Friday Faves - Austin's Birth Story

Well - it's been a HECK of a past 4 weeks. I mean. NOTHING could prepare me for the craziness that has gone down since my baby shower on March 13th. NOTHING.

The weekend of March 12/13 was on my schedule for a long time.

I knew that Friday I was going to clean my house all day and get ready for my cousins to come from PA. I was clearing things out and making room for my baby shower stuff since my shower was that Sunday. Things were pretty typical. Or so I thought.

Rewind to Thursday March 10th.

That night my back was killing me. So I had Ted rub it.

Then of course I "over did" things on Friday with all the cleaning and didn't quite feel right.

Thought nothing of it though.

Saturday - we had a 1st birthday for our friends' son.

I felt awful. Huge, uncomfortable and AWFUL.

Back hurt Saturday too....had Ted rub it again til I fell asleep.

Sunday - my shower.

It was BEAUTIFUL!

However, I felt terrible.

But - like a lady, I put on a happy face and hammered through it.

Everyone helped bring things back to our house.

The unfinished nursery and our guest room were FULL of bags and gifts and boxes etc.

So we go to bed around 11pm.

11:45pm - I get up to use the bathroom, I feel terrible still and my back is killing me.

12:35am I get woken up by my water breaking.

Exactly 4 weeks early.

36 weeks pregnant.

12 hours after my shower.

Nothing ready.

I was terrified. 

I thought it was too early.

I was scared the baby wouldn't be big enough.

I was nervous because my plan was a scheduled C-Section for April 5th

I didn't prepare for LABOR

Mentally. Physically. Everything. I was NOT ready.

But God had other plans....

So here we are in the middle of the night Calling the Dr.

Calling my mom.

Calling my best friend.

Scared.

Ted was in GO mode. He was so good. I'm so thankful for his calmness in my complete state of panic. It was bad. I might have been in shock.

After FINALLY getting word from a midwife from my doctors office, we were headed to the hospital. At this point, contractions were pretty close and strong.

Again, things that my naïve self was NOT prepared for.

 We got to the hospital around 1:30

I was 3cm dilated and 70% effaced.

In my mind - this wasn't good.

I was still high risk.

Baby boy was still breech and NOT moving out of that position.

I was checked by the midwife who told me my doctor was on his way.

Thank God my doctor was on call!

He walked in, looked at me and my chart and said Ok lets go.

I was off to surgery within minutes.

I was prepped and in the surgery room by 2:45

Ted joined me as soon as I was fully prepped.

He looked so cute in the scrubs.

I was shaking like crazy.

Nerves, medicine, being cold, I don't know but I couldn't stop.

Then before we knew it, at 4:06am

He was here.

7lbs 2oz 19" long

Austin Frank

Perfect.

All my concerns and issues - gone. 

He was here and he was HEALTHY. 

His weight was perfect. 

He didn't need oxygen. 

He didn't need a thing. 

I was so happy. 

Ted was so happy. 

We became mommy and daddy in that moment and we are forever changed. 

In the next week or so I promise to share my nursery reveal because it's FINALLY done after little stinker came in the middle of finishing it!

And I'll share my baby shower pictures too! But for now, some pictures from Austin's big welcome to the world...

At the hospital...ready to meet our boy!

He is here!!

Perfection 

Up for 24 hours but don't care!

The sweetest little nose!

Leaving the hospital! 

(I'll post again on what we grabbed because you know my bag wasn't packed lol) and what I needed and what I didn't need... I'm such a minimalist!

Best daddy ever 

Heading home!

We love you!

~Tiffany~

Update

3 weeks have gone by since this little man decided to join us 4 weeks early.

In those 3 weeks -

I've had to deal with bringing a newborn home to a house not ready for him.

Thankfully my mom is amazing and spent lots and lots of time here helping us.

We had a 1 week check in with the pediatrician and ended up back in the hospital with severe jaundice, low temperature and high heart rate.... for 36 hours.

We came back home and adjusted, again.

And then discovered something was wrong with our sweet pup Jake.

He was acting like he couldn't see.

So Ted took him to the vet that moment we noticed...

The next day we had an appointment with a canine eye specialist.

And we were told he was going blind.

He's 6.

We were devastated.

We go on Wednesday for a test to determine WHY this is happening.

And from what we were told it's one of two things.

It's either SARDS or something neurological.

SARDS is Sudden Acquired Retinal Degeneration Syndrome

Basically - sudden total loss of vision for no reason.

Or

Something terrible like a tumor on his brain.

So we wait for Wednesday.

We hope it's neither.

But - the lesser of the two evils is SARDS.

Dogs can adjust to blindness. But it takes time.

We have both been taking it pretty bad.

And that seems to be typical - it's harder for pet parents than the pet himself.

Adjusting to a newborn....

and now the possibility of having a completely blind dog who needs us to help him...

all while re-listing the house and possibly moving.

It's a bit much.

I'm trying like hell to get myself together and take it all in and accept that this is Gods plan and that I know he only gives us what we can handle, but dang it's difficult.

So that's where we've been at for the past 3 weeks.

That's why the blog has been silent.

I'll be back with shower pictures.

And baby pictures.

But for now - I'm still just trying to get a shower in, make sure everyone is fed, and keep my poor blind pup safe in his home.  

 

 

Keep my Jakey boy in your prayers.

 

~Tiffany~