Fair warning - this is a long post. This is what I wrote in my journal about the day Kent was born.
11 August 2013
I woke up early morning August 11, 2013 with some major back
pain. It was sharper than normal, but I wasn’t sure what to make of it. My
doctor had told me to expect the back pain and at only 29 weeks, I figured this
was just a new norm. I was in some pain all morning, but got ready for church
and headed out. Austin left shortly after I did to go pick up Kevin. They were both headed to California to pick up Logan who had been working at Catalina Island all summer. Dad was in Bangkok and Mom and I were starting school the next day, so Austin agreed to pick him up. At the last minute, Kevin worked it out to go with him. I am SO grateful he did.
I sat through sacrament meeting and had to get up and walk
around in the middle. I was so uncomfortable! During Gospel Doctrine, I drove
home to get the birthday candy for YW’s that I had forgotten. While home, I
drank a few glasses of water and ate a snack to try and distract myself. I got
back before class was over, so I sat by Becky and mentioned to her that my back
had started hurting much more.
I taught my MiaMaids during third hour. I started the lesson
off by telling them that I may need to stand up for a while or sit kinda funny
because my back was hurting bad. (It was getting progressively more painful,
but still slow at this point). But I made it through class and it was a good
distraction.
After church, I got home and made lunch (tuna fish
sandwich - I remember because when we got home from the hospital a few days later, the kitchen stunk so bad). I researched solutions for back pain online, but nothing really
seemed to stand out to me. I went upstairs and put our massage pillow under my
back and tried to fall asleep. Once I took the pillow away and switched for my
body pillow, I actually managed to fall asleep for about an hour. I had to wake
up for presidency meeting and the pain was back and even a little more intense
than before. I sat on the bed and tried to figure out what to do, but
ultimately decided I would try and hack it. No one would have a problem if I
had to leave.
At presidency meeting, I was sooo uncomfortable. I couldn’t
hardly sit down at all. I just stood at Becky’s table rocking back and forth.
She asked a few times if I was ok and I said, I think so, I just have had
really bad back pain lately. I had to leave during the meeting at one point and
I went into her bathroom and just sat for a minute. I tried to stretch and alleviate
some pain, but nothing was really working.
The meeting ended and I headed to my car to go home. She
lives maybe 3 minutes from us, but I was having a hard time just sitting that
long. That night, we were having Baxter family dinner, and I was planning on
going, even though Austin would be out of town. Austin texted me saying they
had arrived in California and I responded, letting him know that I was still in
pain and didn’t know what to do. But I knew he couldn’t do anything, being in
another state, and didn’t want to worry him. The thought NEVER crossed my mind that I could be having
contractions or labor pains.
I got home from my meeting around 3:20 and was hurting bad.
I went upstairs and changed clothes to get more comfortable. I sat on our bed
trying to figure out what to do, just crying because it hurt so bad! About 20
minutes later I called my mom in tears trying to get advice.
(***side note: The district my mom and I work for opened 3
new campuses this summer. This all happened the day before school started, so
my mom was super busy and at the new campus trying to get things in order when
I called her. I had tried to avoid worrying her too, because she had so much
going on, but I couldn’t take it anymore!***)
She recognized that I was in pain and said she was on her
way home and that I should come over. I protested saying that I was supposed to
go to the Baxters’ and had already agreed to bring fruit salad and work on a
project for the baby with Clarissa. My mom convinced me to come over, at least
before I headed to Tempe. I have to say, it wasn’t hard to convince me because
at this point I just wanted my mom to make it better!
I picked up the car seat and fabric Clarissa and I were
going to use. I put my sewing kit inside it, and my fruit salad and put Indy on
a leash to come with me. Still, I had no idea what was going on. I just was
trying to figure out how to manage this pain before school started! I thought,
there is no way I can stand in front of a class and be smiley all day tomorrow!
While driving to my moms, the pain got even more intense. At
one point, I remember being stopped at a light and saying out loud, “Man, if I can’t handle a little back
pain, I’m going to die when I’m in labor!”
