Libby's Arrival

Elizabeth Claire Craker made a very dramatic entrance into this world. It's taken me almost a month to sit down and type this. I had been on bed rest since January 11th. My doctor had me coming in every Tuesday and Friday. I would have non-stress tests both days and ultrasounds on Fridays. My blood pressure had been getting higher and higher and I felt worse every day. The plan was for me to hopefully make it until February 24. On Thursday, February 6th, Jeje came down for the weekend. Cameron had a tournament in Birmingham and was leaving Friday afternoon. Thursday night I woke up and felt horrible. I was cramping, felt sick, had a headache, and just felt "off."  I finally went to bed around 2 a.m. The next morning, I got up, got the girls ready for school, and mom and I headed to the dr. I thought she would enjoy seeing Libby on the ultrasound. When I went in for my ultrasound, the tech looked a little concerned. Libby wasn't moving, her heartbeat was all over the place, and I had almost no fluid. She was also breech. She tried over and over to make her move and remeasured to try to get a better fluid reading, but it wasn't happening. The tech didn't let me know that Libby wasn't looking good. Baby girl was stressed, and she had to be delivered ASAP. I waited in the room for my dr. and when she walked in, she put her hand on my leg and said,"What do you think about having a baby today?" I just burst into tears....did the ugly cry....she told me she felt like I had developed preeclampsia, Libby wasn't looking good, and it was time for her to come out. She promised me that there was much more harm leaving her in than taking her. I tried to call Cameron but had to give the phone to mom. She told him to get there ASAP. Over the next hour, I was rolled in a wheelchair to L&D,  prepped for a c-section, and at 12:23, Libby was born. She looked great, came out screaming, and we were hopeful that her lungs were developed at 34 weeks. They thought she might be 37 weeks, because she always measured 3 weeks ahead. She weighed 6 pounds and 8 ounces and was 20 inches long. She also had a TON of dark hair.  There were about 14 people in the OR... Doctors, nurses, neonatal doctors, I don't even know who all the people were. It happened so fast. They took her away pretty quickly and Cameron and mom went with her. I remember laying there wondering what in the world just happened? She seemed to be perfect.....breathing ok, things were looking good! About 2 hours after she was born, she started requiring some oxygen and was put under an oxygen tent. She was also having some issues with her blood sugar. 

As ready as I was going to be... About to be rolled back for surgery. 

First picture of sweetness

Under the oxygen tent 

The big sisters 

They told us there was a chance she would have to be moved to the NICU at Children and Women's. It wasn't what we were expecting or wanted, obviously. It would just depend on her and how she did. At 5 the next morning, they came in and told us that they were having to move her and a transport team was on the way. I thought I would die when I heard this. My heart was broken. I hasn't even held her yet and now they are telling us she is getting worse and needs more medical attention than they can give her. 

Our first picture together... On her way to USACW. 

The next 12 days is going to have to be another blog. It's hard to think back and remember what a trying and terrible time that was.