Oliver Reid Barnsley

Oh Happy Day, our precious boy is here!!!!! Remember how I've been saying all along that Oliver wanted to make quite the entrance into this world? Welp, he sure did! He's had Momma and Daddy's heart racing for over two weeks, and now we are able to take a step back from everything and breath. He's a week and 2 days old today and just as content as can be!  Here is our story..

Monday, July 29th: I was taken to my new room in labor in delivery and my doc ordered for me to start on Cytotec.  It was within the hour of getting my first dose that I started feeling contractions (which apparently can start and some women even deliver on just the Cytotec.) The contractions weren't anything I couldn't tolerate and they even started to die down after awhile.  Every 4 hours, I was given another dose, which increased the contractions and strength of them.  It was getting late at this point and Jes and I started getting ready to get some sleep.  I didn't know how the heck I would get any because at that point the contractions were coming every 5 minutes and at a pretty tough strength to handle.  But I was only about 50% effaced and 1 cm.. SERIOUSLY?? I couldn't believe it! I didn't know how I could manage much longer.  I was able to close my eyes and was in and out of sleep until about 2:00 am.  At that time Jes timed my contractions for me and they were a minute apart! I pushed my nurse call button because I was done!  She checked me again and I was still at 1 cm but 75% effaced now.  Not ok in my mind! I thought that I was the biggest wimp alive and told her I would feel so silly to get the epidural at that point. She (Margo) reassured me that I shouldn't torture myself and to not feel lame at all! To help me decide, she came back in and said that the anesthesiologist was heading into the OR for a c-section but he had time to come give me an epidural if I wanted, otherwise I would have to wait an hour.  I jumped on that and even though I felt pathetic that I was so far away from where I needed to be (10 cm.) to have that baby vaginally, I could have cared less! I was proud and excited to join the 1 cm club like my nurse Kathy called it! She even said she was the President of that special club! haha! All was well after the epidural and I was finally able to get some sleep...and by some I mean like 2-3 hours probably. Throughout that night and morning Margo would have to come in to flip me from side to side because Oliver's heart rate would decel after a contraction.  They didn't want that because that told us he wasn't tolerating labor very well.  Try staying calm when your nurse comes rushing in and quickly saying, Ok, we need you to flip to the other side quickly, Oliver doesn't like that... PLUS the bottom half of my body felt paralyzed so I could hardly move! It was a sight to see!

