Chloe's Grand Entrance

Saturday was CRAZY.

At 4:30 a.m. I got a call from Dr. Nance telling me that we needed to get the baby out. He told me to call my family and to let them know that my surgery was going to be scheduled for 6:00 a.m.

I immediately started bawling and woke up Mike. He could barely understand me, but once he did, he jumped up and called my mom and all my siblings. 

The nurses immediately came in and started prepping me. 

I was terrified. 

The nurse who did my IV couldn't find a good place in my left hand, so she tried my right. I am surprised I didn't pass out when she said she'd have to go back to the left. It was SO PAINFUL. 

The anesthesiologist came in to give me my numbing shot and epidural and he was really nice and calm. Mom, Jamie and Kelly showed up in no time and were all there cheering me on while Mike changed into a white suit so he could be in the operating room with me. 

The shots actually weren't that bad. The epidural was a metallic-like pressure that was more like "whoa!" than "ahhh!"

They wheeled me into surgery and Dr. Rees assisted Dr. Nance. No lies, it was great having doctors who are family friends...it made it a lot easier to express concerns and throw in a joke here and there to try and calm my nerves. 

The blue curtain went up and the anesthesiologist stayed with me and if I started to freak out at all, he made me look into his eyes and answer questions. I tried to be brave, taking deep breaths and trying not to focus on the fact that I was open on a table. It definitely didn't help that I had just watched the episode of Grey's Anatomy where Callie has an emergency C-Section after a major car crash. Watch it and you will understand how freaked out I was! 

There was SO much pressure and I started to panic when it felt like my ribs were being pulled out. 

Then I heard my baby cry.

I almost couldn't believe it. Dr. Rees asked, "Do you want to see your baby?"

"Yes!"

They pulled the blue curtain down so I could view my tiny purple miracle:

She was seriously the most purple thing I had ever seen, but I was so happy that I started to cry. Then I began hyperventilating and I don't remember anything but waking up as I was being wheeled to see Chloe in the NICU. They were moving me to recovery and so all my stuff was, as you can see, piled all around me. 'Twas awesome.

I couldn't see her very well because the bed was eye level. All I could see were her tiny clubbed feet. with adorable little toes that tried to close around my finger. No lies, I had to ask if she was cute, because I couldn't see her very well. :) And yes, she is! 

Well, I lost a lot of blood during the surgery. Below is a picture of the ghostness that was me:

I had to have four blood transfusions and because they had been pumping so much stuff through my vein, it was exhausted and by the time the third transfusion was halfway through, I was in a lot of pain. It was awful and I felt stupid that I had just had a C-Section and my worst pain was my hand, but hey, it happens.

I had to have FOUR blood transfusions. 

It was awful, but the end result was worth it:

HOW CUTE IS MY LITTLE GIRL?!

Kelly, Jen, the kids and Jake, Megan and Kaylee came to visit me, but I wasn't exactly coherent. :)

Later that night I had a full blown anxiety attack. 

I can't even explain how weird it was. I had a little panic attack after I saw her for the first time, but it was nothing compared to this. I couldn't exhale all the way because I had an intense sharp pain throughout my shoulders that was worse whenever I breathed, so I just couldn't get enough air. It was bad. My nurses called in a few different doctors and I had to receive oxygen, I got an X-ray, they took my BP again, checked for bleeding, everything. At one point there were at least seven doctors in the room. INTENSE. 

As embarrassing as it is, the severe pain in my shoulders and chest turned out to be trapped gas. Awesome, right? Eh. The body does weird stuff when it goes through trauma. 

I think that about covers the day she was born. If I had gone in for my scheduled appointment and waited that full week, Chloe and I would have died. 

I am SO GRATEFUL for my family and my doctor for knowing what to do and how to help my baby and me. 

Chloe Jane

May 7, 2011

6:48 a.m.

3 lbs. 2 oz.

16.5 in.

Welcome to the family, Chloe! :)