I have had two amazing baby showers where we were blessed with so much, both in gifts and in love. I stopped working after Easter, thinking that he would come any day, but he didn't... It was nice being able to catch up on some sleep and just relax, but it was also weird not going to work everyday. I know that sounds crazy, but I love teaching, and I honestly missed it and missed my kiddos!
But...everything changed on May 5th! Parker Allan Dye decided to FINALLY join us at 9:38 pm on Thursday, May 5, 2011. He was perfect in every way. He was 7 lbs. 1 oz., 19.5 inches long, and had a head COVERED with hair (which we were NOT expecting).
It was a long day and there were some scary times. Parker's heart rate kept dropping with every contraction, but would always raise back up. When it wouldn't raise after one of the contractions, everyone started to worry and I was told we may be headed into a C-section if it didn't come up and soon. Thankfully, once they got me into the right position, it slowly started to come back up. Soon after, I began pushing and two hours later, we were blessed with the most amazing gift that God gives us. Although I was completely exhausted, I remember feeling like everything in the world was perfect! I had this perfect little baby boy in my arms and the most amazing husband standing over us and smothering us both with kisses. Life couldn't get any better!
Soon after he was born, my blood pressure sank and I became very incoherent, so I didn't get a chance to spend a lot of time with Parker, but Kyle stayed by his side and videotaped every moment for me...His first bath, getting his footprints, and even the nasty shots!
We left the hospital on Saturday, May 7th and headed home to start our life as a family of three.
Well, technically a family of five if you include Oliver and Oakley, who were very anxious to meet Parker!
The next three days at home were complete bliss. My mom came to stay with us for the week to help with the cooking and cleaning, and of course the sleeping!! She has been completely and totally amazing, and we will be finding a way to pay her back some how! I believe that her role as "Grandma" fits her to a tee. She is the most caring, compassionate, loving, and doting Grandma any Grandson could ever ask for!
On Monday, May 9th, Parker had his first doctor's appointment! Everything went pretty well, but the doctor was concerned about his jaundice, so he sent us over to the lab at the hospital to have his levels checked. That afternoon he called to tell us that his level was 19.2 and they admit them back to the hospital for UV treatment when their levels reach 20, so he was very high. He told us to get him into sunbathing and then go again on Tuesday to get his level checked.
On Tuesday his level was down to an 18.4, so the doctor told us we would not have to go get them checked again until Thursday, when we had another doctor's appointment to get his weight checked. We were very excited that we didn't have to get them checked on Wednesday, as it is not the easiest thing to watch them pricking his hell and then squeezing blood out!
Our excitement didn't last long...
That night, Tuesday night, we took Parker to the Emergency Room. He had been sleeping way TOO much, not eating, and was very lethargic. We called the doctor's office (which since it was after hours, it sent the call to the Denver Children's Hospital), and after talking with a nurse and taking his temp, she said he needed to be seen. Once seen by the ER doc, we were told that they wanted to do a spinal tap to draw some spinal fluid to check for meningitis. I don't know a lot about medical "stuff," but I knew what a spinal tap was and I knew what meningitis was! He told us all of the negatives, and then asked for our permission to go ahead with the spinal tap. This was not a question we were prepared to face after being parents for only five days. I looked at Kyle, feeling helpless and lost, and all he said was that there wasn't really any question as to whether we should do it or not, as meningitis is life threatening. So after signing the consent form and smothering Parker with kisses, we were shown to the waiting room.
Those next fifteen minutes seemed like the longest fifteen minutes in the world...
The doctor came out and told us that he was not able to get it after four tries, but that they were going to admit him and HIS doctor would try in the morning. So after getting settled in a room on the Pediatric floor at four in the morning, we closed out eyes for what seemed like twenty minutes.
The next morning, Parker's doctor, Dr. Ellbogen, came in to talk with us. His advice was to test for everything. He said with newborns, he doesn't mess around. He would rather test for everything and start treating him for the major illnesses instead of waiting around on test results before being able to treat him. We agreed with him, and with heavy hearts, the testing began.
Our precious little boy was put through so much that day. He had another spinal tap done (which Dr. Ellbogen was able to do in one try), he had blood drawn from his heel twice, blood drawn from his tiny arm, and some chest X-rays in which he had to be held down for.
When I say Parker's the strongest person I know, I'm not kidding! He was a lot stronger than either me or Kyle. So many people kept telling us that he would never remember any of it, which I know is true...Thank God...but I will remember and Kyle will remember. Hearing your child scream and cry uncontrollably and knowing that there is nothing either one of us could do to stop all of this, was the hardest thing that we have been faced with.
Now, it was just a waiting game and still is...
We have been in the hospital since Tuesday night, and it is now Sunday evening. We are still waiting on test results from Denver Children's Hospital before we can be sent home. All of the blood cultures and spinal cultures at the lab here have come back negative, but Dr. Ellbogen wants to wait for the official results from Denver before he feels comfortable sending us home. As hard as it is to sit here day in and day out, I know that this is what is best for him, and that is all that matters right now. Here they can monitor him and keep treating him with antibiotics. The antibiotics are kind of like a jump ahead of the game. If any of the results come back positive, he will have already started treatment, instead of wasting precious time waiting on results!
Waiting on results...
That is what our life has become the past five days. We sit in this room and wait. All day long. We both have our moments where we feel like we've been robbed. Robbed of Parker's first week and robbed of our first week as a family of three at our home, building our life together. I feel guilty for even writing those words, because I know how truly lucky we are! We have an amazing little boy that is perfect in every way. His temperature has regulated, he is eating a LOT, peeing and pooping well, and is a happy baby boy! We ARE a family of three, and although Parker's first week of life was not what we had in mind, we are building our life together and making memories!
I titled this blog "Making Memories" not even realizing its significance. This past week has been FULL of memories that have taken us in both directions...up and down. The single most important memory that I am holding onto right now is the moment that Parker was born. Don't worry...I won't share those memories. :) But nothing will ever compare to that feeling of holding him in my arms for the first time with the man of my dreams telling me how much he loves me with tears running down his face. We are truly making memories each day, each hour, each minute and I cannot wait to see what will come next.
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