Joleigh's stay in the NICU

Just a little over 13 hours after our sweet baby was born, the aerocare team from Lubbock's Covenant Children's Hospital arrived to take her back to Lubbock to spend some time in the NICU in hopes of getting her blood sugar levels stabilized.  Since I had just had a C-section, my dr. required that I at least stay overnight in the Roswell hospital, just to be on the safe side.  I wanted more than anything to get to Texas and be with my baby, but I was in a lot of pain. 

 

One of the toughest decisions Graham's probably ever had to make was whether or not he should rush to be with Joleigh or wait until I was released the next day so we could make the trip together.  I know it was hard for a few family members to understand his decision, but we knew that our baby girl was in good hands with the staff in the NICU, so he stayed until I was released.  I was disappointed in how guilty they made him feel for that.  He made the best decision he knew to do and all he needed in that moment was support and compassion, not judgement.  It's easy to say what you would do in a situation, until you are in it. 

 

That was definitely one of the longest 24 hour periods of our lives - we just couldn't get our minds off of her!  Graham spent most of the day catching up on sleep, while I spent my time begging for pain meds and walking around to heal faster. 

 

 

Graham's mom drove to Lubbock the next morning and was able to spend some time with her until we could get there.  My sister, Kelly also visited her and sent us some great pics to hold us over until we could all be together again.

  

    

 

 

Finally that next afternoon (the 2nd) I was released and we took off to Artesia to pack a few bags so we could get on the road again.  Reg & Staci were sweet enough to watch Tig and Annie until we could get back home again.  We got to Lubbock late that evening and I was still in a lot of pain, so we went to the room and went to bed so we could be up bright and early to get to the NICU. 

 

I really had no clue what to expect when we got to the hospital.  Each time we entered the NICU for a visit, we had to thoroughly wash our hands and put on gowns to minimize the germs we brought in with us.  Each baby had it's own section of a huge room that circled around the nurses station.  There was a large curtain that could be pulled around each baby for more privacy as needed.  Joleigh was fed on a 3 hour basis and we were allowed to come visit for each feeding.  We were discouraged from visiting at other times, so that she could get some rest and recuperate. 

 

Joleigh did such an awesome job.  She was admitted late Tuesday afternoon and was given the IV in her umbilical cord, to help regulate her blood sugar.  Her levels were checked numerous times a day and each time they were able to lower the fluids in her IV, because she was making such dramatic improvements.  We were so proud of her!  

 

   

 

 

 

 

 

Our first evening in town we stayed at a Hotel a few blocks from the hospital, but one of our nurses was able to set us up with a room in the 5th floor of the hospital.  Apparently they had converted that floor into rooms for the parents to stay that had children admitted there.  We were so thankful to be able to stay there while we waited to go home.  Not only did it ease our minds about the financial issues of being gone so long (we were only charged $25 a night), but it was a lifesaver to be able to go upstairs and rest after just having a major surgery. 

 

  

 

 

Luckily Joleigh only spent 2 and half days with the IV in her umbilical cord stump, but as she was jumping that hurdle, she developed jaundice.  She endured the light treatment therapy for about 24 hours, before her levels were normal enough that she didn't need it.  

 

 

 

 



The nurses gave us a much needed lesson in giving an infant a sponge bath.  I didn't think it would be that hard, but we had about 10 seconds to get it done before she was just flat out pissed off.  She definitely wasn't a fan of sponge baths!

 

 

 

  

 

Saturday afternoon we were told that her jaundice was gone and more importantly, her blood sugar levels were stable and we were one step closer to getting our daughter home with us.  The next step was having her 'room in' with us for the evening so they could make sure no other issues would arise and that if we had any questions come up, a nurse would be right down the hall to answer them. 

 

We were asked to watch a couple videos on infant CPR and car seat safety, so we did that as soon as she was brought to us for the evening. 

 

 

The room was tiny - with only room for the sink, a full size bed, and a little corner for the babies to be wheeled in.  There was a bathroom across the hall that was shared with 2 other rooms.  After a very stressful week, not being allowed to leave that room made us both feel like we were in a jail cell.  We were both extremely anxious.  We tried to just focus on the fact that as soon as that night was over, we'd finally be going home.  Those thoughts were literally the only thing that got us through it.  

    

 

  

  

 

 

 On Sunday a week after going into labor and living through one of the toughest weeks of our lives, we were finally released to go home.  Our sweet baby was finally ours!!

 

  

My Labor Story

 

On Sunday, June 29th we finally finished working on the nursery, thinking we had another month until we'd be meeting our baby girl.  Fast forward to bed time.  We laid down around 9:30 or 10, which is pretty late for us since I get up so early every morning for work.  I had drifted off to sleep pretty quickly.  Right at 10:30, I felt a huge gush of water come rushing between my legs.  I knew immediately that my waters had just broken and sweet Joleigh would be making her arrival soon.

