This is only two months later than I expected.
Exactly one year ago today @ 4:00 a.m. I lay in bed at my mothers house. My contractions were getting more and more consist ant and regular. I was dilated to a 1 and over 50% effaced. Only the day before I sat in a hospital room with my Tayliebug patiently awaiting the arrival of my dear husband, Bret, and the precious cargo he was bringing to me. It was the cord retrieval kit needing in retrieving and storing this new surprise baby's cord blood. In hopes that she would be a match for our daughter Taylie who was diagnosed only weeks before with AML Leukemia. We were in need of a match to her Bone Marrow. Her treatment plan would play out according to whether or not any of Taylie's siblings could be a positive match for her. It had been a rough road for me and my husband through all of this. We were still trying to understand what was going on and doing our best to function with the unexpected new life we were called to be a apart of. In all it's craziness we were expecting our third child, another girl who we were not exactly planning for. It was a surprise pregnancy for the both of us. Upon learning about Taylie it popped into our minds that this new baby was coming at not a wrong time but the right time. Maybe she would be that match we needed for a Bone Marrow Transplant. We felt the love of our Savior, Jesus Christ, as we were trying to grasp and understand all that our family was going through. A whole new meaning of having this baby presented itself. We felt comforted in the thought of her being a match. Having this pure cord blood without an environment was going to be just what we needed to help our Taylie get better again.
When I saw the cord blood kit in my Husbands hand I thought to myself, Baby you can come! With all the added stress of all that we had just experienced I was trying my hardest to keep this baby from coming until this kit could arrive and be in my hands. I had been having countless days of contractions while I assisted my Taylie in the hospital. I new it was getting close. I was ready for a break. I was tired and very ready for this baby to come. So I switched Bret and went home to my Mothers house to rest and see my two year old Mayzi. It wasn't too long after I fell asleep that night my contractions began again and this time they were not stopping. How interesting it really was to me. How fast she was coming and so close to when the kit had arrived. I truly felt an added strength to me while I was experiencing some much.
Arrangements were made for Mayzi and by 10:00 A.M. on September 2, 2009 my contractions were between 5-7 min apart. My mother drove me to LDS Hospital and I walked in to find my new doctor, Dr. Macy, I've only met one other time when she checked me earlier on that week finding everything in place, looking great. They were aware of my situation and the urgency in retrieving the cord blood. My mom drove up to Primary Children's so she could switch Bret and he could come at be with me. Of course there is always all the paper work to do when you are new. I was moving along pretty quickly. I finally was able to get the nurse to stop typing my info and check me. In finding how fast I was progressing they rushed the anesthesiologist to get me an epidural. I new I needed all the help I could get right now. Luckily it went in just at the right time and I continued to move along very quickly. While I was laying there I felt a huge amount of pressure and then a big pop! My water had broken and water was gushing everywhere. It surprised the nurse and she decided to check me once more. Instead of feeling a head she felt little feet. She gasped all of a sudden and said we have to go C-Section right now. I was ready to deliver my baby, but there was no way she was coming out Breech especially now that my water had broken. So here we went again another crazy situation. When in the world had she turned on me. Days before I knew she was where she was supposed to be. Bret had slipped out to go get the camera which he forgot. I managed to call him and said we are heading to emergency C-Section and to hurry as fast as he possibly could. Luckily he made it in the nick of time just as they were about to start.
All I could think about was getting her cord blood and having enough of it to be useful. It just happened all so fast. Dr. Macy was fabulous and so precise in what she was doing. I had an amazing anaesthesiologist also. I felt like I was in great hands. Bret never left my side and watched our little girl be born into this beautiful crazy world as we knew it. All I can say it was quite the experience. We hurried and called the guy to pick up the blood and get it sent ASAP! Then we called Taylie and told her the fabulous news. She also told us that her name was going to be Sunnie. She was so excited to have a new sister.
When I saw the cord blood kit in my Husbands hand I thought to myself, Baby you can come! With all the added stress of all that we had just experienced I was trying my hardest to keep this baby from coming until this kit could arrive and be in my hands. I had been having countless days of contractions while I assisted my Taylie in the hospital. I new it was getting close. I was ready for a break. I was tired and very ready for this baby to come. So I switched Bret and went home to my Mothers house to rest and see my two year old Mayzi. It wasn't too long after I fell asleep that night my contractions began again and this time they were not stopping. How interesting it really was to me. How fast she was coming and so close to when the kit had arrived. I truly felt an added strength to me while I was experiencing some much.
Arrangements were made for Mayzi and by 10:00 A.M. on September 2, 2009 my contractions were between 5-7 min apart. My mother drove me to LDS Hospital and I walked in to find my new doctor, Dr. Macy, I've only met one other time when she checked me earlier on that week finding everything in place, looking great. They were aware of my situation and the urgency in retrieving the cord blood. My mom drove up to Primary Children's so she could switch Bret and he could come at be with me. Of course there is always all the paper work to do when you are new. I was moving along pretty quickly. I finally was able to get the nurse to stop typing my info and check me. In finding how fast I was progressing they rushed the anesthesiologist to get me an epidural. I new I needed all the help I could get right now. Luckily it went in just at the right time and I continued to move along very quickly. While I was laying there I felt a huge amount of pressure and then a big pop! My water had broken and water was gushing everywhere. It surprised the nurse and she decided to check me once more. Instead of feeling a head she felt little feet. She gasped all of a sudden and said we have to go C-Section right now. I was ready to deliver my baby, but there was no way she was coming out Breech especially now that my water had broken. So here we went again another crazy situation. When in the world had she turned on me. Days before I knew she was where she was supposed to be. Bret had slipped out to go get the camera which he forgot. I managed to call him and said we are heading to emergency C-Section and to hurry as fast as he possibly could. Luckily he made it in the nick of time just as they were about to start.
