Danni's First Day in the World (by Mommy)

I don’t seem to remember much from the few hours that I did get to spend with Danielle on her first day. I was on pain killers from the surgery the day before, and they made me very tired. But this is what I do remember…

When we woke up in the morning I was very anxious to get over to the NICU to be able to hold our baby girl for the first time. But I had to wait for the nurse to come and help me stand, so she could take out the catheter, and take the few shuffle-steps to the wheel chair that Adam would push me over in. So while we waited I ordered breakfast. I could order so much food, that I ordered Adam breakfast too.

Finally we could go see Danni! Adam pushed me through the hallway to the elevator to bring us to the tunnel, where I quickly found out that hitting the bumps was not fun. We got up to the NICU and Danni’s “room,” and I asked the nurse right away if I was able to hold her today. She said yes. So Adam helped me get to the chair that was next to her incubator (all the lines that she was attached to weren’t very long, so it was really the only place you could sit with her).

The nurse asked if I wanted to do Kangaroo Care (hold her skin-to-skin), and I eagerly said yes. So she brought me a robe-like hospital gown, and I pulled down the one I was wearing. Since I was told that I wasn’t supposed to nurse her, I held her upright against my chest. She was partially awake and rooting, and the nurse told me I could nurse her if I wanted, that she wasn’t going to get much anyway. I told her I had just pumped before we came over, so there wasn’t much left in there even if she did get something.

I first got her to open her mouth really big, as I had read and watched videos about. I remember thinking that her mouth was much smaller than I thought it would be when I imagined breast feeding her when I was still pregnant. Then, I got her latched onto my right breast. But, it kind of hurt, so I took her off, just as I had seen, and switched her to the left side. I was doing everything as best I could remember from the videos and books I had read, but it still was sore. I left her suckle anyway for a couple minutes, until she fell asleep. I figured I would ask a lactation consultant to help me later when I could feed her.

The nurse told us that the doctor was going to come talk to us about her surgery that had been scheduled for Thursday. Plus, the room was only “semi-private,” so people from other rooms that walked by could see right in, so I wrapped the robe around me, and the nurse brought some blankets over and covered up Danielle.

I was getting so tired, and it was difficult to keep my eyes open. But when Dr. Baker came in I perked up for just about a minute. He started describing her heart, telling us that it was pretty much like Dr. Gremmels had stated. I wanted so bad to be able to focus on what he was telling us, because I knew it was important. He said that the way her heart was set up, it made the first surgery a lot easier, but the second surgery trickier. That’s all I really caught of what he said, because my eyes were slamming. Though I do remember at one point he asked if I was alright. I told him that the drugs were making me tired, and he continued talking to Adam, while I held our sleeping baby girl.

I don’t remember when we switched, but Adam took a turn holding her, and the nurse took a couple family photos for us. I loved watching Adam look at our daughter, and of course, watching our baby girl sleep so soundly. I don’t remember a whole lot about Adam holding her though. But I know the nurse needed to take her vitals again, so Adam put her back in her bed, and helped me back to the wheelchair.

I remember that I got up to see her again before we left, and stood over her bed while the nurse took her blood pressure. She did not like it one bit. They would take her blood pressure on each of her limbs, and she really did not like it on her arms. So I held her little green nuk (that was sent home with us later) in her mouth and talked to her. She calmed down when the nurse did her legs. Then we said goodbye. Adam tells me that we both told her we loved her, but I don’t really remember it. I remember him kissing her forehead before we left.

We went back to my room. I had to pump again, and get more drugs. Sitting completely upright in the chair by Danni’s bed, and leaning over it from the couch while Adam held her had made me sore. I think we ate lunch. And I know my mom called to say she was coming, but she went straight to Danni’s room. I guess they wouldn’t let her hold her until Adam or I got there and said it was okay, so she was completely content snapping pictures of Danni Jo’s every movement, and poking or tickling her to try to get her to wake up. I think Adam went over at some point to let the nurse know that it was okay for mom to hold her, and get some paper turned in, so that “Baby Girl Gibson” had a name in their computer system.

I think mom eventually came over to our room, then we waited for Jon, Adam’s brother, to come, and we all headed back to Danielle’s room. When we got there, I was the first to hold her. The nurse bundled her up in two fleece blankets and put her in my arms. At one point another nurse came in to draw some blood. They said I could hold her while she did. It was like a finger prick, but in her heel. I unwrapped her foot (I think it was her right foot), and the nurse swabbed it, then I stuck it back under the blanket while she got the needle ready. I pulled her foot back out, and got ready for Danni to start screaming. She didn’t even flinch, just kept right on sleeping. I laughed, because I thought it was so strange (though I suppose in her first day in our world, she’d been poked more times than I would like to think). I told Danielle that I would get her blood pressure taken, and she could get my blood draws, then we’d both be happy.

I think the nurse needed to take her vitals again or something, because I had to put her back into her bed. Then Jon washed his hands, and Adam asked him if he wanted to hold her. Jon, of course, gave him a wise-guy comment, about that’s why he’d washed. Danielle woke up and Jon held her. I was sitting on the couch next to the chair, but Jon was holding Danni facing the other way, so I couldn’t see her. I remember wanting to hold her since she was awake, but I didn’t want to take the chance away from Jon. I also remember thinking that I should ask him to switch her around, so I could see her. But, I knew it was difficult to turn her around with all the wires and lines running out of her blankets, so I didn’t.

Nine o’clock finally rolled around, and Jon and mom had to leave. Adam and I decided to go back to our room. I don’t remember if Jon and mom came with us or not. I know when we got back Adam and I discussed whether or not he should go home to sleep (he didn’t sleep well on the pull out couch in my room, and wanted to go and get a good night’s sleep, but I wanted him to stay). At first I was under the impression that the nurses wanted me to get up in the middle of the night to walk, but we found out later that wasn’t true, they just wanted me up and walking. So we talked about him possibly staying the night in Danni’s room. But he ended up staying in my room. Adam later told me he’s so glad I made him stay.