My Baby Story (The Train Wreck)

It early morning on April 11 and I wake up...wet. It felt as if my water broke but I was only 27 weeks pregnant. I was hoping that I had pee'd my pants (I know, strange wish) but really felt like it was my water that had broke. I woke Logan up telling him that I thought we should go to the hospital. We drove to UVRMC somewhat calm, I guess because we were really unsure of what was happening and a little in shock. We checked into Labor & Delivery and they checked to see if it was in fact my water and it was. All of a sudden a million questions and concerns fill my mind, wondering if there was anyway this was all going to work out. The nursing staff was amazing and they explained everything in detail and were very comforting. They told me that the plan would be to keep me pregnant for as long as possible. I couldn't believe this was happening. I didn't know what we would do with Logan still out of town and me bound to the hospital. I worried about Jace and who whould take care of him and how he would deal with all of this. Logan and his brother Brent gave me a blessing and it's hard to explain but I just felt as if everything would be okay. At a time when I felt like the panic would consume me I had this overwhelming sence of peace and a reassurance that things were going to be okay. I know that feeling carried me through.

On the morning of April 14, 2010 the nurse told me that the baby"s heart rate was dropping when I would contract and the doc was coming in to check things out. About 20 minutes later she came back into my room and told me Dr. Dewey wanted them to prep me for an emergencey C-Section. Okay this is when I paniced. I called Logan and told him to get there quick. Let me explain my panic. I was scared to death to deliver a baby this early wondering if he would be okay. AND I couldn't breath. No one knew why I couldn't breath but breathing is kind of an important thing and I was having a really hard time doing it. So they take me and start preparing me (kind frantic). Me in tears I told my nurse that I couldn't do this because I couldn't breath. Everything happened so fast that I felt like I didn't have a chance even think about what was happening. Before I knew it Logan was there. He walked in the door just as they were pulling him out of my belly. The baby cried (good sign), then they rushed him to the NICU. What a nightmare!

Haize Kayden Allred born on April 14, 2010. Weighed 2 lbs. 13 oz 16 in. He was ok...what a relief. He was on a ventilator for 1 day, C-Pap for a couple days then just a nasal canula for a really long time. I left the hospital four days later without my baby. They did let us hold him once before we left which was a blessing.

I went home to heal and to figure out how I would juggle all of this for the next couple months. I took 2 weeks off of work after the baby was born then went back to work part-time so I could extend my leave. At first I felt completed exhausted everyday...wondering how I was going to do this. I would take Jace to the baby sitter go to work for a couple hours then up to the hospital. I would hold him skin-to-skin everyday. Then I would head home to take care of all the other kids.

Haize did great. We just needed him to grow and develop so he could come home a normal baby. I feel very blessed that we didn't run into more problems than we did. It just seems like a miracle that I could have this baby 3 months early and he is alive and well.

We brought Haize home on June 25 after 10 weeks and 2 days in the NICU. What an experience. He came home on oxygen and an apnea monitor, which was inconvenient but okay. He came off of the oxygen a week ago and is doing great. He is such a good baby.

We have all loved having him home.