August 30, 2006
My appointment at the perinatologist's office was at 1:30pm that day. I had breakfast, showered and dressed to leave the house by 11:30. I remember waking up for the day. Thinking that it would be just like any other day. The only difference was that I had to make the routine drive to Oklahoma City to see the perinatalogist. I went every other week for an ultrasound, so I didn't think anything special. But I should have thought about the jinx Teressa placed on me just two days earlier. "When you go for your next visit, make sure to have your bags packed. He'll probably keep you. You're not putting on weight." My bags had already been packed I told her. I was paranoid, even at 28 weeks when I packed my bags.
The drive to the city was pretty uneventful. The weather was warm and sunny. I rolled down the windows in the truck and had on the 80's music channel. Chris had called on my way there. I stopped at the McDonald's just outside of the city to use the bathroom. Hey, I was 34 weeks pregnant, I had to go A LOT!!
I made my way to Mercy hospital where Dr. Mirabile's office was. I took the elevator to the 3rd floor and walked through those doors. After about 15 minutes, the nurse called and I was taken back to the ultrasound room. This room is awesome!! There is a huge flat screen plasma tv to watch the ultrasound on. The tech is doing the u/s for a few minutes. Then she says the doctor will come in just a few minutes. When Dr. Mirabile gets in the room, he does another u/s. The first thing he said was, "Have you had anything to eat or drink today?" I said that I had breakfast at 8:30 and water on the drive to the city. He said, "Well, no more for today. You're having the baby."
I think my heart stopped. I thought I was dreaming. Why am I not waking up? All of a sudden, reality hit. I was awake!! The next thought that ran through my head, was "the baby isn't ready! I'm only 34 weeks! He's lying." And I looked at him like he had three heads. "Are you sure? He's not ready! Can he survive?!" I'm in tears and all I heard was "Yes, he can survive". I called in to work and told them that I was going to begin my vacation. Ed must have thought I was nuts as I hadn't asked in advance. I told him that I was having the baby today. I could hear the shock in his voice as he said, "Oh, I didn't know." I told him that I didn't either.
Dr. Mirabile asked if I knew how to get to the OU Children's Hospital. I told him I barely knew how to get to Mercy. He smiled and said, "It's ok. We have a map for you and they are expecting you. When you get there, go to the fifth floor. I'll see you shortly." I left the office with two pieces of paper. One, a map of the OU campus and the second one, a hand written directions to the hospital.
I made a few phone calls. One to my mom, two to friends, and one to Teressa. I remember asking the woman at the turnpike gate if I was on the right road. She told me the shortest way to the hospital I was going to. Chris called again asking what time I would be home. I told him that I wouldn't be home that night.
I finally made it to the OU campus. This place is HUGE!!! I drove around it twice trying to find the right building and the parking area. I pulled into valet parking and asked where the patient parking was. The valet said I was in it. There are maybe 30 parking spots. He asked if I was a patient. I told him that I was going to be, I was going to have a baby. His eyes got huge and asked if I was in labour. I told him no, I was just going to have a baby. He was so kind and asked if he could help carry my bags into the hospital. He walked me all the way to the fifth floor and carried my things to the admitting office.
I checked into the hospital and was taken to a private delivery room. There, I waited about an hour before anyone came to check on me. Finally a nurse comes in and gives me a "peek-a-boo" gown and takes my blood pressure. She asked who my doctor was and I told her. She said that she really liked him.
My family shows up about two hours after I called the first time. My mom, my sister, and my niece were all there. Dr Mirabile comes about 15 minutes after them. We discuss what was going to happen. The anesthesiology team comes in and asked their zillion questions. A few minutes after 8pm, I am wheeled into an operating room. There are wall to wall doctors and nurses there. I scoot over to the other table and have to sit there while the anesthesiologist is putting a needle in my spine and injecting some unknown paralytic into me. I laid on this table in what I call the "Jesus" position. I felt like I was about to be crucified. My arms and my legs were strapped to the table and someone kept pinching my legs.
Finally, I was numb. Really numb. I couldn't even feel my tongue. Spinal blocks rock!! They should market it!! At 8:45pm, Dr. Mirabile starts to make the incision. He's telling me what is going on. Like, "Here are the legs" (Aiden is breech), and here is the butt." I remember looking at the anesthesiologist and telling him I needed to throw up. It's a weird feeling to know that you are being cut on and a baby being taken out of you and not feel it. Well you can feel the tugging and pulling, but you don't feel like another human is coming out of you. After what seemed like forever, but was only 6 minutes, Dr. Mirabile announces, "It's a boy. Born at 8:51pm."
I try looking around, but I couldn't see Aiden. I could hear him scream. When I heard that scream, I let out a breath. He had a healthy scream. Someone in the backgroud said that his Apgars were 8 and 9. My delivery nurse was taking pictures. Another doctor held Aiden up for me to see for a spilt second. Then he went away.
I knew where he was going. He was going into the delivery room next to the one I was in. In that room, there was another team of doctors waiting. A cardiac surgical team.
Back in my private delivery room, I was sitting back feeling cold. The nurse kept coming in telling me to move my foot. Somewhere between my brain and my foot, the message got lost. I couldn't move my foot. Spinal blocks don't rock so much now. I was talking to my mom, sister, and niece when some woman walks into the room. She introduces herself as the cardiologist. She said that Aiden's heart looked good, considering the two big holes in his heart, but he wouldn't be requiring life saving surgery that night. A few minutes later, a portable incubator is being slowly inched past the doorway. Inside this incubator is a tiny, 2lb 13oz, 15 inch little boy known to the world as Aiden Wyatt.
August 30, 2007
Why am I up at 5:00am? My alarm doesn't go off until 6. I listen to the monitor that is just three feet away. All is quiet. I thank God for the miracle given to me a year ago. In the next room over, Aiden is quietly sleeping still. I get up and take a shower. Today is going to be just like every other day.
When I get out of the shower, I hear him moving. He is so cute waking up. He scrunches his little body and stretches out. He rubs his eyes and starts talking. I got dressed and went in to pick him up. I changed his diaper and went to make a bottle. We got his medicine ready and played our morning routine. After breakfast, I got him dressed and ready for school.
