Ogan's Adventures

Kellen Rebekah is 1 month old! Wow, already? Time is flying by and we are enjoying our little girl. She is growing and changing quickly!

Kellen...

*You lost your umbilical cord at about 1 1/2 weeks old

* You rolled from your tummy to back before you were 2 weeks old

* You rolled from back to tummy at 3 weeks old

* You are extremely active and move a lot - I find you at the foot of your crib sideways a lot.

* You don't sleep from 10:30-2:00 at night. But you sleep great during the day! You like to sleep with Mommy in bed. But mommy sleeps better when you are in your crib!

* You smile a lot when you are falling asleep

* You nurse approximately every 2 1/2 - 3 hours

* You wore newborn clothes for the first 3 weeks, and are now moving into 0-3 months.

* Your hair is pretty long in the back, and has some definitely reddish hints to it - especially in the sunlight. Your eyebrows even looks red! Mommy prayed for a redhead :-)

* You love to cuddle! Daddy prayed for a cuddle bug!

* You are very stubborn and seem to have a temper already - uh oh!

* You like a paci, but have a hard time keeping it in your mouth.

Here are some pictures from Kellen's first month ...

Not too happy about this photo session!

Aww, much better after being swaddled!

Our sweet baby girl

BIG flower :-)

First, or maybe second, bath.

Snuggle time with Gramma Vickers

6 days old, first outing.

1 week old

Sleepy face.

2 weeks old

Me and my girl! Daddy really zoomed in on us for this picture :-P

3 weeks old

Sleepy girl

Adorable hat a friend made for Kellen!

Big eyes!

Bath time.

Mohawk :-)

3 1/2 weeks, I think?

Looks like she's laughing, but she doesn't really laugh yet.

Dancing?

Gramma Karen!

Kellen Rebekah Ogan

February 8th, 2011

4:38 AM

weight: 8 lb 6 oz
length: 20.5 inches
head: 14 inches
chest: 13.5 inches

The following is a birth story, so if you aren't comfortable reading the details of a birth, please don't read any further!

We had an OB appointment the afternoon of Monday, February 7th. I was 6cm, 80% effaced, with bulging waters, BUT not in labor! We were already scheduled to induce by breaking my water on the morning of Thursday, February 10th. Our OB asked if we wanted to wait until Thursday, or try to move the induction to Tuesday. After a little discussion, we decided to try for Tuesday, because they were predicting a big snow storm to hit on Wednesday - and I really didn't want to deliver Kellen at home! But the hospital was already full Tuesday morning, with 6 inductions scheduled. So we scheduled the induction for Wednesday morning and headed home.

I had been feeling very emotional and hormonal all day Monday. And just felt icky (nothing in particular hurting, not having contractions) and a bit achey that afternoon and evening. I don't remember doing much that evening other than sitting around. I hadn't been feeling much hunger for a few days, and had been feeling nauseaous off and on. But I did eat dinner that night, just to make my husband happy (he was very worried that I wasn't eating enough food those last few days).

Jeff left for work and I headed to bed about 11:15pm. Towards the end of my pregnancy, Jeff appreciated text messages during the night if I was up to use the restroom, get a drink, etc. I woke up at 12:50am to use the restroom, and when I returned to bed I had a cramp/contraction. I remember wondering if it was a labor contraction (we were induced by breaking my water at 41+5 with Jonathan, so going into labor on my own was a new experience). My text to Jeff at 12:56am read: "Up to bathroom, back to bed." I didn't mention the contraction, as I still wasn't really sure if that was what it had been. I then fell back asleep and woke up to use the restroom again around 2:00am. While using the restroom I had two painful, crampy contractions, and noticed some bloody show. This time I was pretty sure as to what was happening, but decided to lay down to see if things continued.

Text to Jeff at 2:12am read: "Up to bathroom. Some VERY uncomfortable cramps and bloody mucus. Laying back down. If cramps continue u might b coming home before morning. Just a heads up. Going to try to go back to sleep though. Not feeling as crampy laying down already, trying to get more sleep."

Jeff's text to me at 2:14 am read: "Wow! Keep me posted!"

Text to Jeff at 2:15 am read: "K. If you don't hear back I fell asleep."

Jeff's text to me at 2:15am read: "K"

Text to Jeff at 2:22 am read: "Just had a strong, very painful contraction, another like that and u should prob head home. I am gonna get up and move around, will text u again in a minute. Considering showering, but don't want to have to leave with wet head if this continues."

