happy birthday.

On Tuesday October 26, 2010 I had a doctor's appointment at 10:15  A.M.  I had been contracting for over a week at this point, but Sunday Oct. 24 Avery had dropped noticeably and I was certain that she would be coming soon.  Chris was unable to get time off to go to my appointment with me, so luckily my mom was up here.  While waiting to be seen, I had a couple nurses ask if I was ok, and if I needed to just go straight to labor and delivery.  I assured them that I wanted to keep my appointment, and see my doctor before I went anywhere else.  After getting checked my heart sank when I found out I still hadn't dilated past one centimeter.  Bassett would only admit me if my water had broke or if I was dilated to a four.  My blood pressure had been increasingly getting higher at each visit, but the nurses hadn't seem too concerned.  This time Dr. Matthieu had seen me, and she felt I needed to be monitored longer.  I was determined that I would just get sent home again, so I fought my mom tooth and nail about going up there.  Eventually my mom was willing to persuade me to go.  So Dr. Matthieu sent me up to labor and delivery, where they hooked me up to morphine and phenogrine so that I would be able to sleep for awhile and they could see if my contractions would progress without stressing Avery and I, or to see if they would stop all together. 


After being hooked up for an hour or so, I started reacting to the phenogrine, my heart rate started to escalate, and blood pressure started getting dangerously high.  Around 4 or 5 P.M. I was admitted and moved into the room I planned to deliver her in.  After such a long, stressful week, I was RELIEVED to know that within 24 hours I'd be having my baby.  I was immediately given an epidural, and I was finally able to sleep.  After a few more hours I was given pitocin.  I was contracting beautifully and not feeling a thing, so I anticipated having her around the late afternoon, early evening on Oct. 27.  


Around seven o'clock the next morning I was woken up by doctors telling me to switch sides.  They had noticed a pattern that disturbed them.  After each contraction, Avery's heart rate would drop.  They took me off the pitocin for an hour to see if I could contract on my own and let her rest for awhile.  I was about to get hooked back up to the pitocin when Ave's heart rate dropped below 65.  They were worried she could be laying on her cord or that it could be around her neck, or in someway restricting her oxygen supply.  Within minutes I was being pumped full of drugs and signing my life away on the c section form. All I had dreaded my entire pregnancy was ending up having to have a c section.  But I was willing to do anything as long as it ensured Avery's safety.


At 9:51 A.M. on Oct. 27, Avery Jane Pettriess was born.  She weighed 8 lbs. and 1 oz. and was 19 inches long! Within fifteen minutes of being whisked away to surgery, Chris was back in the room holding our precious baby and showing her off to my mom.  [:  Dr. McWilliams was a great doctor and he delivered her so quickly and safely.  I am so thankful that my mom was with me at my appointment on Tuesday.  I was so upset about not being dilated she practically dragged me up the stairs to labor and delivery.  Without Chris being able to go with me at first, I know that I would have left the hospital right after my appointment and who knows what would have happened to Avery.  I love my mom and I'm so blessed and grateful that she was able to here for her first grandbaby's birth.  I love my amazing husband, as without him, I wouldn't have my beautiful little angel.  Chris has been so phenomenal since day one.  He changed every diaper at the hospital and really took care of her in every way (other than nursing [: ha) for the first two days of her life.  I was under the impression that I would be able to bounce right back after surgery, but it has been much harder than I thought.  I can't thank Chris, my mom, and my church family enough for all of their help, love, and prayers.  Above all I am so thankful that God has taken care of us, and given us a beautiful, healthy child.  I've never been so happy or felt so completely in my whole life.  God is good, and my family is wonderful.  [: