I have always been amazed at the idea that a husband and wife enter a hospital together as two and leave with their newborn as a family of three. This cute story didn't quite happen this way for me, here is my story.
I struggled with high blood pressure (bp) all of my pregnancy. I was on bp medication for most of my pregnancy to try to control it. High bp is scary during pregnancy because it reduces the amount of blood and oxygen flow to the baby. This was definitely a problem that needed to be dealt with.
I had my routine checkups, plus extras, monitored my bp, took medication but nothing seemed to work. We monitored Kate closely and she was still moving and growing well. My doctor decided on Thursday September 18th that he wanted to try a new medication that had to be monitored in the hospital, since it had to been given by an IV. On Thursday, I walked into the hospital by myself to have the medicine administered. I laid in bed for about six hours while the nurse administered several medications that did not seem to work. Brian and my doctor showed up and we decided that the baby needed to come sooner than 40 weeks, since the medicines seem to not be helping my blood pressure. We decided to meet with a cardiologist the next day to see if he had any medication recommendations to buy us a few more days. Brian went home with that decision having being made that we were going to wait another couple of days before the baby would come.
About a half an hour later, an ultrasound was scheduled to make sure that the baby was still doing well, since I had so much new medication in me. During the ultrasound the technician noticed that Kate's heart rate was low and Kate wasn't moving. Also, Kate had her umbilical cord wrapped around her neck. I got nervous, but knew that I had good Doctors and that things would work out. I turned out my lights and tried to relax knowing that the next day we would meet the cardiologist to find out the next step in the pregnancy.
All of the sudden, the room doors open, the lights turned on and I am getting prepped for a c-section. I had enough time to call Brian and my mom and tell them the baby was coming tonight. I was rushed into the operating room where I was quickly numbed and the cesarean began. The nurse asked for Brian's cell phone number and was called at 11:33 pm, when he was running from the parking lot (he actually considered taking a shower before coming). By the time Brian got there I was cut open and the surgery had begun.
Kate Marie Andersen was born Thursday September 18 at 11:40pm. The rest of what happened was a little blurry to me. All I remember is seeing a white blob of a kid, smiling and then waiting. When she was delivered she wasn't breathing so they were flicking her feet to try to get her to breath, she did and then was taken to the NICU with Brian while I was being stitched up. I don't know what happened then but I remember going to a room where I saw my mom, Brian and Kate and had monitors connected to me. I remember going to my hospital room and trying to breastfeed Kate at two in the morning. What happened the rest of that morning, I may never know.
The pediatrician came the next morning and admitted Kate to the NICU because her blood sugars were low and she was having a hard time deep breathing. Kate ended up staying in the NICU for a whole week where she was taught how to eat/suck and was given an antibiotic to help an infection that she had. Also, because I had been given so many medications the night before, she had to have time to flush those out of her system. The nurses in the NICU took such good care of my daughter, I am eternally grateful.
While Kate was in the NICU, I had tests being ran to find out why my blood pressure was still so high. Supposedly after delivery my blood pressure problem shouldn't have existed or it should have gotten better but it got worse. After an ultrasound, MRI, CAT scan, EKG's, and ct-scans, it comes to find out that I have renal hypertension, which means my high blood pressure is caused by lower functioning kidneys. The Doctors also found out that I have Medullary Sponge Kidneys (MSK) which means that I have large calcium buildups in my kidneys. Not to worry, I will live another day, but I will be on medication the rest of my life.
Once Dr. Rivera (OB doctor), Dr. Raza (Cardiologist), and Dr Vera (Kidney dude) said I could go home, I was released. I was going stir crazy in that hospital. The nurses and staff in the postpartum section took great care of me and kept my smiling. They said prayers with me and gave me hugs when I needed them. Brian and I walked out of the hospital together on Wednesday the 24th, leaving our daughter at the NICU. The next day Kate was able to come home. I had wanted to go to the hospital with Brian to pick up our daughter and leave as three but that didn't happen. Our daughter was well and could go home but Brian needed to get his hours in at work so my mom took me to the hospital to pick up Kate. While we were picking up Kate, I almost fainted and so Kate and I were wheeled out of the hospital while my mom was our driver.
To make a long story of the three of us short. I went to the hospital by myself, Brian ran into the operating room, Brian and I walked out together without our daughter who was later picked up by myself and my mom, not quite the story I had wanted.
Kate is doing really well. She squawks and squirms and does all sorts of baby things. I have a long list of doctors appointments, but in the end, the Andersen's (Brian, Courtney and Kate), are doing well. Keep us in your thoughts and prayers.
Kate's Boxing Glove - The nurses had a hard time keeping Kate's IV in her hand. They wrapped the IV so she had a boxing glove. Her right arm is so strong.
Kate and Grandpa Anderson - Kate loved meeting Papa
Our First Family Picture - Don't you love our yellow gowns? Everytime we went to see Kate in the NICU we had to scrub our hands and arms and where these wonderful gowns.
Free at Last - The nurses in the NICU always had Kate wrapped up so warm. She was able to stretch and feel free right before we left the hospital. The nurses had given her a bath the night before. Don't you love her hair?
Her last picture in the NICU .
Kate's first car ride - She is so small. She liked her car ride home from the hospital. She didn't even make a noise. 
Home at Last - We finally brought Kate home and let her lay on the floor and stretch. She is still learning all the new noises at home.