Tuesday, July 30th: I was still contracting every 1-2 minutes, so they decided to give me pitocin to speed things up and hopefully dilate me quicker.  At this point I  had labored for about 18 hours before my nurse decided to turn off the pitocin due to Oliver's heart rate decels.  She said, "That's it, we're done, I'm calling Dr. Eckel and we're done!" Of course I knew what that meant... We were headed towards plan B: A c-section....  I remember thinking to myself, "Oh what fun.. All that for nothing! Hah!" But of course everyone wanted to try a natural birth before we went to plan b!  Dr. Eckel agreed that Oliver didn't like those contractions and figured it either had to do with the cord maybe being around his neck or lack of oxygen in my placenta.  Neither of them good. Anyways, we had the c-section scheduled for 12:15 pm and right when Dr. Eckel showed up, my nurse came in and told us that we were being pushed back due to an emergency c-section.  It was about 1:20 before they took me back.  They prepped the room and got me all ready to go and then brought in Jesse.  I remember being shaky because I was cold and nervous so I was so happy to see Jes walk in.  He was so calm and talked me through it all.  I couldn't feel a think and then I started feeling pulling, tugging and could tell when Oliver was almost out.  I remember the country music playing in the room but was still in a daze, because frankly everything was happening so fast! Jesse got our camera and video cam ready for the action and was able to capture it all! I am so thankful he did! At 1:42 pm Oliver took his first little breath and let out some serious cries! WE WERE SHOCKED! I expected to hear little whimpers but OH NO! I heard Dr. Eckel say 1, 2, 3.. the cord was wrapped around his little neck 3 times AND around his shoulder!!! I was reminded again at that moment that God was holding our hands throughout this whole process and HE had His perfect plan for Oliver!!! There was a reason why he came so early! A very big reason and we realized why once we heard about his cord! I immediately started tearing up before I could even see him and just knew how tough he was and would be while in the NICU! It was such a sense of relief.  The Neonatologist brought him over to Jes and I and we just fell in love... Of course newborns aren't the prettiest little things and he was quite purple looking but he was perfect! I remember asking the doc if it was normal that he was the color he was or if it was from the cord, and he reassured me that it was normal and he would get his color soon! Jesse cut the cord and was able to watch over Oliver as they started examining him! There were probably about 10 people in the OR because I was considered high risk just to make sure Oliver didn't need anything serious once he came out. The NICU docs and nurses took him to make sure his breathing and other stats were ok and then they took him to his NICU pod where he would be staying.  He weighed 4 lbs. 1 oz and was 16 1/2 inches long.  He was on the bigger side for his gestational age and I remember one of my nurses saying to me that Oliver would have been a big boy if he stayed in there until full term. Jes followed them into the NICU because I wanted him to get a good update of what was going on. I was "put back together" and wheeled back to recovery. Jes met me in recovery to let me know all was ok with him and then my nurse rolled me down to the NICU to get a look at him! It sorta was a blur, but I held my sweet little baby for the first time and I could hardly control my emotions! What a relief and special moment to know that he was ok, he was here and so many people were around him taking such good care of him! He was literally perfect and to me did not look like the preemie I was expecting. Our hospital has a sweet lullaby button the Daddy pushes after his baby is born and can be heard around the whole hospital.  I was so excited for this because during my extended stay, I had heard so many lullabies and was getting anxious for our special time.  It was so sweet to hear Oliver's Lullaby, I'm sure I cried at that too! The rest of the day was spent in my postpartum room and recovering.. My nurses got me out of bed that night to walk to the bathroom and it was a tough one, let me tell you! I've never felt so weak and sore in my life!

Wednesday, July 31st: This was mostly a recovery day for me.  Since it was very painful to get up and out of bed, I started by taking wheelchair rides to the NICU to see little Oliver.  I then later progressed to slowly walking the halls down to see him, but it was a battle.  The Barnsley's left to go back home for a few days and Oliver stayed stable in his little open air crib.

Thursday, August 1st: Due to Oliver's bilirubin levels (jaundice) he was put on a bili-blanket and became a little glow bug for a couple of days!  They told us the more he peed and pooped, the more that bilirubin level would go down.  He had some pretty sweet glasses on to protect his little eyes, but the little stinker just loved pulling on them or somehow managing to work them off every time they were put back on! He hated them, and I don't blame him! He clearly proved to us he was there to see the world, and I think he felt like we were denying that right of his! :) He loved grabbing anything and everything (fingers, tubes, his head IV..)

Friday, August 2nd: Since Oliver had an IV in his head (ouch! and never did I know this is a good spot for them on babies) to provide him with extra fluids and nutrients, today he got that removed and was taken off the fluids/nutrients.  He made us very nervous because that IV was not something to play with! The last thing I wanted for him was to have to get a new one somewhere else.  He would not have been happy to get poked again! I'm sure he was so happy to get that out, because every single day we would catch him trying to yank on it and he'd grip it so tight! Poor guy! I don't blame him for hating it!

