Hines Family Joy: All the Details..... and a LOT of pictures!!

I'll start off first by apologizing. I know I shouldn't, but I feel like I have to! It's been over a week now, and everyone has been asking and asking what happened, and how and why Sydney came so early. So I'm sorry for it taking so incredibly long to post a blog to let everyone know the details!

With that said..............

I started having contractions (again.....) on Friday, May 29th around 3pm. We had planned to have friends up for dinner and have a relaxing evening at home. I'd just finished making Sydney's curtains for her room the day before, and also finished her baby sling this day. (The 29th) Anyways, contractions started at around 3pm, and I tried to be stubborn and say that I was okay and that I didn't need to go in to get monitored. But about 4:00 the contractions were actually getting painful, so off we went. We figured that we'd go in, I'd get monitored, they'd give me a shot to stop my contractions, just as they did when I kept going into pre-term labor with Austin, and they'd send us home. That sure didn't happen!! (As you already know!)

We were at the hospital by 4pm, and by 4:17, I was hooked up to all the monitors, and nurses were running in and out of the room at every contraction (3 minutes apart) worrying and fretting to see if I was okay. Everyone there knew that I was to be a scheduled c-section, so a natural child birth was NOT an option. They checked my cervix, and I was dialated to a 3.
At this point, there were only a couple options for me. They'd decided that they were going to give me a shot of terbutaline to stop my contractions, and if the medicine completely stopped them, then I'd be able to go home the next morning, and wouldn't have to go back to the hospital until my next scheduled appointment, and hopefully be able to deliver her on June 22nd as planned. If the medicine didn't stop the contractions, (regardless if they stopped contractions or not, they'd decided they were keeping me over night to monitor me and baby) then they were going to try to hold off until mid-night to do the c-section. (I was only 35 weeks and 6 days when I went in on the 29th.... on base, they will only deliver babies that are 36 weeks and beyond due to not having a NICU, nor the staff/equipment to care for a preemie baby) If they could hold my labor steady until mid-night, I would officially be 36 weeks pregnant, and they could do the c-section with no problems. If my labor kept intensifying, they'd decided they were going to life flight me to Boise. Not that I was in a life or death situation, nor was Sydney, but they were so afraid that if it came down to needing to be sent to Boise, that I would end up having her in an ambulance on the transport to Boise.
By about 5pm they gave me a shot of terbutaline to stop my contractions. It worked for an hour or so, and then I started having contractions right through it. So after that, they gave me terbutaline in the form of a pill. It was suppose to stop contractions for up to 6 hours. That didn't work either, I just kept laboring through that medicine. After this, my Dr. decided that I really needed to be sent to Boise. With my contractions as strong as they were, and not stopping with the shots of terbutaline, he didn't believe that I would be able to make it until mid-night without having the baby.

At this point, we'd already called some friends of ours to see if they could take Austin for the night. They have a son that is only a month younger than Austin and they just love playing together, and we knew he'd be in good hands. Bryant had left to get Austin's bags packed, and get him the happy meal from BK that we promised him if he was good in the hospital when the doctor told me that I would be being flown to Boise via helicopter. So the doctor tells me I'd better get on the phone with my husband and get him back to the hospital quickly. Not knowing how SLOW a medevac can go, I thought I was about to get on the helicopter right then and leave without Bryant knowing. So I call Bryant and tell him he'd better get back right away because I was about to be flown to St. Lukes. He of course, is in BK getting Austin something to eat, and tells the people to make it a to go order...QUICK... and runs out the door. He meets our friends Adam and Rachel at the BX (luckily they were already on base when we called them, because they were going to be coming to our house for dinner that evening.) and then drives (like a mad man I'm sure) back to the hospital. He makes it in plenty of time, considering the helicopter hadn't even made it to base yet. Go figure. He runs into my room, sweating and breathing hard. He'd ran from the car all the way up to my room thinking I was probably gone already. I felt so bad. We sat there for another 20 minutes or so before we saw the helicopter fly by. So when we saw that, Bryant left for Boise. It took another good 45 minutes for them to get me all set up for the ride. While the helicopter was at St. Lukes getting ready to come get me, I was given another medicine that was suppose to completely wipe out my contractions. It was Magnesium something or other.... sulfate....? I don't remember.... but let me tell you, that stuff is NOT FUN! They give it through the IV, and it makes you flushed like crazy, hotter than hell, woozy, sick to the stomach feeling, seeing funny.... just crappy all around. I wasn't really looking forward to a helicopter ride, I'll tell ya that much!!
Everyone keeps asking me if it was just so cool. Sure, it was cool. But if you've never ridden in a helicopter, on a life flight, strapped to a stretcher, in labor, having contractions.... No. It wasn't fun. I was a little too nervous, stressed and worried about having my baby girl 4 weeks early to really "be in the moment" to enjoy my 18 minute helicopter ride. (I will admit to one absolutely gorgeous view though.... we were just about to St. Lukes and there was a spot where the sun was setting on snow capped mountains.... that WAS beautiful.....)

