Olivia Dawn Turley

The entire day seems like it has been a dream.  Makes sense considering I passed out on the bathroom floor when all was said and done.  But let's start at the beginning.  

Andrew and I checked into University Hospital this morning at 7:45.  Yes, we were late.  Pulling a trailer through Salt Lake is rather difficult.  While I got into my adorable little outfit complete with tubey accessories, Andrew headed over to Primary's to register the trailer.  So he missed the spurting blood while I was getting my IV placed, poor guy.  Apparently I am a good bleeder.  Andrew got back around the time they started the pitocin and then the waiting began.  We met about a million people during that time.  Dr's and nurses from the NICU and everywhere else.  I hovered around 2+-3 cm for most of the day.  The contractions weren't too bad.  The two times they were getting painful I received some fentinol and that stuff made me feel all sorts of happy.  Shortly after my second shot of the stuff they came in to break my water.  By this point it was around 5.  By 5:30 the contractions were all sorts of uncomfortable. Apparently I just needed that water broken to really start feeling them.  Also by 5:30 I was asking for the epidural.  They obliged.  It was wonderful...sorta.  It was half wonderful.  My left side was all warm and toasty, dead and numb.  My right, however, was not.  Now, that is a strange sensation.  So I was still in a lot of pain and poor Andrew was such a sweetie, holding my hand and wishing there was something he could do.  Finally the anesthesiologist came in and did a nifty little trick to help.  It didn't numb me entirely but it made the pain tolerable.  Of course, by this time I was starting to feel the pressure.  I had warned the nurses that with Ella once I had the epidural things cruised, so once I mentioned the pressure they checked me.  It had been about 45 min since the epidural and I was already at a seven.  Another 45 minutes later they checked me again and I was ready.  At the 7 cm check they had pulled everything out and warned the dr's that I could be going soon so once we got to 10 they called everyone in.  Unfortunately, Dr. Andres was not able to be there that night so his colleague, Dr. Clark was supposed to deliver.  Supposed to... So I did a practice push, they made me stop so we could wait for Dr. Clark to arrive but at my next contraction little Livie was coming without my help.  So they went ahead and had me push.  I pushed three times during that contraction and Livie was out.  There were about 9 people in that room, not counting me.  Nurses from the NICU, two dr's, and 4 nurses for me.  I didn't need that many but it was right at shift change and the nurses that had been helping us all day wanted to see Livie so they stuck around.  It was pretty chaotic considering how fast she came.  Dr. Clark finally arrived just in time to see them pass her through the window to the NICU.  And, no, I didn't get to hold her.  And, yes, I'm doing ok with that.  She was pretty blue when she came out so I was more concerned with them getting her stable than I was with holding her.  Plus, I started shaking like I did after Ella was born and didn't particularly want to drop her.  FYI, nurses said that's caused by a surge of hormones and is normal. 

Once Andrew was allowed he headed over to the NICU (and he almost forgot the camera, silly boy) and got some sweet little pictures of Olivia all pink and bright eyed.  My mom and sister were here and came in to be with me while I ate something.  Hallelujah!  I had been starving!  Once they left my new nurses decided to try me in the restroom and that's when the fun started.  I was still super numb on the one side so they helped me into the restroom and I sat on the toilet for awhile trying to pee.  Since the nurses has straight cathed me before I started pushing there wasn't much.  The nurse came in to get me and I started to feel light headed.  She had me put my head between my knees while she got me a new robe and clean undies and all that fun stuff.  Once that was all done Andrew came in to help me into the wheel chair.  And then I woke up on the ground with the nurse telling me I was ok and asking if my knees had buckled or if I had passed out.  Definitely passed out.  Once I woke up the last hour seemed like a dream, including the Big Bang Theory that we had turned on after the room had cleared out.  Talk about a weird dream.  Big Bang Theory combined with labor and delivery recovery...so weird.  After that I vaguely remember Andrew helping the nurses maneuver the wheel chair and then me into the wheel chair.  Then I remember dry heaving, then the bowl in front of me, then my dinner in the bowl, then the anti-nausea medication, getting tucked back into bed and told I wasn't moving for a while.  By this time I could actually see the nurses and Andrew's faces so knew I was recovering and wasn't so freaked out.  My blood pressure was fine, temp fine, everything fine so my guess is that the stress and exhaustion finally just caught up with me.  It was quite the adventure.  I said it before and I'll say it again.  Everything went so smooth with Ella's pregnancy and delivery that this time I guess we just wanted to make it exciting.  

So, Olivia is here and she's doing great.  She hasn't had to be intubated, knock on wood.  She's a beautiful size!  7 lbs 12 oz and 19.75 inches long.  We were told that she was the biggest and loudest in the NICU.  She is now over at Primary's in the CICU sleeping.  Andrew went over with her when she was transported by the life flight team.  Luckily, I had regained myself when they brought her over in her little transport so I could actually meet my baby girl.  She's gorgeous and looks a lot like her big sister.  She's got adorably chubby little thighs, cheeks, and double chin.  While Andrew was over in the CICU with her our little girl made her mama proud and had her first blowout.  I never thought I'd be so excited to hear about her pooping but that just means she's doing well.  Her echo also went well.  Everything is as they expected it to be and the Dr there informed Andrew that we should have a surgery date sometime tomorrow.  They're expecting it will be on Friday.  Andrew says she definitely likes to voice when she's not happy.  She didn't love the beginning of her echo and didn't love getting her overflowing diaper changed.  

I am so grateful for how things went today.  Not everything was as I wished it to be (me not getting to hold her and the whole passing out adventure) but there are so many other blessings.  Olivia is not intubated, I didn't tear, we've had great nurses and Dr's, and despite my passing out I am recovering well and normal.  And I'm not near as emotional as I thought I would be.  I've cried a couple times but more out of gratitude and relief at Olivia's safe arrival than anything else.  I miss her of course but I know she's in the best hands and I will get to see her in the morning.  I haven't been able to head over to see her yet because of the whole passing out thing and them wanting to watch me just in case.  It sucks but it's probably a good idea.  

I'm still nervous and worried for my baby girl when I really think about everything but I'm trying not to dwell on the future and just live from minute to minute.  We continue to welcome any prayers on our behalf and are so grateful for the ones that got us through today in one piece.  

Oh, and our upload chord for the camera is in the truck so you'll just have to wait for tomorrow for pictures.