When I got to my moms, she had a heat pack out and I put it
on my back and tried to lay down. I couldn’t lay on my back, but I could handle
it on my side. After watching me for a few minutes, she said you could be
having contractions. My sister was there too (thank heavens! Because she was
supposed to be with her husband’s family as well!) and so at 4:20 we started
timing them. They initially were 20 minutes apart, but after that first 20
minutes they got closer and closer. Around 5 pm, I went into the bathroom and
realized I was bleeding. I called for my sister and Janie said, we’re going to
the hospital right now. We got into her car and I laid on my side across her
back seat. She decided to go to Banner Gateway hospital, which took about 20
minutes from my mom’s house. Janis was so calm and took everything in stride. I
am so grateful she was there, because from this point on, I started to lose my
awareness of what was really happening. The pain was becoming more than I could
handle. We walked into the maternity entrance and found the admitting room.
Janie told the woman, she’s 29 weeks and is bleeding. She’s had at least 8
contractions in the past hour. The lady responded, Well, there’s a woman out
there who is literally about to give birth. Let me get her back first. (little
did we know, so was I!)
So this woman who was “literally about to give birth” and
her husband went back into to the ward, but her mother (or at least I assume it
was her mother) was still sitting in the waiting room. Janie and I sat on a
couch and waited. In those 5 minutes (if that) I had three more contractions.
They had definitely moved from my back into my uterus. I said to Janie, “I
don’t even have a hospital bag!” She kinda laughed and said, Sarah, we can take
care of that. I still did not realize, even at this point that I was going to
have the baby. I think my brain was trying to protect me by not thinking about
it, because if I wasn’t going to have the baby, there could have been something
very seriously wrong. The other woman’s mother watched me and said, she’s
scaring me. She went back to the woman in admitting and said, you need to get
this girl back right now.
So admitting called us in. I think Janie had grabbed my
purse, (I don’t remember bringing it) and I pulled out my license and insurance
card. I had another contraction sitting in the chair in front of this lady. She
said, Ok, I’m going to have her (meaning Janis) fill these out. You come with
me.
She put me in a room where a nurse could check me, just
beyond the first doors. The nurse told me to leave a sample in the bathroom and
put on a gown. I was barely aware of what I was doing and couldn’t leave a
sample, but I grabbed the gown and started to get it on. The nurse checked in
on me and realized I was struggling, so she helped me on the bed. She started
talking loudly and asking me some questions. I know I answered her, but I have
no clue what either of us said. She was talking to people outside the room
as well. All of a sudden I realized she was helping me move into another bed. I
asked her, “What does this mean?” She replied, “It means you’re going to have
this baby. Like right now!” That is when it finally hit me what everything
meant. I started crying and said, “I can’t! My husband is in California! This
baby will be way too early!” She responded with something to the effect of,
honey, it happens and it’s going to be fine.
Janie walked back right as they were wheeling me into a
delivery room and took my hand and stroked my hair the whole time. She was my
rock. She and Kent will forever have a very special relationship J. It didn’t take very
long. I was on a monitor for 9 whole minutes. I’m very impressed with the nurse
who put an IV in me. She was so fast! Everything was so fast. I know there were
people everywhere, but I had my eyes closed most of the time. It was like a
foreign experience. It was so not how I thought it would be! None of this was.
But it was all alright. Janie was there. She took care of me and the staff took
great care of me and the baby.
Kent was born at 6:01 pm. Although he didn’t have a name at
the time, he was doing well enough that they let me see him and kiss him before
he was taken to the NICU. His apgars were 5 and 8.
