Day 1 - Friday, November 27th Wyatt's Birthday
The day before Thanksgiving, Craig and I traveled to my parents home in upstate NY (Croghan, NY) for the holiday and for the baby shower that was to take place on Saturday. All was going great and looked to be a normal pregnancy according to my routine check-ups, ultrasounds and tests. I thought ok, I am fine to go ahead and make the journey.

That Wednesday as we travel to my parents I was very aware there was little to no movement from Wyatt and decided I need to monitor this. Wyatt was a super active baby inutero so this was unusual. Then Thanksgiving day came, again no movement. We broke out the stethoscope my mom had at the house and put it up to my stomach. We found Wyatt's heart beat which I monitored all evening and into the next morning. The rate was strong, around 150 beats per minute.

However Friday morning I was not satisfied with just hearing his heart beat. I tried consuming sugary drinks to see if that would get him going. My mom called my Aunt Sue who is an RN. She gave some sound advice. I also called my doctor's office at home and they advised me to go to the hospital. So for peace of mind I said, "Let's go!."

My mom, my sisters Leah and Bernadette and myself left for the hospital (11 a.m.ish). Craig did not come with us because he was out with my father and brothers hunting and I didn't figure this would turn into an emergency. We get to Lewis County General Hospital and go directly to the maternity ward bypassing the emergency room. They knew we were coming because my Aunt Sue suggested to call the maternity ward and let them know what the situation was. We get to the maternity ward and they are all ready to take me and do a stress test on the baby. My first nurse, Christie, hooked the heart monitor up to my stomach and began monitoring Wyatt's heart rate and movement. Dr. Domingo came into the room soon after. Monitoring the heart rate for well over an hour there was little movement detected but a strong heart beat. Dr. Domingo seemed to feel that this was not unusual because most babies will go through periods of no or little movement. But, because she wanted to make sure all was well she ordered an ultrasound.

I arrive at the ultrasound room with my mom. The technician completed the ultrasound but never gave any inclination things were good or bad however she was pretty silent during the procedure. After the ultrasound we were ushered back to maternity into the room that would soon become my room for the next couple days. Waiting patiently with my mom and sisters for Dr. Domingo to come in and say "your good to go...things are fine, go home." Nurse Christie comes in with a hospital gown and says put this on your getting an IV with some fluids. I said, "is that necessary" and she said, "yes" and "you will not be going home today." Exit Christie enter Dr. Domingo. Dr. Domingo begins to explain that she will need to perform an emergency cesarean section on me asap because there is very little amniotic fluid in the placenta. "WHAT????" I was floored and did not know how to respond.....roller coaster of tears and silent shock. She explained it all to me but I can not recall anything she said after, "you will be having your baby." Having my baby? I am just shy of 29 weeks. It is now about 3:30pm. My family had call Craig to come to the hospital asap the doctor needs to tell us something. He arrives and Dr. Domingo repeats what she said to me and we are totally CRUSHED. They start prepping for surgery and by 5:15pm I am wheeled down on a gurney with Craig by my side. Scared to death and feeling claustrophobic. Oxygen masks make the whole experience even worse. There I am saying goodbye to Craig, not knowing what to expect because I have never had surgery and not knowing if my baby boy was going to be coming into this world alive.

The operating room, me plus 10 others. The room was quite full. I had Dr. Domingo and Dr. Crawford performing the c-section, an anesthesiologist, a pediatrician, a couple nurses, and a team of 4 from the NICU at Crouse Hospital in Syracuse, NY where Wyatt would be whisked away to after delivery. It felt like it happened so quickly. Spinal, incision, and baby out by 5:51pm. I was filled with joy when I heard Wyatt's little voice not once but twice. The team of NICU four were working on him right beside me. I apprehensively look over and see his tiny little body, but BIG long feet and all I could think at that moment was wow he has Craig's feet. I fell in love again at that moment and couldn't believe how intense my feelings were for this little life that I was just now meeting....."hold on Wyatt please fight."

Stitched back up I was taken to recovery with severe baby shakes. Lying there not knowing how to feel, what just happen, how do I wrap my brain around this? Craig came in and showered me with love and support,"we will get through this." A while later, the Crouse NICU doctor came in to talk to us about everything that they will be doing for Wyatt and the care he will be receiving in the NICU at Crouse for the months to come. Then the team of four ushered our little boy in to the recovery room so we could meet him before he left for Crouse.

