Savanna's Birth Story

On September 3rd it was a Wednesday I worked a morning shift then had errands to run right after I got off work. When I got home I took Blakelee for a walk, which ended up being a very short walk. I got winded very fast, plus it was VERY windy! 

That night after a few of getting Blakelee to bed I heard her fall out of bed and start to cry so I went into her room and picked her up and put her back in bed. I could barely bend over to get her let alone pick her up put her in bed, and walk back to my room. I was having a pretty painful contraction. 

In the morning I mentioned to Griff that I thought I had a contraction last night. So he told me to take it easy through the day. Griff had a Golf Tournament that he had already paid for, he told me he would have his phone on him and if I needed him to leave then he would forfeit the tourney. As the day went on I was having a few more contractions I talked to my mom and she said that she would come out and help me with Blakelee. My contractions got to 5 minutes apart then stopped for a complete hour!! So we decided to go for a walk to see if they would start back up again. And sure enough they did!! Griff ended up being able to finish his tournament and made it home just in time that my contractions were close to 3 or 4 minutes apart. His parents were on there way to our house to stay with Blake and my mom, Griff and I were packed and ready to head to the Hospital. Once they arrived Griff and I got in the car and headed to the hospital, my mom followed us.

Once we got to Timpanogas Hospital they checked me and I was only a 4... So they said that they would wait an hour and come back and check me again. So during that hour I was walking around our room hoping to dilate to a 5. After the hour they checked again and said I was a 5 and was admitted!!

By this time it was about 9pm. My contractions were getting more and more painful so I finally decided to get an epidural! The anesthesiologist was the same guy that gave it to me with Blakelee... and it was a bad experience when he gave it to me with her, so I got a panic feel when I saw him walk into the room. So he started to give me the epidural and he told me that it could send a shock down one side of my body if it was moved more toward that side. So sure enough my left leg kicked from a shock. He tried threading it again... and my left leg kicked again!! I started crying... I was so scarred and he kept telling me to hold still, yet how do you do that when your getting a shock on one side of your body!? So for the 3rd time he threaded it again!!! And I got a little shock. He told me that was the best he could do because he thinks that one of my vertebra's is turned a bit which resulted to it not being able to go in straight! I DO NOT believe him!!! He had an issue with giving me one with Blakelee and with hers he tried 3 different spots on my back. Where with Savvy He stayed in the same spot. I think he just is not good! During about the 3rd time trying Griff almost passed out... 2 reasons, he was very dehydrated from his golf tourney, and he saw the huge needle and he doesn't do needles!!! But finally it was in and it ended up making me VERY nauseous.. So before he left I told him I was getting sick. So they had to give me some Medicine through my IV which ended up making me feel SO much better! 

Next it was a waiting game!!

Debbie, Scott, Eric, Whit, and Blakelee ended up coming at about 10:30. Blakelee kept pointing to my IV and saying "owie!!! owie mommy!!" She was so concerned. 

After they left and my mom left it was about midnight. Dr. Lamoureux came in a few time to check me and I was dilating kinda slow... So one of the nurses gave me what she called the minion pillow! Hahah! It was actually really cool. It was shaped like a peanut, it was very large and a rubber pillow. You put it between your knees as your laying on your side. It is to help you dilate faster. Which it did!!! I went from 6 at just before 1am to a 10 at 1:54am. When he came in at 1:54 he checked me and said "Lets have a birthday party!!" I was shocked!!!! I couldn't believe how fast I dilated. Griff was snoozing on the pull out couch so we woke him up and we started the process. During my first push the Dr. said "She has lots of hair!!" I started to think... How in the world does he already know that? With Blakelee no one could she her head till about 1hr into the process of pushing!! On my next contraction pushing he said "There is her head!! It's out!" Next contraction he said "Just give me a little push and she will be here!" Sure enough there she was. 6 minutes!!!!! She was out so fast. I was blown away!! Griff cut the cord and they stared checking her. I noticed that her color was a little blue and I immediately got worried but they checked and and said she was great, just a little fluid in her lungs but to let her cry it out and she would be great!!

She was born at 2:01 am on September 5th.

Weighing 7 pounds 3 ounces.

19 1/2 inches long.

We hung out in the room with her for a couple hours watching the golf channel. I was exhausted and we decided to have them take her to the nursery and us to our room so we could get some sleep. Griff went with them to the nursery and he noticed a baby girl in there was named Savannah. He mentioned it to me but we really didn't think much about it. I still really Loved the name Harper. Not going in to the name that night we went to sleep. They came in with her a few times through the night for feedings. The last time they brought her to me was at 6am. Little did we know the next time they would be coming in would be without her and with news no parents wants to hear...