Saturday, August 3rd: We started our morning with getting my staples removed from surgery. I took a nice long shower and it felt amazing! I knew it would be an emotional and strange feeling sorta day because we were going to have to leave our baby at the hospital and not be able to walk out with him like most people get to do.  I had already tried to mentally prepare, because I knew this day was coming. It was tough, I procrastinated, but we did it, and tried to hold it together.  It just didn't feel right, that's for sure and frankly I just hated it.  I knew he was in the best place possible but that didn't seem to make it better! I wanted the best place to be in our arms at home... I kept telling myself while on bed rest that he wouldn't have come home until September anyways if I had gone full term.  But, after seeing and holding our sweet guy, how could I not want him with us? It felt like such a tease! I couldn't stop thinking about him and have never been so anxious to jump back in the car later on to go see him! Both Jesse's family and mine came over to our house to eat dinner together and celebrate our Oliver's safe arrival.  My Mom (Gigi) and Dad (Papa) were leaving Sunday morning so that night they were able to hold little Oliver for the first time and my oh my... I could hardly contain myself! I was so full of emotions to see my parents hold their first grandchild.  They were nervous at first because of all the wires, cords and because he was so stinkin' tiny, but that surely changed quickly once they held him in their sweet loving arms.  They of course were emotional too and by the time we left we were all in tears! I'll never forget seeing my Mom so happy and in love with our boy and hearing my Dad say, "Wow, this is just one of the best moments of my life.. To hold my Grandson!"  I will forever remember that precious moment! It was one of the best days in my life too, Mom and Dad!

Sunday, August 4th: Oliver was a pooping machine! Hooray, exactly what we wanted! Getting rid of the bilirubin like a good boy! Daddy and I changed our 1st poopie diapers from Oliver.  I swear, it was a little strange to change such a tiny little diaper on a tiny little boy with tons of wires everywhere! I'm sure we had a little sweat on our brows after we were done, but we managed to get those little buns all clean and covered back up in no time! Today Oliver was held by his Aunt Coco (Courtney), Aunt Bee (Abbey), Debbie (Gam Gam), Dan (Papo), and Aunt Jazzy and Uncle John for the first time! He was in Heaven with all the attention he was getting! Again, my heart melted every time someone else held our bundle of love for the first time! I think almost every single one of them teared up when they felt him in their arms.  Abbey and the Barnsley/Pitcher crew headed back home and then our friend Andres came over to meet Oliver.  He was a popular little guy that day!

Monday, August 5th: Oliver had to go back on the bili-blankets because his bilirubin levels were up a bit again.  I guess all that poop wasn't enough! Poor guy was pooping so much we had to get him  some cream! They took him off the blankets  too soon I think so hopefully, this will take care of it! They will recheck his levels on Thursday morning.  His feedings increase 3 mL every 12 hours, and they are adding extra calories to each feeding using Neosure to fortify my breast milk.  He will go up to 45 mL which is his max amount for feedings and then they'll level it off.  They'll watch him for steady weight gain and start introducing him to breastfeeding. Since he's obviously still tiny and not quite ready it will be more of practicing then anything.  We practice randomly now and by the looks of it, I think Oliver will do just fine on the breast! He gets a little excited and aggressive when he sees the boobie, that's all I can say! Even though he doesn't have the strength right now to fully feed on my breast, he'll get there, I'm sure of it! I can only imagine what I'll be dealing with when he gets bigger! We kangaroo with him everyday which is something that is highly recommended for preemie babies! It helps them in so many ways (weight gain, oxygen, temperature, etc.) Kangarooing means skin to skin contact, so we just lay him on our chest (Daddy does it too) and cover him with a blanket.  He is so still and so content and LOVES IT! So do we! I almost fall asleep every time and definitely fall more and more in love with our boy when I get to cuddle him! I love feeling the warmth of my baby, there is just nothing to compare it to! A fun first for us was that we gave him his first swaddle bath! We watched a video on it and afterwards I was pretty sure that a wet, slippery, tiny little baby scared the living daylights out of Jesse and I.  Our nurse reassured us that we'll be fine, she'll be right there to help us, and that we can do it! Once we got him in there and started, it was so much fun and adorable to see how much Oliver loved his warm bath! I mean, he LOVED IT! His eyes said it all, they were rolling to the back of his head, he was yawning and falling asleep and it was overall such a pleasant experience for everyone! It was therapeutic and no stress whatsoever! Court was our photographer and I am so happy she was able to capture those special little moments! Finally, that night the supervisor, Florence (whom we love and is so helpful) told us that Oliver was doing so great and that he was being moved to the next room! He was first put in more of an admitting room, so his next room was a little smaller and needed less equipment since he was stable and doing very well.  He were sad to leave his special area, but knew these were the steps needed to get him home sooner.

