LiveEnergized: Our Birth Story

Our family photos - courtesy of http://creamncocoaphotography.com/

Ready to go!

Three months ago my life was forever changed. After being induced on a Wednesday night, and laboring through 26 long hours, it was time for the final push. Travis and I had been up since 4 a.m., and our sweet boy was about to enter the world.

They say there are some moments when everything stops, the world is still and things seem to move in slow motion. The first time I experienced this for myself was when I saw our sweet boy lifted up in the air and his eyes met mine. Granted, this was no TV movie so the nurses had to wipe him off… but he was still one of the most beautiful things I had ever seen. Instantly, happy tears steamed down my face. I looked at Travis, and for the second time in our life together, I saw a few little tears clinging to the corner of his eyes.

Moments after we met Lincoln.

Sweet 7 pounds and 7.4 ounces.

My best friend Helene, who had been my second delivery coach, was also there to witness this moment. The room was still as we all looked at this crying little miracle, our 7 pound, 7.4 ounce bundle of joy: Lincoln James Kight.

We had time to snuggle and begin the bonding process before the nurses took to be weighed and measured. Daddy hovered over the proceedings as they checked Lincoln’s vitals. Since I had been diagnosed with gestational diabetes, they had to check his blood sugar. It can back at 54, which is right in line with what they want.

Look at those little eyes!

Kisses for our new baby!

Our family and close friends came to visit that day and the next. Luckily the doctors and nurses didn’t send us home on Saturday, because when little Lincoln broke free of his swaddle, we noticed his hands were a little blue and his arms were shaky. Travis suggested then that we have his blood sugar re-tested. Thank the Lord we did, because on that Saturday afternoon little Lincoln had a scary blood sugar level of 21. When a baby’s blood sugar drops below 20, they run the risk of seizers. So immediately we started supplementing formula using and S&S system to add additional calories to my breast-feeding. Unfortunately, this did not bring his levels up fast enough, so he was admitted into the NICU. This was the scariest moment of my life. To have such an amazing baby be born, then watch him be taken to an intensive care nursery, where he is hooked up to monitors and poked and prodded. In that moment Travis and I clung to each other and did the only thing we knew to do: pray. Hoping that God would help our little boy get healthy quickly. The nurses, our own angels on Earth, did an amazing job. By supplementing sugar water, my breast milk and formula, we were able to get his blood sugar to healthy levels in two days. This told us that his pancreas has adjusted to life outside the womb, and after two nights, it was time to take our healthy boy home.

The amazing NICU at Saint Elizabeth Edgewood

Our warm welcome home, thanks to our family!

Looking back, while this experience was terrifying, it made us the parents we are today. Those extra few days in the hospital gave us time to ask the doctors and nurses extra questions and allowed me extra time with the lactation consultants. Most importantly, it made bringing our baby home seem easy. Making his first night under our roof, his first time in his comfy crib, like heaven! (Especially compared to the uncomfortable “crate” in the NICU.)

I still checked the monitor multiple times through out the night. Even though Travis had offered to stay up and feed him, so I could get long awaited rest.

Now, three months later, our little boy is strong and developing quiet the personality. I feel so blessed to have him in our lives, and like all parents had told me time and time again, I don’t know how Travis and I lived all this time without him.

A huge thank you to our friends and family who have been there for us over the past three months. We are very thankful to have amazing examples of parents all around us. We love you all!