4 More Days Until... WHAT?!?!

That's what my last post should read. Forget the baby shower, I got a baby! Sweet, precious, beautiful (even though she looks nothing like me), little miracle Kaylee Gracen Hayward arrived at 3:05 am, March 22, 2009. Long story short, I thought it was Braxton Hicks. Seriously. When my "braxton hicks" were 5 minutes apart, I blamed it on riding in the car. When I grossly passed the mucous plug.. I thought I was having signs of some sort of weird infection. When Jeremy was rushing me to Saline Memorial in Benton at 1:30 am, I was planning out my speech for why I should be released ASAP because my baby shower was a short 12 hours away. When I was checked for dialation, I thought the nurse was insane for even considering the idea. When I was 9 cm dialated, I freaked out. After no epidural or pain meds, an hour and five minutes after the doctor broke my water, and 3 pushes I heard the sweetest cry i've ever heard, just for the beginning of the longest week of my life.

Kaylee was rushed to Baptist Health in Little Rock, where she still is, and will stay for another 3 to 4 weeks. She's been weaned off the ventilator, which was removed Saturday. She's been treated for a heart murmur which they weren't sure even existed. She's under jaundice lights, her levels went from a 9 to a 5 in a little under 4 days. Kaylee is a fighter and a heck of a lot stronger than I am.

I'm at Baptist Health, in the waiting room, starting my work for classes this week. Jeremy had to go back to Magnolia. This is going to be hard on all of us, but we'll make it work. I've never been away from Jeremy this long, Jeremy is away from Kaylee, and Kaylee is facing a new battle everyday. Since coming off the ventilator, she can't hold a steady breathing rate. Her doctor will not put her back on the ventilator today, but he won't take the tubes out of her belly button either. Once the tubes are out it's a pretty sure thing she won't go back on the ventilator, and also once the tubes are out, we will be able to hold our little girl.

Kaylee has a ton of prayers going out for her, and I am so thankful for them. I am so thankful for Kaylee. They aren't sure what caused her to come early, but she is is here and safe and I am thankful. I ask that you continue to pray for Kaylee, she still has a long, hard road ahead.

Oh yea, as for the baby shower.. It has been postponed. We did enjoy baby shower "birthday cake" on Sunday though...

Jeremy and I split the first "girl" piece that the spinner landed on.