Beginnings. . . (Names of many have not been mentioned for their privacy)Monday, May 23, 2011Just beginning my usual afternoon at school and getting the kids ready for their Buccaneer "Last Splash" event of the year put on by the PTA, I began feeling a load of pain in my lower back, which was getting worst as time went by. With the love and concern from PTA moms and the best principal in the world, I quickly made lesson plans for the last two days of school-just in case. But I knew I would be back (Yeah I am pretty naive).
I went home, laid down, and later on I was feeling a little better. Whew! False alarm. :) Then I got the chills/hot flashes, fever, flu like symptoms! NOT GOOD! I was so sick the rest of the night!
Tuesday, May 24Didn't make it to school on Tuesday! Thank heavens I had lesson plans!
Jess left for work and about an hour later I was up using the potty when I began to bleed out with some impressive blog clots. Jesse came home "mock chicken" and we headed for the hospital. Once there, the nurse checked me out, dilated to a 3, bleeding had stopped some, contractions were irregular 5-7 min, they were not too concerned with the clots-thinking that things were just shifting and moving to get me ready, but wanted me to take it easy and not do anything! Sent us home about 1 1/2 hour later! I rested the rest of the day.
Wednesday, May 25 - The Last Day of school!I CRIED! From the moment I woke up. . . I was feeling awful that I could not be with my students on the last day of the school year. Here you spend 177 days with them throughout the year and can't see them the last two! It was hard, but I still need to get writing folders and poetry books to them, so I'll have to communicate through the mail! :)
I rested throughout the day and was feeling much better come Thursday!
Thursday, May 26Feeling better. . . I ran a few errands this morning-thinking that if this baby comes earlier than expected (I was at 37+ weeks) that I better get his room ready! (DUH-I only had multiple months to do this beforehand!!) I went to my Dr. Apt and was told I was 3+ and to take it easy and not to over do it. Fine, I understand! I do little things and then would take it easy-I really was not over doing it. Slept terrific-the best sleep I had in weeks!
Friday, May 27I have an amazing family! My terrific friend and sister-in-law came to help me paint a dresser for the baby room. We worked on it and then went to lunch. After lunch I returned home just in time to beginning feeling pain in my back again and cramping. I began to bleed-AGAIN!
I called Jess to inform him, called the nurses hotline-and the nurse said to lay down, get off my feet, and watch for any signs of major contractions, clear liquid, and of course more bleeding.
Jesse got home and laid down with me on the couch for a couple of hours. Little did we know that this was just the beginning. . . . :)
5:20PM. . . . Door bell rang. . . sweet little visitor. . . then mad dash to the bathroom. My water was SLOWLY leaking, but the contractions were IMMEDIATE!
Jesse showered in 2.3 seconds, I threw in a load of laundry, changed my clothes, fixed my hair (really. . . yeah that is me!), grabbed our previously packed bags, and out the door we went! Contractions were 3-5 minutes apart & getting stronger (WOW that is a feeling!)
EXCITED, NERVOUS, & EAGER to meet our lil'man!
6:00ish PM-The Blessings. . . I had called the labor and delivery to let them know that we were on our way. As we came rolling around the corner there was our
#1 Blessing waiting to take us in. Jesse has a cousin-whose wife is a RN at the hospital-who came on shift just 5 min before our arrival-she would be my nurse! . I couldn't have asked or even handpicked better, more loving, and concerned nurses that day!
Contractions grew, I was dilated to a 4, up to the room we go for a much needed epidural and relief! The epidural was just terrific and not this horrible experience I had heard so much of. After that things progressed rapidly-with the little help of pitocin!
Blessing #2My regular doctor was out of town for the Memorial Holiday, so in walks Dr. R! An amazing man in all faucets of life! I quickly felt comfortable and knew of his concern for us. I just had this amazing feeling about him the moment he walked in-peaceful.
6. . . 8. . . 10 all within a few hours! Bets were placed as to how big this little guy would be and what time. We were fast approaching the midnight hour and I kept thinking that he will be born before 11 :30pm so I bet 8lbs 2oz and before 11:30. (I can't remember the other bets-or I would have posted them)
Jesse's brother was able to come with his wife and give me a blessing! Thank you bro! I love you!
11:06 PM Practice Pushes. . . 11:34 PM Tritton arrives!! (AWESOME DELIVERY!!)
Blessing #3-No stress delivery on mom or baby!