 

We got a couple of bags packed so we could hurry and get to Roswell for evaluation at the hospital.  Funny thing - getting those bags packed was at the top of my to-do list for the next evening after work.  Haha!  I even took the time to make my hubby a bag of snacks in case I was in labor for a long time.  We left the house around 11:15PM and made it to the hospital around midnight.

 

The initial evaluation showed that my waters had indeed been broken and I was dilated to a 2.  They admitted me into our room and started an IV to get fluids going.  At around 1AM, they added Petocin to get my already established contractions to become more frequent and stronger. 

 

I literally have zero tolerance for pain, so it didn't take long before the pain was more than I could handle.  At 4:30AM, I was dilated to a 4 and was given an epidural.  Everything seemed to be moving along pretty quickly.  At 8:30AM, I was checked again after having some pretty intense contractions, I was dilated to a 5 and was 100% effaced.  Technically, I was at the half-way point of the labor process - or at least I should have been! 

 

Four more hours came and went.  Graham's mom and my BFF, Kayla came by to visit and spend time with us while we waited.  At 12:30PM on June 30th, I was still dilated to a 5.  Even though I had already been in labor for 14 hours by that point, I felt like the day was really flying by.

 

 

Around 2:30PM, I had dilated to a 6 and after being checked again at 4PM, I was at a 7.  The epidural made me completely numb from about my chest down... it was such a weird feeling.  I went through so many emotions during the labor process.  I ended up getting very anxious, which made me have lots of issues with high blood pressure, which could have been very dangerous for us both.  I tried so hard to keep it under control - I was so ready to meet my baby girl!

 

 

That evening we had lots of visitors - Graham's parents, brother's family, sister's family, and Kayla.  We were all so excited and anxious to meet her!

 

At around 8PM that night, it was becoming pretty clear that the contractions weren't moving her down anymore, so we discussed doing a C-section with the Dr. on call, Dr. Peterson.  I was so emotional by that point and was definitely very against having surgery.

 

I was so sad that nothing about the labor & delivery was going as planned, including the fact that not only would she be born on an even numbered day (I'm a weirdo), but now she wouldn't even be born in July!  Just as quickly as they told Graham to get his gown on to be ready to be with me during the procedure, they came back in to say that it would be a little bit longer... they had an emergency C-section that needed to be taken care of first.

 

 

 

At 11:30PM, they wheeled me into the operating room and began giving me anesthesia, so I wouldn't be able to feel any pain.  I just remember slowly losing feeling in my legs and the nurses running around getting prepped.  I was busy watching the clock - there was actually a possibility that I would get my July 1st baby after all!

 

The surgery itself was actually performed really quickly.  Although I couldn't feel any pain, I could them tugging to move things around to get to her.  They made the first incision at 12:04AM and my beautiful daughter made her big debut at 12:10AM on July 1st.  She weighed in at 9lbs 14oz and 20.75 inches.  Finally it felt like I was in control with at least one aspect of my pregnancy, labor, and delivery!  I would be reminded very quickly soon after that God was always in control. 

 

   

 

 

The Dr. handed her to Graham and he came around the curtain so I could see her for the first time.  She was absolutely gorgeous and it was one of the happiest memories I'll ever have.  Graham was crying and I knew in that very moment that he was going to be the best daddy - not that I had any question in the first place.  While the Dr. was busy stitching me back up, Graham followed the nurses to the nursery to check on Joleigh.  I felt like I was in there forever and my anxiety was making me feel like I needed to vomit.  It took everything I had to fight the feeling.

 

Once I was back in my room, the Dr. came to tell us that there were some complications with low blood sugar.  They assured as that they would be checking on her to reassess, but until then she would have to sleep in the nursery to be monitored.  I wasn't even able to hold her that night!  I was given pain meds to help cope with the recovery.  After about 5 hours, the nurses got me up so I could start walking and get to healing faster.  I walked into the nursery and fell immediately in love with her sweet face and those chunky little cheeks!!!

 

    

 

Later that morning, we were informed that her blood sugar levels hadn't gotten any better and she would need to be transferred to a bigger hospital that could give her better care than the small Roswell hospital could.  Basically she needed to have an IV in her belly button and Roswell only had the means to give her one in her foot.  We were both absolutely devastated.  Her pediatrician recommended that she be transferred to Albuquerque, but since my family was close to Lubbock, we decided we'd rather her be sent to the NICU there. 

 

At 1:30PM, the team from Lubbock's Covenant Children's Hospital arrived and was ready to take Joleigh back with them for treatment.  Up until that point I still hadn't been allowed to hold her, so they let me before they were loading her up for her flight.  I never got any pictures of us in the operating room together after she was born, so these pictures mean the world to me.  That moment was one I'll never forget.  I knew in my heart she'd be ok, but my mind was racing with all of the what if's that could happen.  The only thing we could do was have faith that God would let us hold her again soon.