All I could think about was getting her cord blood and having enough of it to be useful. It just happened all so fast. Dr. Macy was fabulous and so precise in what she was doing. I had an amazing anaesthesiologist also. I felt like I was in great hands. Bret never left my side and watched our little girl be born into this beautiful crazy world as we knew it. All I can say it was quite the experience. We hurried and called the guy to pick up the blood and get it sent ASAP! Then we called Taylie and told her the fabulous news. She also told us that her name was going to be Sunnie. She was so excited to have a new sister.
September 2, 2009
@ 12:15
@ 12:15
our 3rd little baby girl
Sunnie Kristine Abbott
was here at last!
Weighing 6 lbs. 13 oz. measuring 19" long
Fully awake and aware of all going on. Her original due date was the 10th. This was my first little girl to be born early. Considering all the circumstances I thought I did good to keep her in as long as I did! Little did I know how great a blessing had been placed into my hands.
As soon as we were able we had Sunnie checked to see if she was a bone marrow match. Surprisingly enough she wasn't. I remember my mouth falling open when I had received the news. I was so sure I thought. She was perfect timing with all that was going on. How could this be? We soon discovered how little we really knew in the grand scheme of things. Sunnie's arrival into our family played and even more important role. Words cannot express what I am about to show you.
This is the day I left LDS Hospital and came up to show Taylie her new baby sister.
This is a picture of the first time at home in Richmond. Two weeks old and just so tiny. While we were home for the first time together as a family I discovered that Sunnie was running a 102 degree temp. Ahhh!! I freaked: 1- because she was so little. 2- Taylie had no immune system.
I jumped quick leaving Bret with the other girls and rushed her into the Dr. Because she was so young still. In order to find out what was going on we had to put her through all the tests.
That same weekend my sister in law Ginger was in town getting things in place for Taylie's Race which was being held the next month in October. Her timing couldn't have been better. I was leaving my house was when she was arriving. Having left her kids back in Colorado where she lives, she was by herself. She jumped into the car with me and told me there was no way she was letting me go by myself. There are always countless blessings when you stand in great need.
Watching my new little baby lay there so sick and so helpless was like the breaking point for me. I felt like I couldn't keep going. As soon as all the tests were done and the Dr's. left us I broke down. How thankful I was for Ginger to just hold me. I wasn't sure if I was tough enough for any more.
So while my other beautiful girls were at home where I should have been, I was admitted again to the Hospital with my new Sunnie. For how long, I had no idea. So far in the last 3 weeks I have lived between Primary Children's Medical Center, LDS Hospital, and now Logan Regional Hospital. Sometimes when the yucky hits, it hits hard.
Three days later I left the hospital baby in arms with a Rhino Virus (cold). How thankful I was for that and that it was nothing else. The next concern was bringing my sick baby back home to my immune compromised Taylie. I was so panicked and after a nice long chat with Taylie's Oncologist I relaxed enough to spend the last few days with my precious family before I had to return back to Salt Lake to start Round Two with Taylie.
We managed to get a few professional shots taken thanks to Sugarhouse Photography and our dear friend Amber Tanner.
We broke the rules all the time....shhhh! She was loved my all who saw her. The hospital should include baby therapy in with the dog therapy. I cannot tell you the countless kids that loved to see Sunnie. The smiles that came to their faces will never leave my mind. Taylie was perfect in giving her the right name! Plus the nurses adored her as well.
What a chunky....so cute!
Every chance she could we would find the tub and Taylie would give Soda a bath. And then we would mop the floor :)
We made a pretty good team
A little Daddy time...never got much of that. Was so sad that she new some of the nurses better that her own Dad :(
Sunnie spent the first 6-7 months of her life at Primary Children's Hospital while Taylie went through treatment. You would have thought I was given and angel for sure. She was perfect and such a good baby. Countless days and hours spent in a little hospital room. Sunnie and Taylie became the best of friends. Taylie was able to focus on something else that all that she was going through. For myself, the true blessing was to keep being a Mom, to care for my children and have the JOY of a new baby in my life while I experienced something harder than I ever had experienced before.
She will never remember it all, only see it in pictures. Sunnie came at just the right time. She saved us both you might say.
Happy 1st Birthday to you!!!
She will never remember it all, only see it in pictures. Sunnie came at just the right time. She saved us both you might say.
Happy 1st Birthday to you!!!What is it with girls and a Phone ?
I love you Sunnie A Bushel and a Peck and a Hug around your neck!!!
...I love my SODA!
...I love my SODA!
