Phoenix Autumn Ross

On November 10th I went to the OBGYN for my 38 week check up. Once again my Blood pressure was extremely high and the Doc's were not happy. Dr. Steed decided on that Tuesday morning that it would be best to have a C - section as soon as possible to ensure that the baby was safe. He called the hospital and booked an OR for that Thursday at 2 pm. We were scheduled! I called my mom as I left the Doctor's office to tell her when the baby would be coming. She was going to fly out and spend some time with us once she arrived. (Funny how we say once the baby "arrived" as though it hadn't already been with us for the last 9 1/2 months, he he he). I told my mom that we were going to be having another c section on Thursday. She told me that Thursday was actually my Gramma's birthday! That was awesome! It also happened to be my friend Kyle's birthday as well. Early in the month I had been complaining to Kyle how I wanted the baby OUT! and that I was totally sick of being pregnant. He said I should just wait and have the baby "next Thursday" as though I had ANY control over it at all. Well, Happy Birthday Kyle!
I tend to be kinda spacey some times, so here I am drinking coffee and sharing oatmeal with Hunter first thing in the morning the day of my surgery. TOTALLY forgetting that I needed to have an empty stomach for at least 12 hours PRIOR to major surgery. When I told Nana that I had coffee and oatmeal she laughed and asked if I had forgotten that I was having the baby that day. I said no, that I had just forgotten I wasn't supposed to eat after midnight, as if I was a gremlin. It wasn't the end of the world though. The anesthesiologist just put the surgery back 2 hours so there was no chance that I would die during the operation.

4 pm they had Dave and I put on our scrubs and head down to the OR!

It was the same operating room that I had my C - Section for Hunty in. It was a very strange feeling to be back in that room but this time around I was more cognitive of the events going on around me. The last experience I had in that room was fairly traumatic and I really wasn't aware of what was going on. Major surgery is a scary, scary event! Iodine and BP monitors, drapes and nurses, anaesthesiologists and machines that go ping! "Your blood pressure will drop rapidly and you may feel like vomiting." David and his teary blueberry eyes! Not knowing if I was ever gonna make it up off the table. Three people PUSHING on my abdomen, heaving on my chest and stomach, "encouraging" the baby to come out. And Doctor Gibbons - "ohh, Did you know it was a girl?" Me - "IS IT A GIRL?!" Yes! Tears! The feeling of Joy, the feeling of Relief in my body to no long be pregnant! Numbness! Happiness! And David is there with me! And now I just want to hold her! and where is my Little boy?!

To make a long story short, so as not to bore you, Phoenix Autumn Ross was born at 4:57 pm November 12th, weighing 6 lbs 2 oz and measuring 19 3/4 inches long!

If I have one word of advise to anyone who is pregnant, it is "READ THE CHAPETER ON C-SECTIONS! Even if you think you have no intentions of having a c-section, read that chapter! You NEVER know what could happen!"