Jeff's text to me at 2:23am read: "K"

Text to Jeff at 2:23 am read: "Come on home please"

Text to Jeff at 2:24 am read: "They r pretty close, I'd rather head on in than wait. Not gonna shower."

Jeff then called at 2:25 am to say he was getting things ready to head home. He called again at 2:31 to say he was getting in the car and would be home in 15 minutes.

I gathered the last few items for our hospital bag, brushed my hair, brushed my teeth, and put on some mascara while waiting for Jeff to get home. My contractions were approximately 2-3 minutes apart during that time. I was very thankful that my mother was here staying with us the past week and a half, and that we didn't have to figure out someplace to take Jonathan in the middle of the night.

Jeff arrived home about 2:50ish, we put our things in the car, and headed out at 2:56 am. It is about a 30 min trip to the hospital, but with no traffic at that time of night, and Jeff driving about 5-10 mph over the speed limit, I am guessing we arrived at the hospital about 3:20ish. I was not looking forward to the car ride, as the last thing I wanted to be doing during the intense contractions was sitting down! But God was gracious, and my contractions spaced out and were much milder during the car ride. We did call ahead to the hospital once we were on the road, to give them a heads up that we were coming in. I told the nurse my name, that we were on our way in labor, and that I had been 6cm, 80%, with bulging waters that afternoon. She laughed and said, "6cm?". To which I replied, "Yes, maam!".

With the walk into the hospital and the elevator ride up, we are guessing we arrived to L&D at about 3:25ish. When I got out of the car and began walking, the contractions intensified and began coming about 2-3 minutes apart again. We did the usual check in procedures at the desk - id, name, weight (I gained exactly 34 lbs total, which is the same I gained with Jonathan, I just started the pregnancy 5 lbs heavier this time), etc. I was then shown to a room, where they had me pee in a cup and change into a gown.  I think at this point, my heplock was inserted (we did not want IV fluids running, but did want access in case it was needed at any point). Our nurse, Nurse R, began the routine admission questions. The contractions continued, and may have even been coming closer together (I was not timing them at this point). When I would have a contraction, I would walk to the far side of the room and sway, leaving Jeff to answer the nurse's questions as best he could.   I did send my mom a text at some point during the above happenings, at 3:41am that read: "Here, in room, not checked yet."

At some point during the admission questioning, another nurse (we will call her Nurse 2, as I never got her name) entered the room and said, "You really need to get her hooked up to the monitor to get a baseline of the baby's heartrate."  I remember Nurse R saying, "Yes, and I need to check her too. Her contractions are very close together." They told me I was going to have to get in the bed and hooked up to the monitor. The last thing I wanted to be doing was sitting or lying down, as the pressure I was feeling was so strong. I asked if once they hooked me up, if I could stand at the side of the bed or sit on the birthing ball - Nurse 2 said, "Sure you can."

Nurse R was very kind and we liked her, but I got the feeling that she wasn't very comfortable with/used to natural deliveries and wasn't sure what to do with me at times when I was resisting the norm. Nurse 2 seemed much more comfortable with alternative birthing methods, positions, etc.

Nurse R hooked me up to the external fetal monitor so they could get a baseline of Kellen's heart rate, then she had me lay down in the bed so she could do a cervical check. Nurse R said, "You are 8cm with very bulging waters." And a few seconds after that my water broke. It was a lot of water and was meconium stained. I later asked what time it was that my water broke, and was told it broke at 4:12 am.

As soon as my water broke, everything intensified even more - the contractions, the pain, the pressure. There was no way I could sit or lay down at that point, and I quickly got myself up to the side of the bed. The pressure in my behind was unlike anything I could have imagined and the contractions were coming one on top of another. I announced at this point that I wanted an epidural. Nurse R said, "You want an epidural?". To which I replied, "Yes!". I remember thinking a few things to myself at this time...

1) There is no way I am really getting an epidural - there isn't time.
2) I am obviously in transition, that's why I am saying I want an epidural. I don't really want one.
3) Nurse R and Jeff are supposed to be trying to talk me out of an epidural, because they know I don't really want one! They are failing at their job!

I don't remember Nurse R leaving the room, but I guess she did at this point. I remember being alone with Jeff and saying, "Are you ok with me getting an epidural?" All the time I still knew that I wasn't really going to be getting one. I heard Nurse R outside of our room at this time saying, "She says she wants an epidural, but it isn't happening. It's too late. But I am not going to tell her that!" And I thought, "Lady, you are talking too loud!"

