The Orrs: Gracie's Birth Story

Since we were not due to have her until mid-March, it surprises people to see Gracie is already here, and it prompts a lot of people asking "what the heck?". So I thought I would give the story:

Sunday, February 7th, my friend Nicole throws a baby shower for me and some close friends. (I was working on the blog post for that when all the other stuff happens...and it never did get finished). Tim and I come home from a wonderful afternoon, put the new baby stuff away, and he was watching TV while I was on the computer sitting on the couch loading pictures, checking email, etc...when all of a sudden I felt like I had involuntarily peed a little! I run to the bathroom, come back 5 minutes later, sit back down, and it happens again! I am thinking, what is going on? I call my mom. She said, Gracie is probably pressing on your bladder causing some pee to leak, were you laughing? No, I was sitting here doing nothing! It happens again...Tim says, are you sure your water didn't break? NO! I am not due for 5 weeks plus! Besides, it's just a little bit. But by this time, it had happened six times total, and it no longer looked or smelled like pee (sorry for being graphic). Mom tells me to call the hospital...I do it and my OB/GYN, happens to be on call (thank you God) and wants to check me. We had never even been into ercy Folsom, our tour was scheduled for Wed of that week. I ask my doctor where to go...he says "In the front doors" HAHA very funny! So I get checked, and yes, my water ruptured. I was going to have this baby this early, and it was not going to be at Mercy Folsom, since I wasn't quite 35 weeks, and Folsom doesn't have a NICU, we had to be transferred to Mercy San Juan. Well, didn't need the Folsom hospital tour after all! Taken by ambulance, we arrive in a room at Mercy San Juan. They let me sleep a couple hours and see if I would naturally go into labor, since that's what your body is supposed to do after your water breaks. Well not mine. At 4:00, they start Pitocin. When that starts contractions, but my cervix doesn't cooperate, they start me on rounds of cervidil. It is a pill inserted into my cervix to help it "ripen" Every four hours they check me, and after SIX rounds, including contractions with this lovely medicine, they decided it was time to start Pitocin again. By this time, it's Wednesday morning, and I haven't had anything to eat since breakfast on Tuesday. I was VERY hungry. Around 1:00, I received an epidural, that was wonderful except for the area where it did not take, my right hip, where I felt EVERYTHING! and at 3:00 they decided I was making progress, I was at 4 cm. Then by 8:00pm Wed and contractions 1 minute apart, I was still at 4. A new doctor calls me and says they want to do a C-Section, because my body is just not cooperating (story of the week) and they want to get Gracie out because of risk of infection. My question was, why didn't we do this three days ago!!?? Oh well, within an hour the doctor had arrived and I was being prepped for surgery. At 10:22 pm Gracie was born. I was able to hold her and Tim got to take pictures, but then she was taken to the NICU right away. She had fluid in her lungs, a fever, and low birth weight. Her breathing ended up being fine, results were negative for infection, and she gained weight. Other than fighting Jaundice for several days on and off, she had no other problems, and on Wed Feb. 24, we got to take our little peanut home, at 4 pounds 9 ounces. She has been home for a week, and yesterday at the doctor she was already up to 5 pounds 2 ounces! We thank everyone for their messages, visits, meals, cards, and love! We could not have gone through all this without you.