We are so thankful that she arrived via scheduled c-section this morning, right at 36 weeks, instead of an emergency situation. My sister kept Harper overnight last night so Jason and I could have a little alone time (and pack up my room after 4 weeks of living in it :) and prepare for the day. They wheeled me into the operating room at 8:50, and Reese arrived at 9:31!
She let out a few very loud cries when she came out! Although we were hopeful that she would avoid the NICU, her little lungs are not quite ready to function on their own. She is a month early, after all, and the c-section meant that the fluid in her lungs was not forced out at delivery, so she needs some help breathing. She is on a machine called a CPAP, which is a little mask that has prongs into her nostrils and forces air into her lungs. They are slowly trying to wean down her oxygen levels and get her to breathe more slowly--her respitory rate is too high right now.
We are sitting with her in the NICU, and the nurse just explained that she is going to try to leave her alone tonight as much as possible so she can rest. They did a blood culture that will come back on Monday to make sure she is infection free, but the early results of a CBC/white count test came out normal today, which means no antibiotics (at least not yet). We really hope she will turn a corner tonight and be able to come off the machine tomorrow. Of course she could always turn the other way, which would mean intubation (a tube into her lungs), and we are praying that does not happen!
We are just SO SO THANKFUL that she is here and is relatively healthy, all things considered. My doctor showed me the placenta this morning, and there were two big unprotected vessels that could so easily have teared or ruptured, meaning a much different outcome. My nurse today saw a picture of it (courtesy of my sister, who went and photgraphed it this afternoon--did you know they keep the placentas in a fridge for a week? crazy). She told us afterward that Reese is just meant to be here...she could so easily have been taken from us. We are so thankful she was not.
I am feeling pretty good considering I got cut open this morning. I was wheeled up to the NICU in bed first after I left recovery, and then after I got settled in my new room, I wanted to come back in a wheelchair. I think I pushed it a little too hard and I got pretty lightheaded, so I spent most of the afternoon back upstairs in my bed. I've been in Reese's room now since supper, but we are trying to let her rest as much as possible, so I have not held her or really even touched her all that much yet. That part is the hardest...I want so much to cuddle her right up, but I am trying to keep things in perspective and be grateful we are here.
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