It is amazing to me to think that my little Rebekah just turned ten! I do not know where the time went. She was so graceful to enter the world on New Year’s Eve. Ok, Ok, so there wasn’t much that was graceful about her arrival. It is amazing to me my memory of the births of my children, but when Rebekah came, I just wanted to go back in time to do it all over again. It was by far one of the first real trials Dan and I had to meet head on as parents.
Rebekah was not due until mid January. We all expected her to arrive a little early since Abby did. My midwife had us come in on New Year’s Eve just to check me before the holiday began. I think she knew after my before Christmas checkup that it would be soon. She later told me she was surprised I made it through Christmas. We got there in the morning, and she was pleased to inform us that I was in the beginning stages of labor. She sent us out to walk some to help speed things up, and we all met for lunch before she checked my status again. Around four that afternoon, we all left to meet at the hospital in Hendersonville. I remember checking in and the lady asking questions as waves of contractions were hitting. She was quite comical since I had to answer and Dan couldn’t answer for me. I think she said, “I’m sorry,” a hundred times.
Once we got to the room my midwife broke my water and then the fun began. Rebekah’s labor was so different than with Abby’s. It was so much faster. I felt so much more in my back then I remembered with Abby. Come to find out, Rebekah was coming face down. I think there is an official medical term for that, but she literally had rubbed her tiny little face down my spine throughout labor. While we didn’t seem to get a picture of it, she was literally bruised on both sides of her face from her forehead down through her cheeks. Poor thing!! I didn’t know that it was difficult on her to come that way, but apparently it is. At 8:37 pm our precious Rebekah Grace was born.
Dan was so eager and proud to cut the cord and begin the bathing process. Both sets of our parents were there, and Abby got to come in just after the birth to see all the excitement. She was such a proud big sister. Here are a few photos from way back!
Shortly after we got to the room, we began to notice that her lips were a little hue of blue. So being the great parents we were, we added another blanket and kept watch. The nurse came in to check my vitals, and Dan asked her. I guess we never thought to look at her hands, feet, and gums cause if we had we would have noticed those were turning shades of blue too! The nurse asked Dan if she could borrow her for a minute to have the doctor look at her. A minute turned into two, two turned into ten, and ten turned into an hour. My midwife finally came and got us. Bek had been placed under an oxygen tent, and an xray showed a tiny spot in her lungs. I was trying to be brave, but I didn’t know what any of this meant.
My midwife explained that the way Rebekah came out was really hard on her. At some point in the birth canal, she became a little distressed causing her to open her mouth. This resulted in her swallowing something during birth. Whatever it was, instead of entering the esophagus it instead went down her windpipe. This was causing her body to respond as it would in a case of pneumonia. The pediatric doctor had been paged and would be there soon. My midwife brought me a rocking chair and told me I could stay with her.
I felt relief to know a doctor was coming to deal specifically with my daughter until she arrived. She was new to the job, and she was not pleased that I was allowed to be there. She recommended that I go back to my room. I kindly informed her that I been told I could stay and did not plan to leave. This was my kid and I planned to stay with her for as long as I could. She read the xrays, and she decided that she needed antibiotics and nicu treatment. A neonatal team from Mission in Asheville was called and was en route. In order to administer the antibiotics needed Rebekah had to have an IV. I watched her try four times, and I cried as she couldn’t manage to get the IV needle in place. I was then told I had to return to my room. I could give her a kiss goodbye was her act of kindness. Dan had been there with me, and he helped me back to my room. He went back and watched from the window. I was so shocked to see him return soon with a smile. The neonatal team brought Rebekah in to see me. It was so special. Here was my little baby in a this little incubator hooked up to an IV and oxygen being pumped in to the incubator, and all of this was on this huge stretcher. They brought her to my bedside and opened the cubicle windows. He patted me on the arm and said, “ Take as long as you need ma’am. She is in the best hands possible, and I promise to take great care of her.” I was so touched, and I will forever remember those moments.
Rebekah was diagnosed the next morning with tachypnea. It is common in infants, and she probably would have been fine to stay where we were, but since she had been administered antibiotics to be treated for a chemical pneumonia, she had to stay at the NICU for the duration of treatment. She was hooked up to every monitor known to mankind. Her IV changed locations daily. It went from her two hands, to her two feet, and finally finished in her head. We saw God meet our needs for lodging, food, and so much more. We learned a lot during our stay, and we were so thankful for their constant care. The doctors were so amazing in their time and explanations. They all did an awesome job! Here are some pictures of our adventure.
I did get tickled at her name tag. It read, “Qurollo, B.G”. We mentioned to a nurse that her initials were actually R. G. for Rebekah not Bekah… The nurse laughed when she told us it was B.G. for Baby Girl because only her last name and mother’s info came in with her. The hospital in Hendersonville hadn’t even had time to put her in the system. One of the nurses made her a little sign so they could call her something other than Baby Girl.
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