Hi Everyone!
It has been too long since we have updated out blogspot. Many of you have been wondering if we would ever get to it. I am finally just sitting down and getting some words and pictures posted.
Monday, May 26, 2008 was a big day in our home. I awoke around 4:45am when my water broke. Talk about unexpected! I had been saying that my gut feeling was that our baby would be born early, but I had no idea that it would be almost 6 weeks early. Nic called the on-call doctor (it was Memorial Day and our doctor was out of town) who told us to meet her at the hospital. We gathered our things and off we went. Still not totally convinced that it was actually my water that broke, I was made ready to be admitted into the Labor and Delivery Unit. Once certain tests were done, the nurse told me that the doctor wanted me to wait to have the baby for 48 hours. They gave me some steroids to help the baby's lungs mature faster as time went on. The medication they gave me, Magnesium Sulfate, was hard to take, but I managed to make it a little over 24 hours. By Tuesday morning, May 27th, Dr. Sironi was back in town and ordered that I be able to "just have the baby." I don't know who was more relieved, Nic or myself!
I was 3 centimeters dialated about 8:30am. I thought it was going to be a long day. As it turned out, our little Elizabeth Carol, whom we are going to call Elise, made her appearance at 1:29pm. She was 3 lbs 13 oz and 17 1/4 inches. Because she was a premature baby, the NICU was set up for her to be stablized if needed. She was breathing a bit shallow, but after just a little bit, she was taken off the oxygen and was breathing on her own. She had an IV put in her to give her liquids and at some points she was put on a "cozy bed" to help with her jaundice. She was soon known in the nursery and on the floor among the nurses as "Peanut". When you see the pictures you will know why!
I was only able to stay at the hospital for the allotted 3 days which meant that since Elise had to stay longer, I had to make trips to the hospital each time I wanted to feed her. Carol, Nic's mom, and I made numerous trips daily. Elise did really well with feeding most days, and her happy smiling face made it easier to come and go. She is definately quite the girl!
We were able to bring her home after 13 days in the hospital. She weighed 4 pounds half an ounce. It was a very exciting, yet emotional, day for us all. We had prayed for the day we could take her home, and finally it was upon us.
Elise has been home for about 4 weeks now. She is 5 pounds 11 ounces as of last Wednesday. She has been gaining consistantly. It has been nothing short of many miracles that Elise was so healthy from the beginning, that she came home so soon, and that she is doing so well still. It has not been easy for Nic and I, but the blessings have been wonderful as we have tried to remember each day to take it as it comes and enjoy each little thing about our little darling.
Elise is so precious...we know you will think the same when you see her pictures.
We have been blessed to have both Elise' grandmas here to visit and help us out. Elise sure is very blessed to have such wonderful Grandmas. She has fallen in love with them. I know that the Grandmas have done the same.
Elise looks forward to meeting all of you sometime. But for now, she'll just have to hear all the stories that Nic and I tell about you!
Thank you for all your prayers. We truly have been blessed.
