This Thursday started off like any other Thursday since being on bed rest. Ben went to work, I ate breakfast and then headed off to my NST (non stress test) appointment. I waited forever (as always) and after the NST, I was scheduled for the growth measurement ultrasound. The past couple of weeks I had other ultrasounds done to check the amniotic fluid level (always on the low side) as well as to check for fetal movement (she was moving just fine). This ultrasound was different since they would be measuring her body and determining if she was growing appropriately for her gestational age. We had one done just 4 weeks ago when I was hospitalized and according to that measurement she was growing just fine.
Well, the results showed that she was in the 4th percentile and not growing enough for her age. Another doctor met with me and indicated that I would need to be admitted into the hospital to do stress tests to see how the baby would respond to stressful situations (contractions). Upon further questioning, it became apparent that regardless of how she did with these tests that I would be in the hospital until she was born (whenever that would be).
At this point, I wasn't exactly in shock... more like "what else will happen to change our plan?" SO, I called Ben, he took the rest of the afternoon off and I checked myself into the hospital. I was pleasantly surprised to have nurses that I had already met exactly 4 weeks earlier when I was in the hospital for my blood pressure. After just a short amount of time monitoring the baby respond to small/tiny contractions, the same doctor that admitted me 4 weeks ago was the same doctor who told me... the baby was coming out tonight! SO... once again... our plan had completely changed and nothing was going as we had originally envisioned... now we were giving birth in a hospital and having an unplanned c-section. Here are pictures of us getting ready for the big moment. Thanks to our awesome nurse ("Red") we were able to watch the entire season finale of So You Think You Can Dance before we went into the surgery room. That was our last moment as "Ben and Kelly." Soon we would have a little one in our lives.
Born at 34 weeks and 3 days, Baby Girl Koss (we didn't have a name for her at the time) entered the world at 3 lbs, 6 oz, 16 inches long at 9:28 PM. She was super skinny but we were just happy that she was now with us.
Since she was so small, she was immediately whisked to the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit and proud papa followed her to make sure she was well taken care of. I was completely out of it thanks to the top notch medication that was knocking me out. I wasn't able to see her in the NICU until hours later since the doctors wanted to monitor my blood pressure before moving me to my new room. I do recall one moment amidst my drugged up realm... Ben was such a proud father that he took every opportunity to be with our daughter in the NICU... he would come visit me and then sneak away to be with her. He was already a wonderful dad!
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