The day my first grandchild was born

This is K.T. Bug.  She was our first grand child.  Oh, how I excited I was.  When I was told I had cancer, the first thing I said was, "But I want to be a grandmother."  That was 23 years ago. K. just turned 12.

The day before K. was born  (On Palm Sunday) I had a heart cath.  Long story, but my heart was and hopefully still is just fine.  Even though the cath was done mostly to rule out problems, I had a uneasy feeling about the whole thing.  Before I was wheeled back I told Mr. Cozy, "If something should happen to me, please tell my grandbaby that I would have been the best Grammy ever."  Since I had my heart cath from my wrist instead of the usual place, I was allowed to go home earlier than most.  I was told to do nothing for 3 days.  Nothing.  Well the next day was prom.  Our son with special needs went with a group of others with those needs.  One of the parents had set up a cottage all decorated so sweet with   dinner prepared by a chef from New York that was a friend.  We went to take pictures.  I did do some walking.  My arm was totally bruised which I was told later that it was bleeding from the site, and I should have gone back to the hospital. 

The next morning on Palm Sunday, our son called and said that his wife was at the hospital getting ready to be sent home with false labor.  She was due for a C-section because K. was breech. Why were they sending her home was weird to me.  They had stopped to return a video and also to get gas on their way to the hospital that was a good 45 minutes away. 

Then we get another call, he told us that maybe we should stay close to the phone as she might stay.

Then THE call came.  Hurry she is having the baby.

Oh my gosh, we were so excited.  I could hardly speak.  We got to the hospital and to the elevator and our DIL's father came off the elevator.  He said the baby was here.  Okay, then we went to the waiting area.  I asked if it was a boy or girl.  I think someone said she was a girl.  

Yikes, this makes me cry, writing this.  We find out that they did an emergency C-section.  My DIL was getting ready to leave the hospital and she had ONE contraction that didn't go away.  It was researched later and called a Titanic contraction.  The doctor was not on the floor.  They grabbed the nearest doctor to help.  When K. came out the doctor said he didn't know what to do.  A nurse (we call her K.'s life savor)  ran out the room with this bundle of a baby all wrapped up.  She took her into another room gave her a shot in her chest and did CPR.  Katelyn had not been breathing for several minutes.  This jump started her heart.  They had put our DIL to sleep so quickly before the surgery and didn't have time to explain. as .  She should have stayed asleep but woke shortly after screaming about her baby.  My son had planed on being in the delivery room but there wasn't time for that.  The grandparents got to see K. through a window.  Our son said that we couldn't go in til her mommy saw her.  We were told that on of her legs might be broken and her hips dislocated. 

After three hours they wheeled mommy to see her baby.  Way ahead of when they wanted her to.  K. was so beautiful.  Black hair and chubby little face.  She was 9 lbs.  Her legs were frog like.  Her chest very bruised and he color dark.  When her mommy went in to see her K. starting cooing.  Her mommy told her that she was there and she was okay.  She kept talking to her mommy.  I have never seem a baby just born that did that.  Of course, we were all so smitten with her.  She had to go to the NICU.  We called her the Queen of the NICU since she weighed three times more than the rest of the babies.

The next day our son went home to get a shower.  I stayed with my DIL.  The nurse that saved K. came in to talk to us.  She asked if we had been told about her birth.  Oh, how I wish that my son was there not me.  We didn't know about the CPR or the shot.  The nurse was trying to let us know that K. had been brought back to life.  I asked what her Apgar score was.  My DIL asked what that meant.  K. was a ONE.  If you know what that score is you know that is seriously bad.  They score the baby on a few things and an average score of her condition at birth is made from 1- 10.  Then they retake it at 3 minutes.  Kate was a one meaning she was more or less just a warm baby.  But the warm baby had survived.  Her middle name was Hope.

We all automatically wondered if she would have an problems from the birth.  The hospital sent therapists to the house to keep an eye on her.  They couldn't find anything wrong with her.  I remember that first month she slept all the time.  More than a usual newborn sleeps.  It took her at least two months to smile.  After that K. just turned into a chubby, alert and perfect.  She doesn't really like school but she does very well.  She is so sweet.  She isn't your typical pre-teen.  She's a bit of a tomboy and acts younger than her age. 

 God blessed us that day.  I really think the angels were there ready for her journey and he heard our prayers.

Thank you God.

 

(A little foot note:  they hospital called me the next day after K. was born.  They asked where I had been since I was supposed to be doing NOTHING.  I explained and they said for that reason, it was okay.)

Best friends forever.