I thought I would have had time on Friday night or Saturday morning to write about Lydia's birth story, but I definitely did not! Friday I did send out Lydia's 12 month e-mail update to the Pfeiffer family, plus I cleaned the house and Lydia and I went to the pool with my mom. On Saturday, I spent the whole morning packing and then we left for the beach! We had a blast, but I'll save that for another post.
Lydia's birth story is a pretty amazing and unique one. I am hoping for a COMPLETELY different birth experience for my future children. Lydia's story is all about God, miracles, family, and love. I have gotten a bit emotional leading up to Lydia's birthday, but I surprisingly was too happy for her to cry or think about the events that happened last year. I am glad we went on a vacation so I didn't spend my time thinking about last year's events. Anyway...on to the story!
Friday evening ended pretty normally. Brian got home early from school - his last day as a long-term substitute teacher at Canyon Middle School! He was excited to start his summer, but anxious about finding a teaching job for the following school year. Leah and Jessie left earlier that day for Port Aransas, so my mom came and helped me with the babies (as I was 38 weeks pregnant). My mom headed off once I was down to 2 babies, inviting Brian and me over to her house for make-your-own pizza night, and to visit with my cousins who were in town. The last baby left around 6:00. Brian and I did a quick clean of the center and I took a shower and changed to head over to my mom's house. We climbed into Grandy's mini van (that we were borrowing because Brian's car was in the shop - I had gotten into a minor accident a few weeks before when a truck backed into the front of the car!) and headed off to dinner! I called the house on our way, telling my little sister, Nellie, that we were on our way. I never got her text asking what we wanted on our pizzas.
I don't remember what we were talking about, but I knew I had been smiling and excited about the summer and my upcoming due date. We passed the Camp Bullis exit and were directly across from our church, Oak Hills, when it happened. I looked out the window and saw an SUV driving up the closed (due to construction) entry ramp and over the grass! I had time to say "Watch out!" to Brian and I closed my eyes, waiting for the impact. The SUV hit us on the rear passenger side of the minivan, causing Brian to drive off the road. We drove off the road and onto the grass, hitting a large pile of dirt (once again, due to construction), causing us to flip over a few times. We landed on the passenger side, facing the opposite direction we had been going on the access road.
My windows were not broken, but Brian's were. I was hanging from the seat belt, so Brian had to undo his seat belt, then mine, and then hold me up so we could stick our heads out of the window and call for help. Lots of people had stopped on the side of the road to call 911 and to help. A man was able to get the back door open and practically carried me out of the van and brought me to a wonderfully helpful woman who supported me on the ground (I couldn't lay down - my chest hurt when I did). The ambulance arrived very quickly, as did several fire trucks (and I'm sure police cars). Brian was taken away to give a report on what happened, while I was trying to stay calm. Once I knew that Brian was fine (he was limping and said his ankle hurt), all I cared about was whether my baby was fine.
I was put in an ambulance and Brian followed. I was given an IV and they cut my pants (my only pair of maternity jeans) to check me out. I was given an oxygen mask and told to relax...yeah, right. I kept telling Brian to call mom, but he didn't have a cell phone (his was later found in the van by a firefighter). We went to University Hospital where I was rushed into an emergency room and Brian had to go to the waiting room to fill out paperwork (how I cried about that!). I was surrounded by doctors and nurses, all checking me out. I was given x-rays and an MRI. They gave me an ultrasound and I was reassured to hear the baby's heartbeat and was told she was doing great!
Brian finally rejoined me, and kept refusing medical care when the doctor's saw his ankle (it was very swollen). He wanted to make sure I was taken care of before he went to the emergency room. Even though it would have been better in the long run if he had seen a doctor right away and was admitted, he would have been taken from me right away, and I would have freaked to be by myself. Brian finally managed to get a hold of his parents using a nurse's cell phone. They didn't have my mom's home number (I unfortunately don't have it memorized). My OB nurse googled/yellow-paged my mom and found her number. My mom and Nellie rushed over with a quickly packed bag for me. It was so reassuring to have my mom there!
I was put in a delivery room and had to be on a 24-hour watch. The doctor's were worried about the placenta detaching because of all the trauma. I found out that I had a broken right big toe, broken tail bone, bruised left ribs, a fractured sternum (that's why my chest hurt), a huge bump on my head, bruises from the seat belt across my chest and legs, bruises on my hands and legs. Brian had glass in his hair, but no bruises. He later found out his right ankle was broken (he had surgery three days after Lydia was born). It was getting late, after midnight, when things kind of calmed down and everyone had settled in - Brian in a chair, Nellie in a chair, and my mom on the floor. All of a sudden I had sudden pain in my abdomen that wouldn't go away. My mom paged the nurse and they decided to induce me, since they were worried about the placenta.
At 3:40 in the morning, I was given an epidural and pitocin and my water was broken. Then, we just waited. I was prepped for an emergency c-section in case anything went wrong. I was also told that a team of doctors had decided I was allowed to deliver vaginally, despite my broken tail bone (which could have caused problems). Only once did the baby's heart rate go down. The whole team of doctor's ran into the room, but they gave me oxygen and shook me a bit, and the heart rate went back up.
Brian's parents arrived on Saturday and we all played the waiting game. My epidural started wearing off on my left side, so I did get to feel some contraction pains, but they quickly fixed that...not enjoyable. Brian went down to the emergency room that day and got his leg x-rayed and wrapped. He told the doctor's they needed to be quick, since his wife was in labor!
