Tyler Michael Smith Part 1

Tyler Michael Smith was born Friday, June 28th at 7:54am. 

We woke up at 4:00 am Thursday morning and drove to St Lukes in Boise. We had to be there by 10 so we got there and they did an ultrasound to see if Tyler had turned from breech to head down. He was and so they started me on a pill that started contractions. They were very small but I could feel them. We sat in the Labor and delivery room all Thursday waiting for my cervix to soften so they could put the folly balloon thing in and get things really going. It was a long day and Jake took a well deserved nap after having driven the whole way that morning :)

 Finally at 8:00 that night they checked me and I was dilated enough to do the balloon. The doctor on call that night wanted to make sure that what she was feeling was in fact Tyler's head and so we did another ultrasound and what do you know, he was breech again. We scheduled a 7:30am c-section for the next morning and tried to sleep. All that night I could feel him moving around and turning all over. He was up and then down and then sideways and just all over the whole night. The next morning they came in around 6:30 to get me prepped for the c-section. They did one last ultrasound to see if he had moved back down but this time he was horizontal so I was prepped. Jake got to wear the cute scrubs.

They wheeled my bed into the operating room and gave me the spinal. I was so scared and disappointed because I really really did not want to have a c-section. They laid me down and started prepping my belly while the anesthesiologist worked to get me anti nausea meds into my IV. Once the meds were in I felt great and very calm. Jake came in and sat by my head and held my hand while all the doctors and nurses came in and got ready. We had the doctors and nurses for me and also the doctors and nurses for Tyler when he came put. He was going to need to be prepped for his surgery right away so they had all of that ready. I didn't feel anything except for pulling and pushing motions. 

Here are some pictures soif you're squemish, scroll fast 

They brought Tyler around the curtain to us so we could see him for a minute or so before they took him over to the little table to clean him up and take him for his surgery. He was the most precious thing that I have ever seen and it really doesn't matter to me now that I had to have a c-section. I was given the best gift ever and I don't care how I had to get him here. Downside? Because of the way they had to cut my uterus I have to have c-sections every time. I had some massive veins on it that if they were cut could cause hemorrhaging and so they had to cut it vertically. It stinks that I will have to have c-sections every time but if that's what has to happen then so be it. 

During the operation Jake started to get lightheaded and right after they brought Tyler over to us and then over to his little table. They took Jake out and gave him a thing of juice and some crackers. He was better as soon as he left the room so they took him with when they took Tyler to his surgery. He was able to be there while they got him ready and then he came to my recovery room to report. Tyler's surgery went amazing! He was done within an hour and they were able to get everything back in at once. He had his entire small intestine out, some of the large intestine and a little bit of the stomach was starting to come out so it was amazing that they were able to get everything back in at once. He did very well during the surgery and once I was cleared to leave my recovery room they wheeled my bed into the NICU to see him. He looked very scary with all the tubes and wires and everything attached to him but he was really doing great. He had a ventilator tube as well as a repogyle tube to suction stuff out of this tummy so that his intestines could rest. He also had an IV in each hand, monitors all over his chest, and monitors attached to his feet as well as a catheter  He also had the big dressing over his belly where they did the surgery.   

After seeing him we were taken up to my room and I got situated. 

So that was on Friday. Saturday we went down and saw him. My parents came with to see him for the first time.

This is Jake's wedding ring for reference of how small his hands were.
 Even though they were super swollen.

The swelling was normal and to be expected but it made everything look so much worse. He was doing very good though and was trying to breathe on his own every once in a while. We weren't able to hold him yet because of the ventilator tube he had so we just went down and sat by his bed and were able to hold his hands and things but that was it.

This is our first family picture. I wish we could have been holding him but at least we were able to touch him and be there.

Sunday I got released and we went down to see him before leaving to go to my parents house.

Leaving Tyler at the hospital was one of the hardest things I've had to do but I knew that he needed to be there so he could get better, and I could go see him the next day. We were really hoping that he would get off the ventilator before we left so that Jake could hold him before he had to leave that night. Unfortunately he wasn't able to be taken off the tube and so Jake couldn't hold him.

Monday afternoon however Tyler was taken off the oxygen tube and just had the nasal canulla so I was able to hold him. I felt really bad for Jake because he missed it by one day because he had to be back in Rexburg for class. His swelling had gone down quite a bit and so he was able to open his eyes a little easier and look around a little.

Megan was able to hold him because I had to go pump for breastmilk. She was so excited and loves being an aunt. Even if she doesn't readily admit it ;)

I loved being able to finally hold my baby. It was one of the best experiences I've had. He looks at me when I talk and that is so cool! I love him so much more than I thought I could have ever loved a little baby :) 

To be continued....