Sam was supposed to be our Christmas Present this year but decided he would rather arrive a little early. 

 

It all began Sunday, November 18th.  I has been at Cara's (my sister-in-law) bridal shower brunch for the morning/noon time.  Afterwards, my mom and mother-in-law stopped by to see the nursery as we had finished it the day before.  Both moms noticed I was suddenly swollen...sometihng that hadn't been the case for the pregnancy to this point.  I mentioned that it was unusual because I hadn't been swollen the night before but found I couldn't put my shoes on that morning.  Of course both moms at that point made sure I knew to call my doctor in the morning.  I obeyed...

 

After a very stressful game of phone-tag with my physician's office on Monday the 19th, it was decided that I was to complete some lab work because of the change in swelling.  I had a previously scheduled appointment for the Tuesday so it was decided that there wasn't a need to see me immediately.  I completed my test results and showed up for my appointment Tuesday afternoon.  By that point I was still swollen and had started experiencing a headache that was beginning to border on severe.  The doctor saw me, immediately ordered even more lab work and sent us home with the sudden knowledge that based on the results of the tests we could be having a baby that evening.  Needless to say, there was little sleep to be had in the Pearson house that night.

 

Wednesday, November 21, I woke up and began to prepare for another day of work.  Luke convinced me that I should take the day off given the night we had (we never heard from the doctor) and the fact that my headache had worsened and wouldn't be eased with medication.  I willingly agreed.  Later that morning I called the doctor to see if the test results had returned and to let her know that I was still experiencing a worsening headache.  The nurse returned my call within the hour with instructions to head to the hospital. That is when the crazies began...

 

Jack had stayed home with me that day and was asleep when the nurse called to tell me the doctor's orders.  Not wanting to wake him until the last possible moment I attempted to call all the necessary people, beginning with Luke.  Of course, as luck would have it, Luke was out of his office and in a part of his building in which he does not have cell phone service.  I couldn't reach him no matter what I tried so I did what any calm and sane mother-to-be would do -- I left about a thousand messages.  He called back and I told him of our impending arrival.

 

Setting record speeds for land travel, Luke arrived home and began to help get ready for Sam.  We hurriedly pulled the car seat from the attic (we had planned to prepare fully for Sam during the upcoming weekend break), threw some clothes on Jack and grabbed some important papers.  We arrived at Memorial Hermann Katy around 11am.

 

I was checked in and set up on IV medications including the dreaded magnesium sulfate from before. The doctor also started pitocin.  I hung out like that until around 2pm.  The doctor came back to visit around 2 and decided to rupture the membrane.  This time I had no epidural -- I wanted to see what labor was like with no drugs.  I didn't have to wait long -- around 4pm I had only dilated to between 3 and 4 cm and at that point decided I didn't care what labor was like with no drugs...I liked the drugs!

 

Of course like before once I received the epidural I became very ill and had to have medication.  And again like before, once I received all this wonderful medication I passed out.  Labor this time didn't last long though.  Around 9pm, the doctor came to evaluate the situation and pronounced me ready to push.  After several pushes, more than I could count, and after I exasperatedly proclaimed "Come out already kid, you're killng me here...", Sam was born at 9:18 pm.  He weighed 6lbs, 9oz and was 18.5" long.  His official gestational age was 34weeks 5days.  Here is a picture of the new addition to the family!

 

 

 

Sam did okay breathing.  He eventually had to be placed on CPAP and given one dose of surfactant.  He stayed on CPAP for about 2 days and then moved to nasal cannula.  He stayed on cannula for a few days but weaned quickly to room air. 

 

Overall, Sam was a healthier preemie than Jack simply because Sam had the benefit of 4 (almost 5) extra weeks in utero.  The doctors at the hospital where Sam was born were much more conservative in their treatment regimen.  For instance, while Jack's doctors started him as soon as possible on breast-feeding, Sam had to prove himself over and over again on bottle-feeds before we could try breast-feeding.  No worries though...while Sam wasn't allowed anything by mouth for the first 5 days, he proved to the nurses that eating would not be a problem! 

 

On Thursday, November 29th, we received the call that Sam would be able to come home!  Of course, this didn't happen without a little persuasion from Mom.  The doctors were concerned that Sam had lost 4 ounces in one day and they thought he should stay one more night.  After arguing (in a calm and rational fashion) that perhaps the initial weight was faulty and promising to take Sam to the pediatrician first thing Friday morning for a weight check, the doctors agreed that Sam could come home. 

 

Unlike with Jack there was no pomp and circumstance...we didn't have to do care by parent and no one was there to see us off.  We took our family of three and picked up the fourth member to complete us.  I can honestly say it was the most rewarding experience of my life -- having both my sons in the car at the same time...together at last. 

The rest of this is pictures...from the NICU and the ride home.  I ended Jack's story with my thoughts on God's contemporary miracles.  While Sam again proved my theory he did one more thing for me...Sam is my reminder (I should have learned this with Jack but apparently didn't) that my children are not my own. You see, shortly after Sam arrived home we received a letter from the state health department that informed us that he might have congenital adrenal hyperplasia.  While the ultimate tests came back negative and Sam is fine, the entire situation was God's way of gently reminding me that my children are a gift from Him and that in the end they are His first and foremost.