Things got really busy around this time. I realized that more people were entering the room (the NICU nurses came to assist since my water was meconium and Nurse 2 returned at some point) and that the warmer was being turned on and readied for the baby. I was completely focused on trying not to lose control, still standing at the side of the bed. I was a lot louder than I ever would have imagined myself being - as I would moan and say "Ohhh" during contractions. I do remember telling someone that my behind was going to explode at one point. I also remember slowly flapping my arms like a bird :-)  I remember telling Jeff not to touch me - poor guy was gently rubbing my arm trying to help however he could. And I remember telling Jeff to get my gown off! I remember squatting during contractions too, and I am pretty sure I was beginning to push with some of them. And with one particular contraction I announced rather loudly, "BABY COMING!" Boy did the room fill with even more people then. Nurse R returned (I am pretty sure she had been out of the room on the phone telling the doctor he better hurry) and she kept insisting I get up into the bed (she later told me she really thought I was going to deliver that baby on the floor). I adamently refused, saying that I couldn't sit down. I also remember someone saying to breath in and out, in and out. And someone asking me if I was pushing, to which I replied, "I DON'T KNOW!" I think I did know that I was pushing, but they obviously didn't want me to push then, so I didn't want to tell them that I was. Nurse R continued to ask me to get into the bed, I continued to refuse, and then Nurse 2 asked if I could climb into the bed and get on all fours. This sounded acceptable to me, so I got on all fours in the bed, with my head at the foot of the bed. I remember someone laughing and someone asking and then helping me to turn around.

I was definitely doing some pushing at this point, even though the nurses kept telling me to breath in and out and not to push. I do remember looking behind me and seeing Nurse 2 gloved up and ready to catch the baby if the doctor didn't make it in time. The doctor arrived shortly, gloved up, and I was then told I could push. They raised the head of the bed for me to hold onto, and I began pushing with contractions. Pushing was painful, I definitely felt the "ring of fire", but it also felt good to feel like I was now doing something and to know that my baby would be out soon. I still had on the external fetal monitor, and Kellen's heart rate was dropping with contractions and not coming back up in between contractions. The nurses were giving me oxygen, and telling me to breath deep between contractions. I guess her heartrate still wasn't cooperating, because the doctor told me he needed me to deliver the baby with the next contraction. When the next contraction came I pushed for all I was worth, caught my breath, pushed again, and Kellen's head was delivered at 4:38 am. I was told not to push while she was being suctioned. I heard Kellen's first cry, and then I was told to push with the next contraction to deliver her body. Her cord was immediately cut, she was taken to the warmer at the side of the room, and the NICU team deep suctioned her. I stayed turned backwards while the doctor drew blood from the umbilical cord. I remember asking him if I had had an episiotomy. He he said, "No, but I was close to doing one, if you hadn't pushed her out then."  Then the nurses helped me turn over onto my back so the doctor could stitch up my 2nd degree tear. I remembering asking Jeff is Kellen was big, if she had hair, what she looked like - because I had delivered her facing backwards, I didn't get to see her before she was taken to the warmer. I finally asked Jeff to please get the camera and take some pictures, and to bring the camera over to me so I could see my baby! Kellen did great, her apgar scores were 8 and 9. She was then wrapped up and brought to me - she was wide eyed and very alert. We were able to breastfeed fairly quickly, and she immediately latched on.

Because everything happened so quickly, I didn't have time to monitor my blood sugars very closely. I did check my blood sugar in the car on the way to the hospital, and it was 120. The next time I checked was shortly after delivery, and I was 190 - probably from all the hormones and adrenaline. Kellen did have a low blood sugar, 35 (babies are naturally lower than adults, so 35 for a baby is not as low as it would be for an adult). We supplemented with 1 oz of formula, and when they rechecked it 1 hour later her blood sugar was 55 (acceptable for a newborn).

We stayed in our delivery room for a few hours, I thoroughly enjoyed my food tray (Jeff kept eyeing my food, but I told him I earned every bite and I was sorry but I wasn't sharing - I was starving!), and mid morning they moved us to the mother baby unit.

They were calling for a big snow storm to hit central Arkansas starting early Wednesday morning, so we asked my nurse if she could check with both my doctor and our pediatrician to see if we could be discharged at 24 hours so we could make it home before the storm hit. Wednesday morning at 4:40 am they did Kellen's PKU test, and we headed out at 5:20am. We arrived home at 6am, and it was just starting to spit snow. By 7am it was starting to flurry, and by early that afternoon we had close to 8 inches!

We praise God for our little girl and for the details and timing of her birth!