Halee Nicole finally has arrived into our world!!! ~ 8 lbs, 3 ounces .... YAY!

On Friday, November 14, 2008, I went to the hospital for a planned C-section to have my youngest daughter (2nd child) born. With her being breech and a few complications previously in pregnancy, having a previous C-section; my OB/GYN thought a C-section would again be the best thing for her delivery.

Upon arrival, I signed the sheet at the labor/delivery unit and was directed to room 4014 which is known as room 14. My nurse's name was Jenny.

I knew her previously because with my last delivery, she gave me a hard time about drinking enough water and told me to stop arguing when simply, I was only asking questions, trying to understand what she was doing to stop pre-term labor contractions.

To make a long story short, my OB/GYN told my man that he had a talk to her and not to worry and he handled everything. We assume he set her straight in my last pregnancy to be nice to me and explained my situation that I was asking questions and not arguing.

Well, I always requested for a long time, not to have her for the remaining of my last pregnancy. Then when I got pregnant with my second child, I forgot to mention, not to have her as a nurse.

So, things proceeded and within 6-7 months old of Halee's pregnancy, I had blood pressure problems (due to a stressful situation with my oldest child) and made a trip to the labor/delivery unit upon my OB/GYN's request for monitoring.

Nicely I asked whom my nurse was and I was told my nurse's name was Jenny. I immediately thanked them and got quiet. When the lady went out of the room, I looked at Walter and Walter looked at me and said "Just be nice." And I looked back at him and said "What if she is mean to me?" He looked back at me and said, "Michelle, the OB/GYN talked to her last time and I think he set her straight. I don't think you have anything to worry about." My anxiety arised and she entered my room, "Oh, hi Michelle!," all friendly and bubbly. She was extremely nice to me, asking about my sister's pregnancy and immediately took my blood pressure and asked me how I was doing. I told her about my oldest child being taken by DCS and that my blood pressure has been up in this pregnancy due to the situation and she immediately asked "What? Why?" looking at me with disbelief. I explained to her the situation that my words got twisted, blown out of proportion and she told me that many mothers were going through the same thing in the county we live in and to just "play their game" and do what they want me to do and I will get my child back. I ended up crying infront of her and she rubbed my back and told me that I need to take care of myself for this pregnancy for this baby. I told her I was doing my best, but I didn't know how much longer I could hold off due to my blood pressure arising and so forth. She took my blood pressure and her and my doctor instructed me to take an increased dosage.

A few more months went on and I was having contractions repeatedly due to the stress, thought to have a UTI (urinary tract infection), my blood pressure wasn't improving, and I began to have chronic heartburn. I was constantly vomiting the last month and half and couldn't hold food down.

A few weeks before Halee was born by planned C-section, amnio-fluid was taken for maturity of lungs and so forth and by my request, my OB/GYN did an ultrasound and did estimates for weight and we both came up with a plan whether to take her or not. My OB/GYN estimated 6 1/2 lbs, but when Halee was born.....

here were the results:

12:00 -arrival, received fluids, took a shower, got cleaned up and had fluids
My OB/GYN had another emergency surgery arise, so I didn't get into the delivery room or OR (operating room) until 4:30 p.m.

4:30 p.m. - I was given a spinal? whatever you want to call it. I can't really remember everything because I was sorta out of it during the process, a little cold and tired from worrying about my baby girl. Anyway, Jenny held my hands as I kneeled toward her during this process, scared and a little uptight from worry. She asked me how Gracee was doing and told me how much she thought I was a good mom as I cried and told her I worry about my babies everyday and I told her how worried and scared I was about the C-section and she told me I would do fine.

5:00 p.m. - Surgery begins and he begins cutting on me. I ask him "have you cut yet?" He laughed and said "Yes, 8 inches"... I told him I didn't feel anything. He laughed and said "Yea...that's because I tested you to see if you were numb." I laughed and responded while he was cutting, "Well, how did you do that?" He laughs, "Well, I have my ways. You don't worry about that right now. Everything will be just fine.," he reassures me while cutting. I hear some suction and I'm like "What is that?" My OB/GYN responds, "Don't worry, we had to do a little cleaning.," he laughs, jokingly. "Oh, what kind of cleaning?" My anesthesiologist asked me to remind her if I felt sick to my stomach to tell her because that means my blood pressure is getting low. I told her that moment that I thought my blood pressure dropped a little and I felt like I was going to vomit and she looked at the monitor and said "Good job, you're right."... I think she gave me medicine for this? I asked my OB/GYN how much longer the process would be and he said "Oh, about another 20 minutes. You're doing great, Mom!" He continued to tug and I felt the tugging getting harder. I looked at my anesthesiologist and asked her if they were getting the baby out from the tugging and she told me, "No, you will hear a big suction when that is about to happen. Harder tugging means they're getting deeper in you." I laid there and I said, "I hope she is healthy," with tears in my eyes, talking to Walter. My anesthesiologist looked at me and stated, "Mom, you're doing great. She will be fine! Have you picked out a name?" I looked at her almost about to cry and said, "Well, they said it was a girl, but last time they said Gracee was a boy, but she was a girl." My OB/GYN began laughing because he immediately knew that was his mess up. I continued that, "Yes, we have two names picked out for a boy or girl and that if a boy, would be named after my father and father of child and if not, we would be naming her Halee Nicole." She told me that was a very pretty name. I told her that the middle name was after my middle name. I felt more tugging and then I kept hearing repeated suction and then I heard this BIG or HUGE suction. I looked at my anesthesiologist and said, "Is that the one?" She stated, "That is the one," smiling at me. I kept hearing continued suction after that and looked at her and stated, "What are they doing?," with a nervous look on my face. She smiled. "Oh, no worries Mom, we're giving her a bath," my OB/GYN joked. I laughed and thought to myself *smart a--* ... and kept laughing. Without her being fully clean he draped her over the tarp a bit near my face and said, "HI MOM!," joking and then continued to clean her. I asked, " EWWWW. GROSS! Is she alright? She looks purple and dirty." My OB/GYN laughed loudly and said, "Purple is normal and then talked a bunch of JUMBO doctor words"... He continued, "Well Mom, you can't expect baby Halee to come out clean.," he laughs. I laughed at myself and though *DUH*....