... They came in and explained that her oxygen levels were dipping, her white blood cell count was very high, her lymphocytes were very low, and she still had fluid in her lungs. Which resulted to having to admit her into the NICU. I just starred at them not knowing if I heard them right, trying to fully process what they had just told me. The pediatrician asked me if I understood.. I started to cry and said I think so. So he explained again and it finally sunk in. My heart sunk... I was devastated! Next the NICU nurse came in after a few minutes of Dr. Foster leaving. She explained it to us well and told us that only 4 visitors would be able to visit her the whole time. No one else other then those 4 and Griff and I would be allowed to see her. That made me cry even more knowing that NO one else would be able to meet her for who knew how long!!! She gave me a hug and said everything would be OK. After she left we called our families, both very emotional trying to explain the best we could that our baby girl was in the nicu and that only our moms and dads would be meeting her. So my mom came out that day and went in with me to see her. Griff went and ran a few errands for us while we were in there.

It was so hard seeing her with so many tubes and cords hooked up to her. Holding her was so different trying to snuggle her with everything hooked up.

Trying to hold it together because there are so many families in the NICU with much scarier situations. But having your baby in the NICU at all will take a toll on you. 

On September 5th that night we had our parents come out and had our dads give her a blessing to heal and get better so quickly. They had an exception for religious situations that more then just 2 visitors could be in there at a time. So all 6 of us were in her corner for the blessing. Scott did a great job. After the blessing everyone took turns having some time with her.

Later that night the Blands came back out with Whitney and Blakelee. It was so fun to see everyone!!

On September the 6th that Saturday I spent most of the day in and out of the NICU and trying to get some sleep. Our families came out throughout the day to visit with us and to snuggle little miss!!

As you can tell we were exhausted!! Those tired eyes tell the whole story!!

1 day old and a baby smile!

All the NICU nurses were amazing!!!! They really know how to comfort you and make you feel good. They will talk to you about the situation, explain if you need them too, and help you in anyway they can!

My parents came out and with Blakelee and brought her a cute Dr kit!!!

My friend Shanna from my ward came out too and brought such a cute dress for the baby!!

On Saturday night they took her off her oxygen to see how she would do through the night. They also had to place the IV in her poor head because it wasn't staying in place in her hand. I felt so bad for her....

My cute sister and brother in law came out Saturday night and brought me a shake. Even though they couldn't see her they still came out to visit with us!!! What would I do without them!!? Love them!

After everyone had to leave I was so sad... I didn't want my family to leave it was so nice to have them there with me. Baby blues are so hard when they hit it hits hard. Griff also had a sore back from that roll out bed so he decided to sleep at home on Saturday night. That was hard on me too. So my cute mom knew that I was having a hard night and ended up coming to spend the night with me. We had a sleep over! Seriously I have some amazing family!!!

The cute gifts from everyone!!!

Giraffe for baby from my parents.

The pretty flowers from Griffs parents.

And the dress from my cute friend Shanna from my ward.

Thank you everyone for the gifts you are all so sweet!!!!

On Sunday Griff and I knew that we were going to be discharged.. and were hoping that baby girl would be discharged with us. They had said that if her blood culture came back negative and she did good without oxygen then there was a possibility she could be discharged with us!!! We also had to pick a name for her!!! Harper was still my favorite but Griff really loved Savanna. So we talked and discussed it. So we named her Savanna Lee Bland. We liked it better without the H at the end. That morning the NICU nurse told me that her sugars weren't good enough to let her go home yet... I started to cry!! I was devastated!!!! I knew that we were going to be discharged without her. They told me that her blood culture came back negative which was great. But she would have to be off the Sugar water for the night and keep her oxygen levels up through the night again before she would be discharged. It really makes you emotional thinking one thing but not having it work out.

So as Sunday went on we did the Car Seat test, watched a few movies they make you watch before you can be discharged, an filled out all the final paper work. We left around 6pm and went to Jaelyns 3rd Birthday party... But leaving Savvy was seriously the worst!!! I was a mess and was crying so much... I felt so lost knowing she was there and I wasn't. So that night I tried to get some sleep since that would be the last night of sleep without disruption!

On Monday the 8th we got a call that morning saying that they had to put her back on oxygen during some of her feeding... Which means that she would have to stay in the NICU for a few more hours. The original plan was her being discharged in the morning. So Griff dropped me off at the hospital for the day. I spent all day with her and Griff with Blakelee. Finally she had been off the sugar water long enough and oxygen long enough that they said she was cleared to go home around 5pm!!!

Oh and they did her hearing test which she past!!!!!

So Griff came to the hospital with Blake and we loaded everything up in the car.

And we left as a family of 4!!!!

Savvy was in the NICU for 4 days and it felt like a life time. For those families that have to have their babies in there any longer... I do not know how you handle it. I was on an emotional roller coaster it took the biggest toll on me!!! I am so happy that she was finally healthy enough to be discharged and to go home with us!!