Penrod's Play Pen: October 2014

Well, this was a very difficult month. After having painful Braxton Hicks contractions for weeks, I finally started labor on the 8th. I had never had Braxton Hicks with any of my pregnancies. It slowly got worse on the 9th. I called my friend Sonja to come over since she was going to be watching my kids while I was in the hospital. Of course it took all day before I felt I was ready. My friend and doula, Kim, came by to help me throughout the day. We did a lot of walking to help push it along. Had I known that the hospital was not going to let me walk after I was admitted, I probably would have waited longer. But I was in labor and in pain. I swore up and down this time that I would go without an epidural. Because the Anesthesiologist was so busy, he didn't come in until I was 9 1/2 cm. I am shocked they even still did it at that point. But I felt so much better, let me tell you. Epidurals are great! I pushed for almost an hour and finally had to get an episiotomy to get him out. Everyone was shocked when they laid him on me. Cayden William Penrod. They were worried about his shoulder cause I think it got stuck on my pelvis. But they said it was fine. They cleaned him up a little and then immediately took him to the nursery to get weighed and all that. Kylann went with them. He then sent me a text that he weighed 10lbs 11oz and 21.5in!!! I thought he was joking. LOL...After I went to my room, I went to sleep. I think he was born around 9:30pm. Then at around 3am, I woke up in a panic cause they still hadn't brought him in. I woke Kylann up and we decided to call the nursery. They said there was a problem and they couldn't bring him in. So Kylann walked to the nursery. They told us that one side of his body started to go blue and they had to give him oxygen. They did an echo and discovered that he had a heart condition called, Aortic Stenosis. Basically his aortic valve was sealed at birth. So he needed surgery to pop it open. He also had Pulmonary Hypertension which is high blood pressure in the arteries. (I am editing this five years later. I really didn't post a lot on Facebook about it cause I was in such a bad place. So I hope I remember enough details.). I was a wreck. Why they didn't call and let us know when it happened still makes me so angry. Anyway, I didn't sleep much more after that.

This was the first of my babies to have a serious health condition. I was in tears when I first saw him like this.

Later that evening, I was released from the hospital to rush home and pack a suitcase for Cayden and I. We flew in a tiny little, very uncomfortable plane to San Antonio, TX so he could get care at an amazing heart hospital. I was exhausted when I got there as it was after midnight and I hadn't gotten much sleep the day before. Thankfully, they let me stay in the parent room that they use for NICU babies and their parents that were going home the next day. But I had to find a Ronald McDonald house to stay in after that as they needed the room. They only one that had room, but a little farther away from the hospital than I wanted. Luckily, I was able to move to the close and much nicer one later on. So we spoke to the cardiologist and she says that the pulmonary hypertension had fixed itself. We had two options to opening up the valve. They can put a small balloon in the opening and then blow the balloon up to pop it open. Or they could surgically go in and cut it open. With both procedures, the risks were the same and the valve will leak some. If the leakage is minimal, then he will not need another surgery until adolescence. When he is a teenager or young adult, he will most likely need to get the valve replaced. But until then, he should function like a pretty normal kid. We chose to go with the less drastic of the two and do the balloon procedure. With this one, he also has a quicker healing time and will be able to go home in no more than a week.

Three days after he was born, I was able to hold and nurse him for the first time. Some sweet nurse let me. She took a picture, but I had my shirt off, and since I'm modest, I'd rather not reveal that much to the public. Then the next day he had a different nurse and she told me that I shouldn't have been allowed to do it. 😢 I was heartbroken as I hadn't been able to hold him until right after he was born. And even then, it was just them laying him on me.

I caught him smiling in his sleep.

I was an emotional wreck and didn't hardly want to talk to anyone besides Kylann. My sweet sister and her family came out for a couple of days and that completely lifted my spirits. Kylann's biological father and his wife came out as well. I was not expecting to see them, but I am so glad they were able to come. They took me out to eat and were just there to help support me. I was so grateful.

I was so stressed and going back and forth to the Ronald McDonald house and to the cafeteria, that my feet ended up looking like this for several days. I've never had cankles in my life before. (And yes, the toes on my right foot are smaller than my left).

Thankfully, Kylann was able to get a grant so he could come out and be here for the surgery. That was a HUGE blessing!! And I was so grateful to have him out with me. He managed to drive all three kids through the night from El Paso to San Antonio to be there for us. My sister brought the other kids home with her cause she's amazing! So she watched them and her four for us for several days. She also had a 3 month old baby she was nursing, so she's definitely a rock start. I felt awful cause Kyler had caught impetigo before they left El Paso. She she had to doctor him as well and try and keep him from touch a lot. I couldn't have done it with 7 kids. You rock, sis!! And I am eternally grateful for you for helping us during that time.

Cayden meeting Daddy for the first time. 💗

I wish I had gotten a picture with his surgeon and us. She was amazing!! And she did an amazing job! Kylann took me out to lunch during the surgery cause I hadn't really been out to the hospital except for taxi rides to the Ronald McDonald House. And I just couldn't be there in the middle of it. They called us when they needed to and it went a lot faster than we expected it to.

Dr. Mary Porisch

She went in through a umbilical catheter for the balloon procedure and he had very minimal leakage. She said he could be good to go home three days after. The day before his surgery, they took out his oxygen tube and the sweet nurse let me hold him again! I can't remember the exact day we left the hospital, but I think it was the 20th or 21st. He was good to go on the 20th, but I remember us asking if we could go at least one more day I think. Just cause of Kyler's impetigo. I was so worried about Cayden catching it. We left the hospital and met up with Kylann's dad again. So they could see Kylann and hold Cayden. Then we drove to Kayleen's house which was close to Corpus Christi and spent the night there. We couldn't stay long due to money and the Army. Thankfully they were giving him emergency leave days, which was also another blessing.

I feel like I was in such a funk while out there and I didn't talk to a lot of people, even some family. I just couldn't. I can't explain it. If you've ever gone through something traumatic, you might know a little of what I was going through. It was definitely one of the hardest times in my life and I will never forget it. I am just so grateful for the love and support we received. And for those who reached out to me. I truly, truly appreciate it. And I apologize again if I response much. I do love you all and I will never forget the love we received.

Enjoy some more cute pictures of my chunky monkey from this month.