NICU

On September 8, 2009 at 6:31pm my son, Leeland, made his apperance with a few difficuties.  He was born five weeks early, and I had to have a Cecarean Section.  I didn't get to hold him like most mothers do when thier babies are born.  No, Leeland was blue and wasn't breathing right.  I was scared to death.  I got to kiss him on the head and they rushed him to the nursery.  My husband stayed with me because he knew there was nothing he could do and they wouldn't have let him in until after I was finished.  We both didn't know what was going on.  When I came out of surgery and out of recovery, the doctors come in to tell me my son is breathing too fast.  90 breaths a minute [mind I haven't got to see him yet] and they had him hooked up to the O2 and didn't feed him because he wouldn't be able to eat.  They called it Respritory Distress Syndrome.  On September 9, 2009 I was discharged from the hospital to go be with my son while he was transferred to another hospital because there was nothing else they could do.  We recieved pamplets and books on what they would be doing to Leeland and it all looked and sounded so scary.  The hospital was generous enough to give us a nice little room everynight we were there.  He was at Holston Valley Mecial Center.  The Newborn Intensive Care Unit [NICU] nurses were so sweet and very nice to us.  When we got to see Leeland, he had tubes and moniters all over him.  I cried just about everytime I seen him.  He had a feeding tube down his nose along with O2 and all kinds of wires on him.  I still can't tell you everything they had on him.  He was on a ventalizer the first day.  Then the gradually started graduating.  He was on the critical bed for three days - then got moved to the imobilizer.  That was the day we got to hold him for the first time.  It was the happiest time in our lives.  We got to feed him and change his diaper.  Then he was getting better and better.  His breaths a minute moved to 50-60[normal infant] and he was getting bottle fed.  After eight long exhausting days we finally got to bring home our bundle.  The nurses were so nice and understanding - not only did they take great care of Leeland - but they did me as well.  It's hard to see your child in the situation he was in and there were babies there with worse conditions.  I prayed for everyone of them.  One baby that was across from Leeland was in real bad condition.  His name was Eli Bradley.  We talked to the family and gave them a bear that was given to Leeland that said a prayer.  The mother cried and hugged me and we gave them our contact information and told them if they needed anything to call.  A few weeks later - I found out he died.  It broke my heart.  I couldn't imagine what that mother went through.  He was transferred from that hospital and a day later he died.  I pray for that family.  But on Leeland's part, he's healthy now.  He's nine pounds at 2 months.  He knows who his mommy and daddy are and he knows we love him.  I feel very blessed to have this miracle in my life.  I've been pregnant three times - but Leeland is the only one that's came through.  He's a soldier.