Isabel Grace has ARRIVED!!!!

I know it has been a while since I posted, but we have had a lot going on. Here is the story...in a nutshell.

Monday, February 18-I went to the doctor for my usual visit and non-stress test. After they saw that Isabel wasn't moving very much, my doctor had me have an ultrasound done. Everything looked great, but she still wasn't moving. I then saw my doctor and she sent me to Labor & Delivery for a few hours of monitoring. I was monitored for about 4 hours and then they finally sent me home.

Tuesday, February 19-My mother-in-law came over to check my blood pressure after she got off work. As usual, it was quite high...just much higher than normal. She told me that I needed to call the on-call doctor. Luckily my doctor was the one on-call. She told us that I needed to be taken to L&D right away and to pack a bag. She figured I would be staying a couple of days to be monitored.

Wednesday, February 20-I met with a perinatologist and she was the lucky one to break the news to me....I was going to be admitted to the Perinatal Intensive Care Unit until I was 36 weeks. To say the least, I was not happy about being away from my house, my husband and my beautiful little boy!!!!

While in PCU, I was not allowed to do anything. I mean anything...I was allowed to shower, after riding in a wheelchair to the shower!!! I think I took the longest showers in history while I was there!!!!! The only other time I was allowed up was to walk the 10 feet to the bathroom. I thought I was going to totally go crazy!!!!!!

Monday, February 25th was a normal day for me. Normal until about 5:30 that evening. My blood pressure spiked again, and never went down. My doctor was on-call again that evening, thank goodness!!!!! She finally made it to see me around 8:45. During that time, my blood pressure never went down. My doctor told me that I was going to have to take it easy and I was going to continue being on bed rest until I was 36 weeks (March 5). She left my room and within 5 minutes, she was back. She had consulted with the Perinatologist and they agreed that it was too dangerous to wait for my blood pressure to get any higher!!!! It was time for a C-section!!!

I called Joel and told him that he might want to get to the hospital. I also called my dear friend Vicki and asked her to go to the house with Garrett. He was already in bed and I didn't want Joel to wake him up and take him to the babysitter. I also wasn't sure if there was time to do all of that!!!!!! Joel made it to the hospital just as they were finishing putting my IV in and hear about all of the "risks" of a C-section.

I am not sure what time they wheeled me in to the OR, but at 11:16 pm Isabel Grace arrived into the world!!!! She weighed 5 lbs 1 oz and was 18 1/2 inches long. I was able to see her briefly before they wheeled her off to the NICU. I was finally allowed to see her when she was 23 hours old!!!! Let me tell you...she is pretty darn beautiful!!!!!!!

I was discharged from the hospital Friday. Isabel is still in the NICU, but she is getting stronger every day!!!! She has actually been moved from an isolette to a "big girl bed". She now spends her time in a bed that all the babies in the regular nursery are in. She has already learned to regulate her body temperature and now she has to learn to eat like a big girl. Preemies have a hard time coordinating suck, swallow and breathe. She is really starting to get the hang of it though. The Neonatologist is quite sure she will be able to come home by the middle of March...if not sooner. It strictly depends on her. If she is able to eat this week and to keep her weight up, she will get to come home sooner. Everything is dependent on her. She is the one in charge right now. She will also be the one in charge for many years to come I am sure!!!!!

We would like to thank everyone for your thoughts and prayers during this crazy time!!!!!
Hopefully pictures will be posted sometime this week. It depends how crazy things are!!!!

Love,
Misty