Baby Everleigh Has Arrived- Our Biggest Adventure Yet

This year Nate and I embarked on our biggest adventure yet. In February we found out we were expecting our first baby, due October 25, 2012. We were terrified and ecstatic! Two kids who never grew up having a little one of their own. 

 I have been so blessed to enjoy an easy pregnancy.  I never experienced any morning sickness or weird cravings, though I did discover a weird aversion to chorizo (Mexican spiced sausage). Aside from being extra tired, the only symptom I had of being pregnant was a growing belly. At 18 weeks we found out we were having a girl! Nate and I were so excited. He went online and picked out various pieces of BYU fan gear for her to wear when she arrived. I started sewing a baby quilt. At 36 weeks the baby started showing signs of being ready to arrive-she was super active, putting on weight quickly, and had already dropped! This was very exciting to me, I was ready to have this baby in my arms instead of my belly. Unfortunately this also left me very impatient, and the 3 weeks that followed seemed to drag by.

Thursday morning around 2:00am I woke up having strong contractions. By 3:00am I woke up Nate and we left for the hospital. After being admitted, our Labor and delivery nurse performed a routine Non-Stress Test, which showed the baby was doing great and the contractions were coming fast.    Around 5:30am, the baby's heart rate began dropping with the contractions and quickly recovering. Our doctor recommended manually breaking the water to speed up the labor and to make it easier on the baby. After my water broke, the doctor informed us that the amniotic fluid was tinged green (indicating she had pooped in utero), confirming she was experiencing some distress. We were warned that she may aspirate some fluid during delivery, so they were going to bring in an extra team to assist her breathing, just in case. I received the epidural, and she began to resume a normal heart rate. Thursday, October 18 at 9:47am, she was born via a vacuum assisted delivery. We named our precious baby girl Everleigh (pronounced ever-Lee) Yvonne Knighton.  She weighed 7lbs exactly and measured 18 inches long. 

Unfortunately, she was not breathing when she was born. I only saw a purplish-blue body whisk past me as they took her to a team of specialists to get her breathing. Nate and I were both frightened and upset- we had pictured this moment as the baby being placed on my stomach and Nate cutting the cord. About 5-6 minutes later, a weak squeal came from the infant prep table and the team of doctors wheeled her out of our room. Our OBGYN informed me she would be going to the NICU for a little more breathing assistance and suction.

30 Minutes old; This picture was brought to my recovery room by a NICU nurse before I got a chance to meet Everleigh for the first time

An hour later Nate and I were escorted to the NICU to meet our baby. She was so beautiful and peacefully resting, it was hard to believe there was anything wrong with her. We were not permitted to hold her, but were able to give her little kisses and hold her hands. Everleigh's primary pediatrician (she has a whole team of them) explained that she had aspirated a lot of fluid and meconium, which had impacted her breathing and left her oxygen deprived at some point in the delivery. They wanted to keep her for 48 hours, or until she could breathe on her own.  This did not seem as scary to Nate and I-we would be in the hospital for 48 hours anyway for recovery, at least we could still go home as a family. I was taken to a recovery room shortly after to get cleaned up and rested. Around noon Nate and I returned to the NICU to visit Everleigh and find out more about her condition. When we arrived, we were approached by her pediatrician again, this time to inform us that she had begun having seizures in the past hour.  While it couldn't be confirmed without further testing, he believed this was a manifestation of some brain trauma that occurred due to oxygen deprivation and that she 
would need at least a 2 week stay to determine the damage and get her body back to a functional state.  Nate and I were so, so devastated. In the past few hours she was suddenly covered in wires and tubes and placed under sedation to prevent further seizures. We couldn't approach her bassinet 
because she was still being cared for by a horde of busy specialists. Nate and I both sobbed our way back to the recovery room, and for several hours after until we ran out of tears to cry.  Nate and His father gave Everleigh a priesthood blessing, in which she was told she would be blessed to recover and would lead a happy, healthy life.  We called our bishop, who came to the hospital and also gave Everleigh a blessing that spoke of the many wonderful things she would accomplish in this life as a happy, healthy young woman. A note about priesthood blessings-as members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints (LDS) or the Mormon church, we believe these blessings are given with revelation from God through those who hold the Preisthood, or authority given from God. In other words, we believe these special blessings are directly from God, and if we have faith, we can know that the things that are said are true. Nate and I have found great comfort in these blessings. During 
the course of my pregnancy, I had also received many blessings promising a happy, healthy baby.  After much thought and prayer and with the promises of the blessings, we have concluded  a few things that have brought us great comfort and make leaving our baby each day bearable.

4 hours old & on the cooling pad

Poor muffin :(

I really loved that Halloween bow!

-We were blessed to have our baby in one of the top hospitals in the nation. If she would have been 
born anywhere else, she may have died in the delivery room. We are so blessed to have been surrounded by competent and inspired doctors who saved her life and know how to treat her medical complications. We are blessed that this hospital has a NICU and is connected to one of the best children's hospitals in the nation: Primary Children's Hospital. She did not have to be transferred or whisked far away to receive the very best care. We are also very blessed to only live 5 minutes away from this hospital, so we can spend as much time with her as possible.

-Everything happens for a reason.  In John 9:1-3, Jesus heals a blind man. His disciples ask who has 
sinned, the blind man or his parents, to deserve his affliction. Jesus replies that no one had sinned to bring this affliction upon him, but that sometimes Heavenly Father uses these trials to show forth great miracles.  It has been so tempting to ask why this would happen to our family, or why we are being punished.  But sweet Everleigh has already shown us the power of faith and we have witnessed miracles in just the short time she has been on earth. We love her so much and are so grateful to have her as a member of our family. And you know what? She is absolutely perfect. A piece heaven, an Angel sent to dwell among us. She fills us with so much hope and joy every time we are with her. We wouldn't change a thing, except perhaps to bring her home. 

We have been overwhelmed with prayers, well wishes, and offers to fast, sometimes from complete 
strangers. We have found sweet cards taped to our door and meals brought to us each night since I was released from the hospital. Many of the tears we have shed have been those of gratitude for the love and prayers of others. Those prayers and hours spent fasting or in service have worked miracles in her life already. Please continue in those prayers and acts of service-they have been our strength and her medicine. Thank you for the many inspiring stories of other NICU babies who have gone on to lead happy lives. They give us courage. We love you all and will keep you posted on her progress. Thanks for reading.

Adventures always have ups and downs, but the journey is the reward, right?  :)