Finally, at 9:00 Saturday night, the doctor came in saying that if I wasn't dilated to 10 cm, they would give me a c-section. She checked and I was at 10 cm! Yeah! I was prepped and started pushing. After about an hour, Lydia Patience Pfeiffer arrived, at 10:12pm, weighing 7lbs 3oz and was 21in long! Brian couldn't stop saying how perfect and beautiful she was. I loved holding her. I didn't care about the car accident or anything, just my baby!
We stayed the night, just Brian and me, with Lydia in the nursery coming to me every few hours to nurse. Sunday brought a few more x-rays for me, and visitors for Lydia. Sunday morning was the hardest. I woke up early with the baby and started crying. It had been a very emotional start to the summer! I was fitted for a hard walking shoe (for my broken toe), and we were finally able to leave on Monday afternoon! I was so ready to get out of there.
Despite the heartache of a car accident, and the pain and worry, we made it through! Lydia was unharmed, and Brian only has a small scar to remember his broken ankle. He was stuck in a cast and walking book most of the summer, but was still able to go for a job interview for New Braunfels Middle School - and was hired as a 6th grade math teacher!
God works in mysterious ways. Why did he let us get in a car accident when I was 38 weeks pregnant? But, if it had been earlier, Lydia would have been premature. If it would have been later, Lydia may have been hurt. We were given Grandy's minivan which protected us much better than Brian's small Hyundai would have. God showed us how much he can protect us; the firemen were surprised we had been able to walk out of the car! God showed us how much he loved us; he surrounded us with family in our time of need.
It's been a whole year since the accident. Lydia has grown and developed so much since then and we are constantly amazed!
I was put in an ambulance and Brian followed. I was given an IV and they cut my pants (my only pair of maternity jeans) to check me out. I was given an oxygen mask and told to relax...yeah, right. I kept telling Brian to call mom, but he didn't have a cell phone (his was later found in the van by a firefighter). We went to University Hospital where I was rushed into an emergency room and Brian had to go to the waiting room to fill out paperwork (how I cried about that!). I was surrounded by doctors and nurses, all checking me out. I was given x-rays and an MRI. They gave me an ultrasound and I was reassured to hear the baby's heartbeat and was told she was doing great!
Brian finally rejoined me, and kept refusing medical care when the doctor's saw his ankle (it was very swollen). He wanted to make sure I was taken care of before he went to the emergency room. Even though it would have been better in the long run if he had seen a doctor right away and was admitted, he would have been taken from me right away, and I would have freaked to be by myself. Brian finally managed to get a hold of his parents using a nurse's cell phone. They didn't have my mom's home number (I unfortunately don't have it memorized). My OB nurse googled/yellow-paged my mom and found her number. My mom and Nellie rushed over with a quickly packed bag for me. It was so reassuring to have my mom there!
I was put in a delivery room and had to be on a 24-hour watch. The doctor's were worried about the placenta detaching because of all the trauma. I found out that I had a broken right big toe, broken tail bone, bruised left ribs, a fractured sternum (that's why my chest hurt), a huge bump on my head, bruises from the seat belt across my chest and legs, bruises on my hands and legs. Brian had glass in his hair, but no bruises. He later found out his right ankle was broken (he had surgery three days after Lydia was born). It was getting late, after midnight, when things kind of calmed down and everyone had settled in - Brian in a chair, Nellie in a chair, and my mom on the floor. All of a sudden I had sudden pain in my abdomen that wouldn't go away. My mom paged the nurse and they decided to induce me, since they were worried about the placenta.
At 3:40 in the morning, I was given an epidural and pitocin and my water was broken. Then, we just waited. I was prepped for an emergency c-section in case anything went wrong. I was also told that a team of doctors had decided I was allowed to deliver vaginally, despite my broken tail bone (which could have caused problems). Only once did the baby's heart rate go down. The whole team of doctor's ran into the room, but they gave me oxygen and shook me a bit, and the heart rate went back up.
Brian's parents arrived on Saturday and we all played the waiting game. My epidural started wearing off on my left side, so I did get to feel some contraction pains, but they quickly fixed that...not enjoyable. Brian went down to the emergency room that day and got his leg x-rayed and wrapped. He told the doctor's they needed to be quick, since his wife was in labor!
Finally, at 9:00 Saturday night, the doctor came in saying that if I wasn't dilated to 10 cm, they would give me a c-section. She checked and I was at 10 cm! Yeah! I was prepped and started pushing. After about an hour, Lydia Patience Pfeiffer arrived, at 10:12pm, weighing 7lbs 3oz and was 21in long! Brian couldn't stop saying how perfect and beautiful she was. I loved holding her. I didn't care about the car accident or anything, just my baby!
We stayed the night, just Brian and me, with Lydia in the nursery coming to me every few hours to nurse. Sunday brought a few more x-rays for me, and visitors for Lydia. Sunday morning was the hardest. I woke up early with the baby and started crying. It had been a very emotional start to the summer! I was fitted for a hard walking shoe (for my broken toe), and we were finally able to leave on Monday afternoon! I was so ready to get out of there.
Despite the heartache of a car accident, and the pain and worry, we made it through! Lydia was unharmed, and Brian only has a small scar to remember his broken ankle. He was stuck in a cast and walking book most of the summer, but was still able to go for a job interview for New Braunfels Middle School - and was hired as a 6th grade math teacher!
God works in mysterious ways. Why did he let us get in a car accident when I was 38 weeks pregnant? But, if it had been earlier, Lydia would have been premature. If it would have been later, Lydia may have been hurt. We were given Grandy's minivan which protected us much better than Brian's small Hyundai would have. God showed us how much he can protect us; the firemen were surprised we had been able to walk out of the car! God showed us how much he loved us; he surrounded us with family in our time of need.
It's been a whole year since the accident. Lydia has grown and developed so much since then and we are constantly amazed!
No comments:
Post a Comment