The rest of the evening was a blur......tons of love and support from Craig and family but a blur nonetheless. Still I could not believe what the hell just happened.

Day 2 - Saturday, November 28 Recovery
No it was not a dream .......hard to be away from Wyatt but I know I will see him soon. The nurses at Lewis County General took awesome care of me. Craig, his mom and sister went to Crouse this day to see Wyatt. All reports from Crouse come back positive. Wyatt is stable.

Day 3 - Sunday, November 29 Release Me
Get me out of here! I just want to go and see my baby! I was released around 10:30am or so, I have already lost all concept of time. Stopped at my parents to pick up what will be our wardrobe for the next month or so. Family were all gathered to send us off. Bye Darth :( we won't see you for a while. That was a hard thing for us leaving our canine son.

Slightly nervous we arrive at Crouse. Not sure how I was going to react seeing our
1 lb 13 oz baby boy. ENTER NICU, not as scary like I thought it would be......yes there is beeping everywhere from different machines but the place is pretty calm and soothing. There he is in his little bed with his transparent tent over him to keep him warm and moisture in. Shockingly small....but I get over that.....it's my baby:). Overwhelming how much I wanted to hold him, it hurts.

Day 4 - Monday, November 30 Grandma and Grandpa Sauer Come for a Visit
Waking up in what will be our home for a while, my Uncle Lewis and Tommy play the gracious hosts and we are so fortunate to have their home to go to after long days at the NICU. It definitely helps tremendously staying with them.....we are sleeping quite well because of it.

My mom and dad come for their first visit. Morning reports, Wyatt is doing really well. Breathing more and more on his own.

Day 5 - Tuesday, December 1
Mary, the best nurse ever and who ends up being his day time nurse the days to come, reports that Wyatt is doing great....stable and breathing more on his own. She tells us one of his first big milestones is the ultrasound of his brain looking for bleeding. On this day they switched Wyatt to a different ventilator because he was not taking to the other one. He took to the new ventilator right away and loves it.

Day 6 - Wednesday, December 2
Now the days start to meld together. Hard to differentiate what day and time his milestones are happening. It seems he is progressing so quickly we can't keep up. Brain scan/ultrasound completed and it came back negative....Hooray! No hemorrhaging on his brain. GO Wyatt GO!

Day 7 - Thursday, December 3 Grandma Sauer is in Town
Wyatt's milestones today: he was taken off his ventilator and his gas exchange tube from his belly button came out. One more tube out of his stomach and we can kangaroo care him. Karngaroo care is when you get to hold your baby inside your shirt skin to skin. Craig and I are SO astonished about the huge strides Wyatt is taking every day. It helps us feel less and less nervous about his survival. But, we know that each day is not going to be super positive. However we are embracing these positive days and can only remain positive for his sake. Grandma Sauer came to town!

Day 8 - Friday, December 4
A week has gone by already? Seems so long ago that this all started. Mary surprised us with a homemade Christmas card from Wyatt with a couple pictures that she took of him all dressed up in a couple onesies that are Christmas themed. Too cute!

Craig and I got to hold Wyatt for the first time today while they changed his bed from a tented bed to an enclosed incubator aka isolette. Amazing....caught between the feeling of wanting to cry but couldn't because I was so happy just to be holding him. He is SO small.....you almost can't tell he is in your arms he is so light.

Day 9 - Saturday, December 5
Our first day of kangaroo care. Mary said some preemies take to kangaroo care right away and some preemies don't because it is too much stimuli. She said, "So we'll see how this goes for a half hour." Wyatt took to it right away....sleeping pretty much the whole time. I got to hold Wyatt for over two hours!! Craig and I read him stories, sang to him and just looked at him with amazement and love. Now it was really tough leaving him that evening.

Day 10 - Sunday, December 6 Humma Comes to Visit
Another milestone, Wyatt has his first feeding of breast milk through a feeding tube. A whopping 1ml. They start these feedings small and every two hours to get his digestive system familiar to it. This is a major milestone and monitored very closely. High hopes that he will adjust. As I speak Craig is kangaroo caring Wyatt while Sue/Craig's Mom aka "Humma" is sitting. Singing and reading to him keeping him calm....Wyatt has big smiles on his face. He must love Daddy's singing or maybe it is the plush carpeting he is laying on (Craig's hairy chest :)). Later this evening we get to help bath him. Keep your fingers and toes crossed.....hopefully he takes to his feedings and poops!