I put this picture at the front of our new baby girl, Ryan's, photo album, so we will always remember the unexpected events that led to her early arrival...
This is a view of our day on Monday, April 4th... Reese started early Monday morning vomiting, after catching the nasty bug that had been roaming around. I spent what was supposed to be the start of my "last week of rest before the baby" by cleaning linens, cleaning my child, cleaning, cleaning, washing, sanitizing... for baby was due to arrive via scheduled c-section the following Friday, April 8. Reese got some medicine and stopped throwing up, but never could quite get her strength back. And by 8pm Monday night, my tummy had begun to take the familiar turn, and I could sense what was coming... I had caught it, too.
By the time Tanner made it home from his Monday sale, I was in the bathroom permanently parked, and in agonizing pain - the dehydration had started my contractions, that got stronger and stronger. So strong, that by midnight I was having a solid contraction every minute - not as much painful as just my stomach was as hard as a rock. {Later they described them as "irritable contractions"} Anyhow, leaving my babies in the hands of my mom, and without a bag packed, or anything prepared for the arrival of this baby {remember... I was supposed to have a few more days to prepare and rest!} we made our way to the hospital. Dr. Ram was contacted, and ordered the nurses to hydrate me, give me nausea medicine, and try to stop my labor. (He had been gone like 10 minutes, from just having finished another emergency c-section... I think he delivered 10+ babies while I was in the hospital for 6 days). It would not be ideal for me to have surgery while I was this sick, but none the less, they refused to let me eat anything or drink anything because they were leaning toward a c-section first thing the next morning. I was in misery - nauseated, with monitors all over me, trying to rest with the thought of our baby coming emergently, plus the shot they gave me to stop my labor was painful, and caused my heart to race, which did not allow for any sleep that night. At 5:30am, when they start to prep those first few for surgery, they came in my room and said that Dr. Ram would be in shortly, and that my contractions had slowed, but were still very regular. After two prior c-sections, they did not want me to go into full-blown labor. Dr. Ram came at around 7am, and said, "We cannot wait until Friday, but I don't think you are ready to undergo surgery... how about tomorrow morning? {Wednesday}" I was made to stay in bed and rest, and rehydrate by IV fluids and liquid diet only, which was as closed to prepared as I was going to be before baby girl #3 made her appearance. She, after all, was doing great in the belly, despite all of the craziness. Tanner got the girls by to visit me, he and mom prepared the bag that should have already been packed, and we got it in our heads that we would have our baby the next day! By that afternoon, Reese was still not herself, I was only back up to par, and Tanner was coming down with the bug... That's when the serious prayers kicked up! As much as I would have loved to spent the evening with my family, I sent them home to rest in their own beds, including Tanner - got him some meds, and I was allowed to take all the monitors off and truly sleep on Tuesday night.
Wednesday morning came without a hitch - Tanner was feeling better, my nurse Lea had rearranged her schedule from working Friday to working Wednesday, so she could be with me {for my third and last baby - she was my nurse with all of my girls and is the best!} and I was rehydrated enough to have surgery. I had my scripture ready for the spinal - got Kevin as my CNA again, who, by the way, is also the best - and at 7:30am, was wheeled back to the OR. My spinal was merely a needle stick - if that!! Thank you, God, and for the promise you give in 2 Corinthians 12:9!!
At 8:07 am, on Wednesday, April 6 {one day after her great-grandmother's birthday, for whom she is named}baby girl Ryan Mitchell Ragan, weighing a whopping 8'14 and measuring 19.5" long, made her grand entrance into this big world, screaming all the way! We named her in the OR, while her Daddy held her for the first time - the name, which was our "gut feeling" name the whole time...
Isn't she perfect?! I adore her, as much as the other two! My spinal and surgery went perfectly, and even more importantly, so did my tubal ligation!
My nurse, Lea! Love her :) Forgive the way I look... hard few days! This is in the recovery room, when I first held Ryan!
I am so thankful for a healthy baby, because it minimizes everything that happened after that... which was not so good...
The first day, I spent wonderfully medicated! Thanks to all of you who came by and visited - not sure who you are, because the Demerol and Morphine were working well! And as my friend KK says, who recently had her third girl, 13 months after her last one, just like us, "the warming blankets are pure bliss"!
The next day, the pain was ridiculous... by the afternoon, they realized that something wasn't exactly right with my stomach - it had distended to almost the size it was at delivery. Dr. Ram consulted the general surgeon, Dr. Deniz, and sent me to x-ray to check for a bowel obstruction. Do you know how hard it is to climb onto a 5ft-high, hard, cold, metal table 2 days after abdominal surgery?? Thank you, Blake Caldwell, a lifelong friend, for being my radiology tech - he is very strong - it took all of his strength to get me onto the table, AND lean me onto my back. Painful, yet better than it could have been, thanks to him. The silver lining to all of this, was the priveledge to meet a very sweet, comical doc (who said the word "fart" more than should be legal in the medical field!!), and Dr. Ram's continued concern for my well-being. I really appreciate all of the people who took care of me. Have I mentioned that Lea was my nurse at all of my deliveries, and Dr. Ram delivered our entire family - that's right, even Tanner and me :) He is retiring this fall.
Long story short, thanks to my pre-op virus, my potassium had been depleted, and I had developed an ileus. It could have been worse- an actual obstruction or loop in my bowel. I was immediately taken off all of my pain medications (fun times!) and given IV potassium and IV reglan to get my intestines working again. After about 5 doses of reglan and 2 more days of IV fluids (me and that dang IV pole became very good friends... and I was never so happy to see it gone, and quit dragging it around!!), I was finally better.
I stayed in the hospital all the way until Saturday. Finally, it was time to go home! It took a whole 30 minutes to discharge me, and I could not have been happier to get out of Post-partum Room C.
Our family today...
Sweet sisters...
Reese welcomes her home...
Sleeping beauty...
Well... I will wrap up this novel - we are home, settled, and so very, incredibly blessed!! I can't help but look around here at all of these healthy, beautiful little girls, and not almost cry at the thought of what precious gifts we have been given! We have had three amazing babies who are calm, peaceful, and best of all - sleep! She is a great eater, and when she is awake, she is alert, calm, and taking in all of her surroundings! Reese and Ramsey are doing fantastic... Reese is such a big help - likes to push me a little and test how far she can go (similar to when Ramsey arrived), but overall, is adjusting wonderfully. And Ramsey - is the same independent little tooter as before... still getting into everything, but LOVES to plant kisses all over her "bebes," as she calls her little sister. She does sometimes grab Ryan's forehead and try to pull "bebes" down to her level, so we have to watch her, but it's only to give her sugars... so sweet - I am so looking forward to how their relationships grow over the years - I know they will be so close and love each other so much!
It was a little crazy loading the back seat of my car with three little girls this morning... but amazingly rewarding! This is only the beginning of many happy memories!
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