What a roller coaster ride!!

We have been busy since I last wrote.  As I explained in my last post, I was admitted into the hospital on Monday, January 2nd for preeclampsia and to allow our little man to bake a little longer.  On Thursday the 5th, I had a sono that estimated that Cason is around 7lbs 15oz.  There were 3 other mothers baking their babies with the same type of heart condition.  A team of doctors got together to make a game plan as to which mother to induce on which day so that they were not bombarded with all the babies at the same time.  I was chosen first not because of Cason's condition, but because my health was compromised. 


Friday, January 06 was Cason's big arrival day!!!  At 6AM, they started the induction medications and started giving me Magnesium as well.  The purpose of the Magnesium was to prevent mommy from having any seizures.  The delivery almost mimicked Coyt's delivery to a T.  With Coyt, I was also induced starting at 6AM and he was born at 2:35PM.  Cason arrived at 2:33 PM!!  In both deliveries, I dilated from a 4 to a 10 in about an hour.  Also in both deliveries, the "pushing" part lasted less than 20 minutes.  I'm not good at being pregnant, but am great at having the baby.  They allowed me to hold Cason for about 3 minutes before whisking him away to the NICU.  Those 3 minutes were some of the happiest of my life!

At this time, I was informed that I am to remain in Labor & Delivery for the next 24 hours with no food or drink and no way to see my newborn son....I was devastated.  The Magnesium makes you feel like you have the flu.  Those were 24 of the most miserable hours ever.  Thankfully, Sean was able to give me updates on my son.  Cason weighed 8lbs1oz and was doing well at first.  Later that evening, he had to be placed on a ventilator because his breathing & blood levels were not as desired, but they removed that tube within hours. 

Right at the end of my 24 hours of misery, the neonatologist arrived in my room to let me know that he was going to give Cason a paralytic (to keep him from moving) and place him on a ventilator to help him breath as his levels were not doing good at all.  Since I hadn't seen Cason in over 24 hours, he was giving me 30 minutes to get to the NICU.  I hadn't been unhooked from all my stuff (IV, foley, pulse ox).  Thankfully, my nurse had me down there in about 5 minutes.  I got to kiss on him for a few minutes before they placed him in a medically induced coma.

Finally, I was discharged on Monday the 9th.  It was so sad to leave the hospital without my baby, but I know that it was for the best.  They sent me home with some blood pressure medications because I still have the potential for high blood pressures and seizures.  Later that night, I was informed that they stopped the drug that caused the paralysis, so I made it back to the hospital with my mother-in-law to see his eyes opening.

This morning, I got to hold my baby for the first time since birth.  He is in surgery now....

Sorry this is a really rough update of the last week, but I am quite nervous right now.  Thank you for all the prayers and support.  Please keep the prayers coming!!