Friday, September 14, 2012

It's Baby Time Again!

Introducing - 


Aiden Kent Collier
Born September 13, 2012
To Michael and Desiree
8 lbs. 3 oz.


Desiree was induced a week before her due date. It took about 9 hours for her to dilate completely, but when she reached the magic number she pushed for just 7 minutes and there he was! 

I had a terribly hectic day; it was SO frustrating to be too busy to be at the hospital - Symphony rehearsal in Salt Lake in the morning, recording session in the afternoon in Alpine, and a Symphony concert in Ogden that night. Michael notified me of Aiden’s birth just minutes before the concert began. I had some difficulty focusing on what I was doing, that’s for sure! I called as soon as I was out. I was so envious of Potts who was there at the hospital holding him in his arms! By the time I returned to Sandy, it would be 11:00 pm!

Friday morning, I drove straight to the hospital as soon as I was finished with my early-morning  Coil MRI (which I didn’t have to finish because of technical difficulties. YIPEE!) Aiden was WIDE awake in his daddy’s arms. He is beautiful and healthy and perfect! Lots of darkish hair -- he reminds me of Michael when he was born. I cuddled with him for the next hour or so and he fell asleep in my arms.

Jenni’s baby is next; I have to wait an entire three months for her! I’m kind of in a grand baby mood. This is so much fun!

Tuesday, September 11, 2012

The Chosen Name

Adalynn Julienne Taylor

Adalynn comes from the Germanic root "Ada" which means "noble beauty."

Julienne is the name of one of Audrey's treasured grandmothers -- my mother.

Sunday, September 9, 2012

Thank the Little Critters


My first four pre-filled syringes of Avonex were shipped to me overnight, refrigerated in a small styrofoam cooler. Nurse Annette came to the house to show me how to inject myself. 

It certainly is a small world. We actually recognized each other. She is the former wife of a photographer in town. 

She explained the injection process to me, then had me practice on a piece of leather stretched onto a brick-sized object.  I didn’t even hesitate when it came time to inject it into my thigh muscle. I was afraid that if I did, I would chicken out. The one-and-a-quarter-inch needle slipped right in, I gave myself 1/4 of a dose, counted for three seconds and pulled it out. It was pretty simple really.

Side effects were to happen in four to six hours and would last for twenty-four.  Fever, muscle aches, chills, the shakes. With only 1/4 of a dose, maybe they would happen, maybe I would be lucky. 

I was lucky... THIS time.

So what is Avonex anyway? Avonex is an interferon beta produced using genetically engineered Chinese Hamster ovary cells into which the human interferon beta gene has been introduced. Who in the world thought of using Hamster Ovaries? At any rate, this medication should slow down the progression of MS and reduce the number of exacerbations or nerve myelin attacks.

So...

Thank the Little Critters!


My Baby Girl has a Baby Girl

Audrey was overdue by nearly a week - quite a surprise for her little body. She was way more calm and patient than I would ever have been. She wanted her little babe to come when she was good and ready rather than having to be induced.

She went into labor on her own Tuesday PM. She and Matthew spent the evening walking from store to store and visiting friends. By the time she ventured to the hospital, her contractions were only a minute a part. I thought, “This won’t take long at all.” -- but by morning, she had dilated only to a 5.5. They gave her a little pitocin to help her along and by 11:00 Wednesday morning, she was dilated fully and would begin to push.

I waited and waited to hear word.... nothing. Want to know how to make a mother crazy? I jumped in the car and headed to Provo, figuring that I would receive word on the way. I sent a text to Matthew, “Is everything okay?” and awaited his reply.

Finally, from Matthew, “Audrey pushed at a 10 for over three hours. The  baby’s head wouldn’t go through the pelvic area. They resorted to trying to turn the baby and then use forceps. That didn’t work. We are now going into a C Section.”

That was after 2:00. Again I waited and waited, trying to occupy my time and and my mind in various ways. Certainly it won’t be long.....

At 4:00 (that’s two whole hours later! What C-section has ever taken 2 whole hours?!) I couldn’t bear it and did some sleuthing on my own. I went up the elevator to the mother/baby floor. I couldn’t enter without a code, but I asked the attending nurse, “Has Audrey Collier been assigned a room?”

“Yes,” was the reply, “But I can’t let you in without a code.”

I knew that. But at least I now knew that Audrey was ALIVE. So I sent Matthew another text, “May I come see you?”

He answered, “Audrey said in just a bit. I just got back with her and she is breastfeeding right now.” That meant the baby was ALIVE too! I let out a sigh of relief  and called Potts. 

I had SO many unanswered questions:
“Is the baby okay?”
“What does she look like?”
“How much did she weigh?”
“Can she open her eyes?” (If you will remember, Audrey was born with a chromosome disorder called blepharophimosis which effected her eye openings. There is a 50/50 chance that her own children will have this condition also) Of course after having been through three plastic surgeries with Audrey, my heart would wonder.

At 4:35, “In 15 minutes, you can come to room 431 on the 4th floor” and he gave me the code. Little did he know that I had already been up to the fourth floor. :o)

I had held my breath since 5:00 am, yet this fifteen minutes were the SLOWEST I had ever experienced!

FINALLY it was time. I went up the elevator, gave the code, walked down the hallway, and knocked lightly on door 431. Audrey said sweetly, “Come in.”

Audrey and Matthew greeted me with smiles on their faces. And their beautiful baby girl was sleeping contentedly in her bassinet. She is healthy and whole and beautiful! 

I held her, cuddled her, and smelled her newborn sweetness. Such a miracle!
 Baby Girl Taylor - 2 hours old. (They haven't decided on a name yet.)
Born 2:53 pm, September 5, 2012
7 lbs. 13 oz.

Congratulations to the Three of You!