Formal Birth Announcement

We have all long desired to add to our family. March 15, 2008 brought the exciting news that we were expecting. The first trimester came and went with no issue. I felt tired, but over all it was a great trimester with little morning sickness. The second trimester started well, but quickly turned into a challenge. At eighteen weeks I was placed on bed rest following my first admission into Labor and Delivery in pre-term labor. I was placed on medications to assist with the contractions and monitored closely. During that same visit, it was discovered that I had a partial placenta previa and we were expecting a little boy. Weekly ultrasounds were done to watch my cervical length and the previa. Within two weeks I began bleeding on occasion. It came and went quickly and as long as it stayed at bay, we were safe.

By week twenty-three the bleeding had increased (or so we thought) and it was a struggle to make it through each day, getting closer to the magical number of twenty-four weeks; marking viability. During this week I lost the tail end of the placenta that was still covering the cervix. With that, I had an increase in bleeding, but was classified as stable. Sunday, July 27, 2008, I went down-hill quickly. I went to bed feeling quite uneasy and awoke just before 8 am (July 28, 2008 ) having problems. I phoned my OB and was asked to come in at 11. I did.

During that appointment, Katie and I discussed the various issues I was having and it was decided that I would be admitted into the hospital and evaluated, assuming I would be transported to Colorado at some point in the near future. Around 2 in the afternoon, I had an ultrasound while in Labor and Delivery. As stated, “Simon isn’t quite plastic wrapped, but it seems you’re sac has been leaking.” I was given a steroid injection at 2:45 while the doctor made the necessary calls to determine which transportation route was best for our situation. Doc returned and casually asked how I liked helicopter rides. Life flight was being dispatched and would be there within 45 minutes.

Transferring from hospital bed to air-flight bed was a challenge and left me feeling extremely uneasy. I was loaded onto the helicopter and situated. They turned on the rotors and the noise was incredible, even through the ear protectors. We planned a thumbs up and down signaling to communicate. Should I have serious disruptions, thumbs down was the way to let them know. We took off and my anxiety levels increased. I finally settled down in the flight and focused on the GPS unit on the dash. I could see what cities we were approaching and passing as we flew. It took thirty-five minutes to get from Cheyenne to University of Colorado in Aurora.

I was unloaded and put in an ambulance for the short drive to the emergency room. We rushed through to the back elevators and arrived in Labor and Delivery in no time. Upon arriving, I noted that it had then been six hours since taking medications for the contractions and had been on a three-hour schedule. The evaluation and check-in process seemed to take forever. By seven it was decided that I would deliver that night as it was assumed I had an infection from the sac being compromised. The nurses left and I was able to make a few phone calls and determine where Rob was on his journey. (Our doctor in Cheyenne did such a good job of calming him down, he hadn’t left yet as it was assumed it would be at least 12 hour before I would deliver allowing for a partial dose of steroids.) I quickly got off the phone with him and the nurses came in and said that they would be doing a pelvic exam.

The pain was so intense by that point, it took everything I had to stay focused on what was going on. Simon’s sac ruptured completely during the exam and along with that came increased bleeding. The nurse was off to call the doctors and catch them before performing a c-section on someone who actually trumped me prior. They changed plans and rolled me into the operating room. I met the anesthesiologist who attempted twice for a spinal block. After the second failed attempt, I was given the option of a third. I requested that they just place me out at that point. I counted back from ten in my mind and didn’t get past six before I was gone.

I woke in recovery in quite a bit of pain. Rob was there and the first thing I inquired about was Simon’s status. The nurse informed me that he was stable in the NICU and was born at 8:42 pm. I asked when I would be able to see him and she said after I was transferred back to my room, they would get me there. After an hour in recovery, the room began to fill quickly with mothers, fathers and babies. They were considerate of our feelings and promptly got me into my room. After being situated and getting to drink fluids for the first time in many hours, I called the nurse and requested to go to the NICU. It took some maneuvering of my bed, but I was wheeled into the NICU to see Simon for the first time.

I didn’t want to leave his side, but knew that I had to return to my room. He looked perfect – just tiny! We were told that he weighed 665 grams or 1 lb, 7 ounces and was 30 cm or 12 inches long. A perfect little person, born at twenty-four weeks gestation.

Our journey with Simon has not stopped there. He will be three weeks old on Monday and has done relatively well considering his premature birth. He had a PDA ligation (surgery to close the hole in his heart) on Thursday, August 7 and even spent five days prior to surgery off the ventilator on a CPAP. Simon has been on the ventilator since just before surgery and will remain on it until he builds a bit more strength. He dropped down to 1 lb 3 ounces and has come back up to around his birth weight. Simon has his good days and bad, but all in all, he’s doing fairly well.

We have had our ups and downs as a family through this process as well. Rob and I carry large amounts of stress over the entire situation and bad days for Simon equate to bad days for the two of us. We are making headway, though and have found our own relationship strengthening more through the difficult situation.

Jaden has been a unique addition to the mix where his emotional and mental needs are concerned. Jaden was very angry when I returned home and I didn’t have his brother with me. After a couple of days, we talked and he asked if I could go back to the doctors and could they put his brother back in my belly so he could come home too. It took some ingenuity to help him understand just how small his brother is. I had him pick up the television remote and explained that his brother is about the same size as the remote and weighs about the same too. I had him place the remote in his hand towards his elbow and asked if the remote fit in his arms. Jaden responded with no. I then explained that until his brother is big enough to fit in our arms he has to stay with the doctors and then we got out the calendar and discussed the holidays. I told him that his brother probably won’t be home until after Halloween and probably before Thanksgiving. We went through the months between now and then to give him a bit of perspective to the time involved. We have had to get creative in keeping Jaden involved. Weekly we will pick out a new book that I will take with me to read to his brother and when I come home, I will read it to Jaden too! We also collected two identical toys, one for each of them. We take pictures for Jaden of Simon next to the toy and then Jaden can look at his toy to add some perspective to his brother’s size.

I am currently traveling half the week to Aurora to spend time with Simon and spent the other half of the week home with Jaden. Our hope is to temporarily transfer to that area so we can spend each day with both of our boys. We are getting closer to that goal and look forward to the day that is possible. I was able to hold him for the first time almost a week ago. I can tell you that it was the most anticipated and amazing experience I’ve had as a parent. After fearing never having the opportunity – it came. Truly a blessing.

With all our heart we are happy to announce the birth of Simon Gabriel Reutlinger on July 28, 2008 at 8:42 pm weighing 1 lb 7 ounces and 12 inches long. He’s our little miracle and we are proud to share his story with you.