The Blue-eyed Honduran Girl

I've decided that Emma is going to be the one to keep us on our toes.  That is what she has been doing since even before she made her appearance.  She was just so eager to come meet us, so eager that she felt the need to come to this world almost a month early.  With Haley's due date being July 18, 2009, I thought she might come on my cousin Alison's birthday, but instead, I was induced on July 20.  With Emma's due date being August 6, we didn't even question the possibility that she would be born on July 11.  However, last week at my doctors visit, my doctor said I was so close to going into labor that we couldn't wait.  He wanted to do it Tuesday afternoon, but I wanted Matt to be with me at the hospital.  I asked if we could do it the next day.  He agreed but made me promise that I would go home and do absolutely nothing.  I tried hard to oblige, but it was difficult.  I was just praying that my contractions would not become too frequent and that my water would not break between the bathroom and the couch.

We got to the hospital about 9:30.  My surgery was scheduled for 11:00 but no one thought it would happen before noon.  About 10:00, both of my parents, Haley, Donna and Sherry were in my room to be there to support me as I went in to surgery.  Haley actually left with my friend Melissa while I was in surgery, but she was there until they rolled me out of the room.  Surprisingly, I was taken down to the OR about 10:45.  The surgery went well, and Emma took her first breath at 11:50 AM.  I saw her for about a half second before they took her to the nursery. 

Upon entering the nursery, Dr. Castillo quickly discovered that Emma had fluid in her lungs.  He ordered that she be put on oxygen to help clear the fluid from her lungs.  He thought she would be on oxygen only for a few hours.  Shortly after birth, Emma started breathing heavily.  Every breath was a gasp.  Her little belly protruded outward with every breath.  Even though the fluid in her lungs was clearing, the breathing remained a struggle for the little baby.  By the close of Wednesday night she was put into an incubator.  I'm sure the doctor told me this on Wednesday, but I am not so sure that I was listening because when I was finally able to see her on Thursday, she was in an incubator. 

Thursday morning, Emma was very jaundiced.  The bilirubin level was very high.  Shortly after I met her, the light was turned on her.  By noon on that day, she was in the incubator with an IV and oxygen and the light.  Her breathing was very heavy.  Her pulse was very high.  I was worried.

Friday and Saturday were great days of improvement.  Sunday, Emma was finally able to nurse, but she couldn't breathe while trying to nurse.  She turned a little purple, so the doctor told me I could nurse, but I have still been giving her mommy milk from a bottle.  Sunday night, the doctor told us that Emma had a cardiologist appointment on Monday.

Monday, I spent most of the day in the nursery with Emma.  I was there when they moved her out of the incubator into the bassinet.  I was so happy that I cried.  They still had her in the bassinet with a small amount of oxygen, but it was because they were weaning her off of it slowly.  Monday afternoon, after Emma saw the cardiologist, she and the pediatrician came to tell us that there is a very small hole in Emma's heart and another small hole in a ventricle that connects the ateries.  This is what has been causing her difficulty in breathing.  They assumed that the holes had already closed a bit with all of her treatments and will close more with some medication.  Fortunately, Emma will not be facing a surgery in her near future. 

Dr. Castillo told us we would be able to take Emma home on Tuesday.  I foolishly thought that would be Tuesday morning.  By 7:00 I had gotten ready and had all of our stuff packed.  Time could not have ticked more slowly yesterday as we were waiting to take Emma home.  The doctor came at 2:00 to sign all of Emma's release papers and to explain to me how to make all of her medicines and how to give them to her.  We went home with an entire mini farmacy.  We finally left the hospital at 4:00.

Emma gave us a bit of a scare.  We are praising God for answering our prayers and healing Emma.  We are grateful that she is home with us now.  And finally, call us biased, but she is the most beautiful blue-eyed Honduran ever.  Thank God for such a sweet blessing.