The story of Brittyn Hope

I've been trying to make myself sit down and write about sweet Brittyn's arrival for a week now but things got a little busy with 3 kids :)

On Wednesday, Jan 26th, Jeff and I headed to the hospital at 5:30 am to meet our sweet princess. They got me all prepped and ready right as the girls got there with Jeff's parents. We got to give some hugs and kissys and then I went back to surgery.

I was shaking violently at this point because I was pretty nervous and the operating room is freezing cold! First challenge was my spinal and a challenge it was! They didn't quite get the right spot (mostly thanks to the fact I have scoliosis so it was a little more intense) so I could wiggle my toes all through surgery and could feel pain on my left side the whole surgery. Not intense pain but more than the normal tugging and pulling you should feel in surgery. The poor anthesiologist was doing her best to keep me comfortable without having to knock me all the way out. Then.. I leaned to Jeff and said something about I am going to throw up. Reminder: I am strapped down and half numb at this part. So, I proceeded to throw up several times, leaning my head to the side, while the nurse sucked it out of my mouth so I didn't choke to death. Fun, fun, fun. This procedure took slightly longer since they had to get through scar tissue from two prior surgeries. Finally at 7:41am they lifted a little hairy baby girl, wide eyed awake, over the screen and I just started sobbing. I don't know that I could even form words but it was just as amazing the third time. I do remember saying, "oh, I am so happy!" By this time everyone in the operating room was talking about all the hair she had!
She had her umbilical cord wrapped firmly around her neck so she had some facial bruising and came out purple. She didn't scream at first so I was starting to worry as I lay there listening for her but they got her all clear pretty fast. She also had some fluid in her lungs that didn't help the situation. Brittyn and Jeff were whisked off to the nursery while I was being sewn up. They called back from the nursery while my surgery was being finished to let me know she weighed 8 lbs even and was 19.5 inches long. Perfect! My guess for her weight was 7lb 3oz so I was about a pound off, lol. She was a big girl to have come to the world so early! My doctor told me she would have been 9+ pounds if she had gone full term!

I was lifted to the next bed and sent to the recovery room. Once there, Jeff met me with my sweet baby girl and I got to hold her for the first time. She was so bruised and beat up from delivery and the umbilical cord but of course, we thought she looked perfect :) Braelyn and Happy came in shortly after with Jeff's parents and his sister. Braelyn wanted to hold her immediately. She is in love. It took Happy a few minutes to warm up to Brittyn but she was holding her and smiling for pictures in no time at all.

Brittyn had some small issues due to coming to the world early and had to be taken back to the nursery because she was having trouble regulating her temperature. She wimpered most of that day because she couldn't keep herself warm. By day two she had mostly controlled this but for the first week at home it was something I had to keep my eye on. She also had some fluid in her lungs but was clear by day two, as well.
The rest of the day Brittyn was born was spent with lots of friends and family coming to see her. She, of course, slept through it all but I took lots of pictures to show her one day :)

And of course, the whole hospital was talking about that hair, lol. YES, I had severe heartburn but it was soo worth it! The girl has great hair! :)

Between three sticks to get an IV in, a failed spinal, nausea during surgery and the fun surgery itself.. Brittyn Hope was worth every second of it! She has been the sweetest little addition to our family and her big sisters are obsessed with her!