She's Here!!

Okay I'm behind on posting this since she's been here a whole month already. Kelsey Grace O'Dowd was born September 27, 2012. She wieghed 8lbs, 5oz. and 20.25 inches long.

  

We showed up at midnight for a scheduled induction. Labor was quick and delivery went well despite my epidural not working and it being a super busy night of births that my doctor didn't make it to the delivery. My mom came out just before to stay with the other kids while we were in the hospital. We were all very excited for her arrival. Later that night about an hour after her feeding she started to choke and turn blue. I patted her back with a little extra force and she started to breathe again. A couple hours later it happened again. I called the nurse and she was concerned and took her to the nursery to check her out. A few hours later the nurse returned to tell me she had another choking episode and they sent Kelsey to the NICU for more tests. I was starting to get worried. They wouldn't let me feed her or touch her and they had started a round of antibiotics. They did chest x-rays and blood tests. After about 12 hours in the NICU they recieved tests results all being normal and I was finally able to hold her and feed her. Unfortunately because they had started a 48 hour antibiotic they could not release her until she had received the last dose. So from 1am on Friday until Sunday at 10am she was there. In retrospect it was overkill. It was most likely leftover mucus she was having difficulty swallowing. It was difficult for me to leave her there and walk back and forth from my room every 2-3 hours. I'm thankful she was and is okay and have a better appreciation for those who have spent numerous days, weeks and months with their child in the NICU.

Now, a month after her birth she has made her presence known. The kids love her and give her lots of hugs and kisses each day. She is pretty demanding and when awake she just wants to eat. She can only handle smiling and being talked to for so long and then gets fussy. She has already traveled overseas!

We still haven't settled in to a routine. My world pretty much revolves around taking care of her and thankfully the rest of my kids are understanding and able to do a lot for themselves. We'll eventually get back into a routine and back to school work and cooking proper meals and cleaning. For now, I'm enjoying every minute I can with her despite the fussiness. They grow up too fast.

Thanks Aunt Amy for the cute shirts!