Gage's Birth Day

Well, this might be almost 3 months late but this mommy has been busy snuggling her sweet baby boy.

Gage David Collins was born at 7:12 am on January 8, 2013. He weighed 8lbs 6.6oz and was 21 inches long.

The morning of, we woke up around 3:30-4 am because we had to be at the hospital at 5 to start the pre-op procedures for my c-section. We got there, I changed into the lovely hospital gown and then laid in the most comfortable of hospital beds (I don't know how many times my rear end fell asleep in that awful bed) and got hooked up to the fetal heartbeat monitor and contraction monitor. I wasn't having any contractions which was fine by me as I was having a c-section anyway. It was sort of nice not going into labor this time around.

While in that room, I had my IV hooked up as well. That was the part I was dreading the most and it turned out to not be that bad this time around. My nurse was amazing that morning! So IV in, resting a little bit and then about 6:45, Justin and I walked down to the OR. He had to stand outside the door while they did the spinal but then they let him in. When they first started the surgery, I got really light-headed but spoke up about it to the nurse and she saw that my blood pressure was dropping pretty drastically so they gave me some medicine and that went away pretty quickly. It scared me a little bit but I was trying to just not think about it.

Well at 7:12, they pulled Gage out, feet first. Yep, he was breech. We didn't know he would be breech but at the same time we hadn't had an ultrasound done to see what position he was in because I was scheduled for a repeat c-section.

Since he was breech, they think he must have swallowed a lot of amniotic fluid on his way out. Justin got to go over and look at him but didn't get to hold him. They told him that he was breathing really fast and his coloring didn't look quite right. He came and told me that, as well as the doctor, and it scared me. They were rushing trying to get him cleaned up and laid him on my chest so I could see him and give him a quick kiss for about 15 seconds and then he was gone. Ouch.

They finished up with me and wheeled me to my room. The NICU called and said that they were going to keep Gage for 4 hours to monitor him to make sure all was well. When I heard that, I was relieved. Well about an hour later, we got the news that he would have to stay in the NICU for quite a while longer.

His respiratory rate was double what it should have been. They like for babies respiratory rates to be below 60, Gage's was up in the 120's. He was pulling really hard and just not able to pull through on his own. So he was hooked up with some oxygen, had an IV in and also had a feeding tube.

He was admitted to the NICU minutes after being born that day and we weren't allowed to hold him or even touch him. I couldn't even go down to see him until all my feeling was back in my legs and that took to almost 4 o'clock that afternoon. It was killing me that I was laying in a bed and couldn't get down to see my son. 

A couple days went by and there wasn't any change for the better, it in fact got pretty rough on day 3. Dr. Bruce (the NICU doctor) told us that day 3 was usually the turning point. And he was right. After that day, little man slowly started to progress.

On Saturday, January 12th, the day I was being released from the hospital, we went down to the NICU before we went home to spend a few hours with Gage. The nurse, Stacey, that was watching over him was the sweetest one we had met yet. She told me I could touch him, I could actually touch my son (not hold him). I wanted to hug her! So I got to hold his little fingers and just be with him and bond with him.

We stayed longer than we had planned that day and were really enjoying the company of Stacey. Well she asked me if I wanted to hold him for a second, that it would be our secret. I could not have been happier! She took his oxygen hood off and moved all his wires around and lifted him and placed him in my arms finally. She had to hold a little oxygen mask up for him just in case but I didn't want to let go. Ever.

After that Saturday, we went back up on Sunday in the rain and Justin and I both got to have time with him (skin to skin) and those were some of the sweetest moments.

After those days, we got to interact with him more and more and hold him as much as we wanted for the most part. We drove back and forth in the rain that whole week until on the 17th of January, that following Thursday, they told us we could spend the night in the family room with him and bring him home!! So we went home to pack up our bags and get some last minute things done and headed back to the hospital in the snow! It was snowing like crazy and when it snows here in Alabama, people are idiots. It took us almost 3 hours to get back to him at the hospital. But we got there, and we spent the night, and then we carried our sweetheart home!

He will be 3 months old on April 8th and we are so in love with him. Every smile and giggle that he makes is the sweetest sound. His sister and brother absolutely adore him and love him so much. Our little family of 5 is so full of love and we feel complete.

Gage, you are my little miracle, my tiny fighter and the happiest of baby boys. Your daddy and I waited so long for you to be made and then once you were here, you had to fight to be healthy. It was a really long 10 days for mommy and daddy but we knew you would pull through. You have brought us closer together and I couldn't be any happier. You are my little love, my Smush. I love you so incredibly much!