book. Panic started to set in. They returned me from the ultra sound where my placenta then abrupted and an emergency c-section ensued. Since I had recently eaten when they gave my the medicine, I became really nauseated and as I laid flat I started to lose my dinner on the operating table. Weird. Vomiting horizontal with your head to the side as they are delivering your baby is really weird.
They had to make the incision higher than normal because they weren't quite sure how they would get the baby out, but it worked. Little pink Adessa was born 2 months early, 1 month growth restricted, weighing 2 and a half lbs. and 15 inches long. From her peach sized head to her bottom she was the size of our hand. I didn't get to see the baby as the life flight team worked furiously to get her on a ventilator and have her breathing. They wheeled me out and then after stabilising the baby they wheeled her past me for me to see. I opened the little window and scared to death I touched her little arm. They swiftly hauled her away to another hospital with a NICU. Prayers. Are. Answered.
A few days later when I was released from 1 hospital I was able to go to the other and see my teeny tiny baby. I will not lie, they put the fear into you when you have a baby that little and I was really scared to see the baby. We were only allowed to have the baby out of her isolette for 5 minutes a day because she needed to feed (through a feeding tube) and grow. No stimulation to the baby. Stimulation means that the baby is burning calories which you do not want them to lose any weight at 2.5 lbs. It was really challenging finding a way to bond with a baby that you can't feed, hold, or stimulate :) But.....even though it takes longer to develop the bond, it is here and as strong as any.
The day after they released me from the hospital I was admitted to another. Most pre-eclampsia goes away after the baby is delivered, but I developed a rare and raging case of post partum pre-eclampsia. The doctors put me on oxygen and had several scans of my lungs that had filled with the same fluid that had infiltrated the rest of my body. My oxygen levels were awful and I could only take short and shallow breaths. The doctor and all of his little students came up to my room and told me that my goal for the day was to have neither a stroke nor a heart attack. What! Yup, it had become that bad. The funniest bit was when the Dr. told me to turn down all the lights and not stress to keep my blood pressure down. Right! He obviously doesn't know me. I had no lesson plans for a sub for my Students at the Junior High, I had a husband who had to leave out of town for work, and I had a baby in the NICU that they won't tell me if she will make it or not. Each day we were told "we will do the best we can, but no promises." Aaaaagh! just tell me that everything will be fine.......but no, they can't do that.
Six weeks later on October 30th we brought home a beautiful 5lb. baby Adessa. She is so very special. I think that there is something noticeably special about this child because she has a great deal of empathy. I feel very blessed to have been sent this sweet spirit into my life. The name Adessa is derived from Odyssey which means "long journey." From conception to birth Ads was a long journey, and I am certain that there will be many more things in her life that will be a journey (maybe even her kidney stone issues), but she doesn't take that journey alone. I love her with every bit of my heart and soul and would re-do all of the swollen pre-eclampsia again and again if meant having her.
The "Pink One" in her isolette at about 1 month old.
1st Birthday
2nd Birthday
3rd Birthday
4th Birthday
5th Birthday
6th Birthday
I stole this tradition from my SIL Sherri, Birthday balloons on the bed are a huge hit. I also had Gucci make us pillow cases for the kids for each of the holidays including their Birthday. You can see a Halloween case and she is sleeping on the Birthday case.
Presents from mom and dad, Gucci, Hugh and Mary, and the Dixey family.
Ads wanted a guitar.......ta da!
We took homemade cupcakes in to school for a birthday treat and Ads was thrilled. She had a dinner of pizza her favourite food and then more cake and singing. We were so happy to have Gucci here to celebrate with us. Birthday party and pictures with friends is yet to come :)