Janie had called and sent messages to Austin and Kevin while
we were on our way to the hospital. She also messaged my mom and told her I was
going into delivery. My mom arrived shortly after Kent was born. Janie started
calling the boys over and over again. There was no answer until about 7. Austin
called my phone and Janie answered. I was talking to one of the NICU doctors
and she told Austin that I would be done in just a minute. She didn’t tell him
what all had happened, just that we were at the hospital and there had been
some unexpected circumstances. When the doctor was done, I got on the phone
with Austin and just started crying. I didn’t even know where to begin, and I’m
not positive what all I told him, but I know I finally said He’s here. Our baby
is here. He was shocked. He said, what?! I said I’m at the hospital and I just
had him. He’s so beautiful! But he’s ok, just so early. Austin just sounded
shocked. He says that Kevin could hear what was going on and really is the one
who pulled him into reality.
My aunt and uncle, Misty and Duane, live in Queen Creek and
thank heavens were in town. My mom called them and they made it to the hospital
while I was still in a delivery room. Duane was able to give me a blessing of
comfort, which helped a lot. Misty was looking up flight information and
sending that to Austin and Kevin so Austin could get on a plane as soon as
possible. She found a 9:30 US Airways flight.
While all this was going on, Austin called his family and
told them what happened. As it has been relayed to me, everyone was (of course)
shocked! I guess Ciara (who also started her first day of school the next day)
was working on a project and Clar was helping. When Mom Baxter told them what
Austin had said, Clarissa repeated, Sarah? Sarah Baxter? We have to go! She
stood up and project pieces flew everywhere! She, Mom and Grandma made it to
the hospital also while I was still in the delivery room. (I have no idea how
long we were in there. I know that Austin didn’t know until 7, then called his
family and they made it into the room before I was moved into a post-partum
room.)
Once I had moved rooms, I was able to go over and see my baby.
I had seen him for a moment and given him a kiss right after he was born, but
this was the first time I could really look at him. He was in the NICU, which
was just across the hall from my room, and in this little incubator with the
lid up. That was a moment I can’t describe. It was so wonderful to meet him.
Duane was able to give him a blessing as well, and I am very grateful for that.
He and I were the first to be able to go meet him. Kind of fitting that Duane’s
middle name happens to be Kent.
After I had seen my baby, I was back in my room and Austin
was supposed to arrive soon. Though he had planned on taking the 9:30 flight
that Misty found, upon arriving at the airport at 8:00, he and Kevin discovered
that Southwest had a flight leaving at 8:30. They booked it through the
airport, Austin running in bare feet so he didn’t trip on his sandals, and made
it on time. The airline gave him an A boarding pass, so he was able to sit
right up front and disembark immediately. His mom picked him up from the airport
and drove him strait over. He walked into the door of my room and I just
started bawling. He came straight to my bed, sat down and hugged me. I sobbed
into his shoulder and tried to tell him a little more about what had happened.
He had so many questions and I had so much to explain, but after a few minutes,
we went to the NICU again to see the baby.
He had been doing so well. They had him on a little machine
called a CPAP (one we would become very familiar with). It helped him keep the
pressure in his airways so he didn’t have to work so hard to re-inflate them
every time he exhaled. But he did not need a ventilator and he wasn’t even
being given extra oxygen. He was breathing room air (or 21% oxygen) just like
we were. He was so strong and amazing everyone.
By this time, it was getting late, we were both downright
exhausted and emotionally spent. After spending some tender moments with our
first child, we headed back to the room to get some sleep.
The next morning, first thing, we went to see our baby
again. Still this little guy was doing fantastic. He had a good night and the
nurses were just struck by him. He was strong! He weighed more than they
expected for a 29 week baby and was pretty long, all things considered. He was
just doing tremendously. He had a lot of growing to do and a long road ahead,
but really was in the best possible condition for that. Ordinarily, Banner
Gateway did not keep preemie babies born before 32 weeks. But because he was
doing so well, they made an exception and allowed him to stay until I was
discharged. At that point they would transfer him to Cardon Children’s at
Banner Desert.
Although people had asked me repeatedly the night before
what his name was, I of course could not decide without Austin. As we looked at
him together, Austin said, So how do you feel about the name Kent? I said I
love it. Do you think that’s the one? He replied, Well, he is a little
Superman. I smiled and teared up and said, yes that’s definitely his name then.
It was perfect.