Tritton Dan Leavitt
8lbs 3 oz
19 inches
11:34 pm
Birthday: May 27, 2011
We were able to spend some time with Tritt before we headed down to the "mom & baby unit" We were able to snuggle, kiss, hug, cry, and just love on him!
Tritton was such a calm baby. He cried a few minutes just after birth then he was calm and taking in his surroundings! He would look at me and Jess and make these soft noises. He was alert and just precious!
I felt such a presence of my Savior and my Dad in the room! Peaceful and warm. I knew that this little guy-my son-had left his Heavenly Fathers' and Papa Westwoods' arms and came to mine. What an amazing feeling! I knew my dad was in that room!
Blessings x Miracles. . . .
Saturday, May 28 2:00 AM
We made our way to the "mom and baby unit" a couple hours later. We arrived, got settled in, and met our nurses! Once again amazing women! Our RN was checking out Tritt when she said that she was going to take him to get his oxygen levels checked. I thought nothing of it-so we got settled in and ready for a night of good rest with our boy.
When she returned with Tritt and a NICU nurse . . . I knew something was not right. They said that his oxygen levels were severely low and they were going to take him to the NICU to saturate his lungs with oxygen and see what was causing him to be deficient. Jesse followed. I stayed. Now what? I began to pray - because I knew this was going to be a long night!
Little did I know that Miracle #1 just happened . . .
3:30 AM . . .
When Jess returned to the room with one of the NICU nurses, I was not ready to hear what was said. Tritton's lack of oxygen was either due to some lung issue or related to his heart-Congenital Heart Defect (CHD). In either case, he mostly likely need to be sent to Primary Children's Hospital.
Jesse left for home to pack a bag to go with life flight and I quickly got ready (with the help of my amazing nurses) to go and be with Tritt in the NICU, while they ran a Eco-gram and Sonogram of his heart.
I expected to hear him crying when I arrived. . . but it was calm. The dr's were preforming the pick/central lines and even though Tritton was restrained (just so he would not "help" out in the procedure) he was calm and alert. They didn't have to sedate him! What a good little boy!
Jesse returned and after all the test this is what was confirmed:
Tritton has a condition called TGA-Transposition of the Great Arteries in his heart. This is where the main arteries of his heart are switched.
In your heart your arteries help make a "figure 8" shape for the blood-oxygen to mix and then to re-enter your lungs and the rest of your body. In Tritton's heart he doesn't have the "mixing" going on since his arteries are making their own "circles" on each side. One circle is moving blood to the heart and body and the other to the heart and lungs. They are not crossing in the middle, due to the switch in his arteries. Therefore, he will need surgery to switch these arteries.
Miracle #2: Tritton does have an opening in his heart that otherwise would cause great concern if he didn't have this condition. This opening is allowing SOME mixture of the blood and oxygen to cross in and out of the heart-lungs rotation, making him able to LIVE! Without this, he would not have been able to live out of the womb for very long. Thus the change in color once we moved to a recovery room and Miracle #1 - my nurse discovering his color had changed quickly.
Had my nurse not caught this, Tritt would not be with us. I owe her my everything! She was yet another angel in our path this night.
The NICU doctors said that most often than not-this is not caught early and babies will be sent home thinking all is well and will then turn blue and not be able to breathe and being without the necessary-quick intervention of oxygen will die.
The doctors also said that if they had to choose a heart condition - this TGA would be the one to have (Miracle #3) It is fixable and kids can live a normal life. They also said that Tritton's good size is in his favor and will make it better for him in the long run! (Miracle #4)
As the team prepared for Life Flight-Jess and I knew Tritt needed a Priesthood Blessing before he left. Not long after that thought, Dr. R (who had been with another patient preparing to deliver a baby-left) came to our side with the intent to help in blessing my son. . . Miracle #5.
There is not a doubt in my mind that he knew what needed to be done and so he came once he had heard the news. Another Angel!
6:45 AM . . .
Jesse and the Life Flight crew prepared to leave, I got to touch my sons leg through all the monitors and lines, kiss him, and off they went.
I spent the rest of the day in the hospital and came home later that evening around 6:00PM.
Jesse is up with Tritton at Primary Children's Hospital. The doctors will not be performing surgery right away. They wanted to wait a week or so to let Tritt get stronger and to make a game plan and not rush into the first thought of surgery.
I will be heading up there hopefully soon! I feel good and have been able to get around-slowly-but enough to make the trip when it comes time.
I will keep all posted as to the little Miracles that are happening around us continually! Thank you to all for your love and prayers! The power of blessings and prayers are real! Thank you and we love you!