Tuesday, August 6th: Oliver did great in his new room! He remained on the bili-blanket and did awesome! He looked like he was just relaxin' and gettin' his little tan on! There were many poopie diapers for Mommy and Daddy to change that day! We are getting to be pros at changing tiny diapers on tiny people! He's got some super powerful little legs on him, so he likes to give us a little challenge when it's diaper time! Little stinker! We also get to take his temp every time and he's maintaining a temp of around 98.3 every time.  We have little duties that the Nurses let us do so we feel as a part of it as we can with his care! We can basically be as involved or not in his care, whatever we feel comfortable doing!

Wednesday, August 7th:  Oliver came off the blanket and definitely looked less orange! Hopefully he'll stay that way! We'll cross our fingers! Because he is getting closer to his max feeding limit, he started spitting up/having reflux.  It's completely normal in babies anyways, but extremely normal for preemies. Their stomach is so much smaller, so the milk makes its way back up to the esophagus and can also cause him to have spells of apnea. This is when he forgets to take a breath or it's difficult for him because of the reflux.  We just watch him, help sit him up and he always tends to bring himself out of it and gets back to taking a breath.  It's definitely not a comforting feeling to hear that alarm beep and know the reason behind it... We just try to remember to stay calm and confident because it's very normal at this age and they help themselves get out of it.  Jesse and I noticed that Oliver is making more and more noises, and we are just tickled to death when we hear little grunts, funny noises coming from his bottom, hiccups or squeaks!!!

Court has been here with us for almost a week and a half now and we are so thankful for her and her help! We literally could not do it without her right now! I can't drive to and from the hospital so she is my chauffeur! She has been such a blessing and has helped out more than she'll ever know! It allows Jes to be able to continue working and frees him up a bit to take care of other things we needed to get done.  We are forever grateful for her and love her staying with us! She has been such great emotional and physical support for me and I can't thank her enough! Plus, Oliver loves getting to see and hear his Aunt Coco everyday too! My mom is coming back on Friday for another week to help out, so we can't wait to see her again!

I am doing well and each day gets easier and easier! I'm still sore on and off but I'm starting to ease off my pain meds, so that's good! Some days it literally feels like my insides are going to fall out! I haven't been able to rest as much as I probably should but between going to the hospital back and forth, pumping every 2-3 hours, trying to keep up with paperwork and things we need to do it's not too easy! We go to bed around 10:30/11:00 every night and are wiped out! I'm trying to figure out a good schedule for everything but it's not that easy! I have an appt. with Dr. Eckel next week to check up on my incision, but from what I can tell, it's healing very nicely! He did a great job!

That's been our life in a nutshell (well kind of... you know I don't like leaving details out!) I know it's been about a week since I have last updated everyone, but what a hectic and exciting week it's been.  Many of you have been emailing, calling and texting to see if everything is ok, so I hope you understand if I'm not able to get back to you right away or even for awhile. I'm not able to talk on my phone in the NICU, so it's always on silent and I'm in there most part of the day.  I'll try to keep updating as often as I can, but with all our to-do's right now, it gets tough! Holding and loving on our sweet little boy is my number one priority of course! Jesse and I are so blessed to have such loving and caring family and friends and we are forever grateful for your support and love through all of this! What an experience this has been for everyone, but in the end we were given the greatest blessing and gift from God we could have ever asked for! Oliver will be home in no time and we can't wait for that day!!!