So anyways, we get to St. Lukes, Bry had already been there for about 25 minutes. He was already scrubbed up and waiting, as were all the nurses. They bring me into my recovery room and Dr. Lee wanted to hook me up to monitors to check my contractions. He said he wanted to "make sure that I was really in labor" before they took Sydney a month early. Which I completely understand... But seriously?! Getting a life flight from base and going through everything I'd just went through....?!?! THIS BETTER BE REAL LABOR or I'm gonna beat someone! :) HAHA! Needless to say, it WAS real labor, so he finally called it, and went to get ready for the C-Section.

Sydney was born on May 29th at 10:20pm. She was 19 3/4 inches long and weighed 6lbs 15oz. When Dr. Lee took her out, he said, "Uhhhh..... this doesn't LOOK like a preemie!!!" Almost a 7 pound little girl, and she came 4 weeks early!! Can you imagine if she would have went full term?! She would have been a little pony like her momma!! (9lbs 15oz)

Everything went great. She was healthy, and didn't even have to be admitted into the NICU. Once home, she developed a little bit of jaundice. She had a slight reading of it in the hospital, but nothing to be concerned about. But a day after we got home, her levels read higher, and then the next day they were even higher. So we had to go back for yet another heel prick 2 days later (when she was 1 week old) and it came back that her levels were going back down. YES!!
She still has her days and nights mixed up... (of course she sleeps like an angel in the hospital and not so much at home...) but she is so absolutely precious. I'm still in shock that I finally have my little baby girl! :)

We feel so incredibly blessed, and I really do feel as if our family is complete now.

Here are some pictures from the past week. And to answer your question.....

YES! I'M OBSESSED!!! :)

Nana gave Austin the beaters from the banana bread.... yum yum!

All cuddled up.... sweet girl

Sydney Linn in her first little dress.

Momma and her baby girl. So in love. :)

He looks so scholarly in Papa's glasses

Austin and his baby sissy. He's got her in his "seat belt"

Pretty little girl. She's got to wear preemie clothes!

Sometimes she looks soooo much like Austin!!!

Such a precious little girl. We are so blessed!!

Peeking at mommy through his party hat from Noah's birthday.

Nana got him hooked on her poker game. He's pretty good!!

Austin at Noah's birthday party. His daddy took him to the party... Mommy still wasn't quite up to it.

Jump! Jump! Jump Around!! :)

Bryant said he just had a blast!!! He came home soooooo pooped out!!

Grams and her little grand-daughter Sydney

Gramps and his grand daughter.... he's a little Goo Goo eyed :)

Look at those adorable baby blues! He's such a ham!

Austin and his Papa watching TV. Austin looks exhausted!

Austin's holding his baby sissy. He loves to hold her... he asks to hold her non stop!!

Out sunning herself to help get rid of her slight jaundice. She absolutely loved it, she was so relaxed.

All relaxed and soaking up the rays

Darling Sydney

She already has a little boyfriend :) His name is Kai, he is my friend Shawna's new little boy. They're only about 2 weeks apart. It was so sweet that they were holding hands :)