And she is finally here!

First of all thank you all so very much for your prayers!  Dan and I definitely feel them with us.
Thursday we were surprisingly calm and just so excited to meet her!  So we got down there checked in and waited...and waited...and waited! Our c-section was scheduled for 10:30am but there were two c sections that came before us.  One couple needed to deliver their triplets and after them we were supposed to go, but then an emergency c section came in so we had to wait yet again.  Finally around 1:45pm they came and got me and brought me into the operating room to get ready!  I had some issues with the spinal...they injected in and then I felt like I was going to pass out.  They were like "Oh that's a normal feeling."  So then I was like "I'm going to pass out" and all of a sudden I hear them all running around saying stuff like "Alright we have a pulse of 30...quick I need oxygen...ok blood pressure is dropping...pulse still dropping...Kaite stay with us...Kaite can you hear us...Kaite squeeze my hand..." lol Needless to say it was kind of scary.  I'm laying there like "I'm dying!" I just had a severe reaction to the spinal.  Once that was under control they brought Dan back and they started the c-section.  It was such an incredible feeling to hear her little cry for the first time!  She was a fighter from the start.  I guess before they even pulled her out she was crying!  They brought her over to the table and stabilized her...Dan got to go over and baptize her immediately. :) She's our little saint now.  Her O2 sat was a little low initially so they incubated her and then wheeled her past me so I could see her and then took her up to Brigham's ICU.  Dan followed them and after I got stitched up etc I was wheeled into recovery where I was met by my mom and Dad.  I felt OK.  I had only had two hours of sleep the previous two nights so I think I was over tired and just really drugged up...plus I hadn't had anything to eat all day.  When I got there that morning they discovered that my hematocrit was 29 and should have been around 40 so I was a little anemic.  During the csection I had lost a lot of blood I guess so my levels dropped to 26 and finally the next day to 23.  So needless to say I've been feeling rather tired and loopey they past few days.  Since then I've been given iron and do feel better today.  Finally around 7pm I was wheeled up to my room.  I didn't get to see her that night just because I was so out of it.  I did get to go see her the next afternoon...she is sooooo cute!  She's doing so good.  They took her off her ventilator that Friday...put a feeding tube in that has since then been removed by herself! lol They're keeping it out for another day and going to see how she does today eating from the bottle.  I've been pumping and just patiently waiting for my milk to come in so we can start feeding her with that.  She's peeing, pooping and farting...lol all very good things!  She's breathing really good and she weighs the same she did at birth.  The omphalocele is intact and contains the liver, stomach, spleen and intestines.  She is a very mellow baby and sleeps most of the time and seems to cry very little.  She hasn't been on really any pain meds etc the past few days.  She loves to snuggle with her mommy and daddy and loves to wear her socks hats and bows!  

The latest news...Dr. Buchmiller came by this morning to look at the omphalocele and said that everything is looking really good.  Those three spots on the omphalocele that were rather thin are healing nicely and getting tougher.  She said that within the next couple of days she'll probably go down on the floor and be out of the NICU! We're so excited for that!  So she will be in her own room and in a crib!  We'll also be able to stay bedside if we wanted to when she goes down on the floor.  :-) 

When the skin grows up half way over the omphalocele she will most likely be able to come home!  This could take up to a few months...really depends on how quickly her body heals itself.  She's just doing so well though!  God has truly blessed us and is certainly taking such good care of our little GEM. 

She's not using her IV anymore and it will probably be taken out within the next few days.  She's receiving both bottle feeds and feeds through her feeding tube.  She ate 15cc today via bottle which is almost half an ounce which is really good for her!  The doctor said it's very common for these babies to not take well to the bottle because it's a lot more strain on their lungs to suck from a bottle and makes it more difficult for them to breathe.  Eventually she will get the hang of it and the feeding tube should come out! 

We've been able to hold her, change her diaper, take her temp, help position her and hopefully everyday we'll be able to care for her more and more. 

She loves to sleep!  Most of the time she's asleep and we just visit with her and hold her and talk to her.  Daddy read her first bedtime story to her last night and I think she really liked that.  We also prayed our first family rosary together last night by her bedside.  It's such an incredible feeling being our own little family.  We love her to pieces and can't imagine life without her.  I close my eyes at night and she's all I see and open my eyes in the morning and can't wait to see her again.  What a little miracle she is!

Dan is an incredible father.  He has adjusted so well to fatherhood and loves her to pieces!  It's all about Gianna now.  :)  He loves to make sure she's content and comfortable and loves to talk to her and help out taking care of her.  He's pretty skilled at changing a diaper too! ;)  He has taken such good care of both of his girls.  God has blessed both Gianna and I with the best daddy and husband!

I'll update some more later...going to go hold my little munchkin!

Thank you for your prayers!  They are being heard!

KEM