This was not my birth plan.

Almost a year ago, I think most of us fell in love with a little girl named Harper, I saw a button on someone's blog, checked it out and was hooked, I checked her blog everyday for updates and prayed and prayed for Harper. I was so touched by Kelly though that time (still am), her strength, grace and love for the Lord is an inspiration. After Abby was born I went back to read of her time in the NICU with Harper, there were many times, when I was searching at 2 am for stories of other babies and their journeys, I wanted to know if they felt the way I was feeling and how their stories began or ended. Well, we all know how Harper's began and are privilege to see her as she grows up. And now that time as passed and Abby is doing so much better, I wish that I had kept better accounts of our days whether it was in a journal or though my blog of that time in our lives. But to be honest, I couldn't even get my thoughts together enough to write them down. But wanted to share in a nut shell (if that's possible) what happened to me. Hubby and I were packed ready to go to Mississippi for the Alabama/Ole Miss game, we were so excited, Wednesday (the day before we were to leave) I went for a routine checkup (26 weeks) and was scheduled to do the glucose testing, got there had my blood pressure checked and it was high (140/94), they checked it again and got the same. Sent me to the triage area in L&D, did labs, everything fine but I had a "clot" (this won't be the last time I hear the word clot) in my placenta and needed to see a specialist the next day, being selfish and thinking this was all "crazy", I was more upset about missing our trip, so I decided after we go to the doctor's appt., if everything is fine we are going to Mississippi. I called got new flights, we loaded our bags in the car, we were still going to make it. Nope. Went to back to OB office on Friday, labs were "creeping" up, sent me to L&D again, this time for a steriod shot to help mature Abby's lungs, if we were to deliver...deliver...what...is this a joke. Went to hospital, labs were even higher. Got the shot, went home. I remember getting in the car and just breaking down, this was really happening, this was real. Went back the next day to get the second shot and was feeling hot, I was bright red and didn't feel good, the first time since all this happened and asked them to check me out, I'm so glad, I was having a reaction to the steriod which was a blessing because they decided to keep me over night to watch me and do more labs. Two hours later, the OB specialist came in and told me that I was here til the baby was born, which could be 24 hours or 6 weeks. After he left we were waiting for my 24 hour urine results to come back and when they did, they were off the chart, an L&D nurse with 24 years experience said she had never seen a level that high, I was so scared, scared for me, scared for Abby. They sent the NICU doctor in to speck with me of what to expect with a 27 "weeker". The next morning at 4am I started having contractions, but not knowing that's what it was, I waited an hour to call the nurse, she put me on the monitor, had me drink lots of water and wait for the doctor, who was already on her way to do rounds. She walked in the room and said, I'm not too worried about it, you made it though the night, let's make it though the day, the door didn't even shut and I started bleeding VERY heavy (ruined 2 nurses shoes), my placenta had abrupted, they did an emergency c-section. Abby Virginia was born on 10/ 15/09 at 9:32 am at 27 weeks, weighing 1 lb and 13oz, 13 inches long. The recovery was great, I took motrin a time or two but was focused on Abby. About a week after going home I was having flank/back pain, waited til it was so bad, it was getting hard to breath, went to ER and ct scan results showed that I had not one but two clots in my lungs. I had never been so scared in my life...I remember asking the doctor if I was going to die. My poor husband had a wife in the ICU upstairs and a baby in the ICU downstairs. We made it though it, with support of friends and family, doctors and nurses that were amazing and trusting in the Lord. I still can't believe all this happened, it's just crazy to me. I went for a check up last week and the doctor that delivered Abby came in to say hello and was telling me about all the things that I kept saying to her and it was so funny to hear, she said I kept telling her that this was NOT on my birth plan...he...he. After I delivered I was on high dose of Magnesium and for those that have ever experienced it, it makes you or at least me HOT. She said I kept saying, "I'm a HOT MESS"! Abby's story still to come...

"If pregnancy were a book, they would cut the last 3 chapters out" unk