He handed her to the nurses in the room and the continued to clean her off with suction. They put a tube or something near her mouth and I said, "What is that?" The anesthesiologist explained to me it was a tube to get the stuff out that she swallowed (or something like that) inside of me. They kept using the tube and suction and then BOOM, she began screaming non-stop with some good lungs.

The nurses were amazed and said, "Wow, she has a lot of hair!" I laughed and said, "Yea... I kept telling people my heartburn was horrible!," laughing.

While she was crying, cold, they asked us if we wanted her to have Hep B? shot right when born or to wait and we told them to go ahead. They gave her a Vitamin K and Hep B shot in her foot. She was screaming during the whole process right within a distance beside me. They then said, "Wow, she is tall!" They then looked at Walter and I and said, "Dad, that must run in your side of the family." I laughed and said, "it runs in both and my Grandpa was 6 foot, 4 inches tall". They then measured her head which they found to be normal and then, I kept saying "oh, man, she looks small, is she preemie?" The nurses and my OB/GYN laughed and said, "No, Mom, she is fine." Then I kept staring at her with daddy sitting next to me and the warmer table next to Daddy. "Oh man, she has chunky legs." So, the nurses said, "Wow, she is a big baby!," and stated "8 lb, 3 ounces." I responded, "Are you sure she weighs that much? She looks really small." They all laughed. My OB/GYN nudged in while continuing remaining surgery and stated, "Well Mom, they're suppose to look small when born. They aren't suppose to come out as Giants.," he laughs. The nurses showed me the weight and said "See Mom, she weighs 8 lbs, 3 ounces. She is a healthy baby. Congratulations.," while smiling.

They continue to clean her off....

I have this sudden bout of excitement and coldness all over my body and look at the anesthesiologist and state, "I feel like I'm going to puke".... She smiles and says "you're probably excited, but I'll fix that so you don't feel that way!," she smiles.

They hand Halee to proud Daddy next to me and he smiles proudly. He sits there and says, "I can't wait till our family is reunited.," having a tear in his eye. I have eyes full of tears and say, 'Yes, we're a family. We deserve to be together and we will stick together." ... He holds her for the remaining time, telling her about her Big sister waiting to see her and Granny will be happy to see her" and just going on and on.... I begin to have tears in my eyes again, being quiet, wanting MY turn to hold her!

Not too long after, they're done with my surgery. It went smooth and well from my OB/GYN's response and then the nurses come over and reach out their arms toward Daddy and smiles, looking at me and saying, "Congratulations" and handed her to me.

I smile and have a tear in my eye.... I look at Walter and say, "I just hope I don't lose her like we did Gracee," abouit to cry. The nurses state, "Don't worry hon, just do what they say and you will get your Gracee back. You aren't the only Mom this has happened to. DCS is under a lot of stress right now due to children dying."

I look at them and say....

I am just tired of everyone thinking I'm a bad mommy when all I do is love my children. I love them and would die for them and do anything for them.

They look at me.... and make the statement,

"Don't worry, your OB/GYN can subpoena to the courts and they told me my OB/GYN has did this already several times in cases like this."

They asked when my court date was.

I told them my court date. They told me not to worry.

They all again, Congratulated me.... and then they all told me "You have nothing to worry about us. We all know you're a good Mom."

That made me feel very reassured and I cried and said "Thank-you" with tears in my eyes. They wheeled my bed back into my room and Walter and I enjoyed our time with Halee before release.

Results:

Halee was born at 5:38 p.m., Friday, November 14, 2008, weighing 8 lb, 3 ounces. Height: 21 inches... Head: 14.25 inches

36 weeks early pregnancy- she was born a bigger and healthy baby with a HEAD full of hair! YAY!

All testing came back as normal. Her jaundice test was elevated before she was released on Monday, so we had to take her back on Tuesday for further testing. The pediatrician stated that, that test was fine and she would flush it out within the next week or two. YAY! So, no worries about the jaundice thing and every other testing came back as normal.

We will try to take pictures soon!

PS. My last digital camera broke that was a last year Christmas gift and now we're trying to afford another one, so the reason for slow pictures is because we take them on a throw away camera, have them developed and then, have our neighbor put them on a disc. So, we do apologize for the delay on photos. We really wish we could send photos sooner, but we have to make due with what we have. Thanks again for everyone's support, understanding, and friendliness here on Gather!

Sincerely,

Michelle Cleveland