Everett Leon Griffiths

EVERETT LEON GRIFFITHS

8 lbs 10 oz

21 inches

4:45 am

This past week has been quite the adventure! For most everyone they've only gotten bits and pieces of the story. Well here it is!

Two weeks ago

Once again the doctor's told me that I would be delivering early and they would be very surprised if I didn't deliver before the next appointment. Be as it may, I didn't deliver before my next doctor's appointment.

May 27th

I go to my doctor's appointment and they let me know that I'm now really REALLY close to delivering - but just in case they are going to help things get started. note: with Reese I went into labor the night of the doctor's helping me along. So I was excited. I was thinking that he's going to be coming TONIGHT! I was packing, getting things ready, timing contractions.... my contractions... they were not coming regularly and were not getting progressively more painful. It was about 8:00pm when they started just to fade away. Needless to say I was really dissapointed - and since the doctor's office- in pain.

May 28th

I wake up at 2:30 with a sharp and very painful contraction. I was thinking 'finally lets get things going!!'. So I walked around for a little bit, timed them, and sure enough they were coming every seven minutes...for the first 15 minutes... then they started coming every 5 minutes... It was then that I woke up Kurt and said that we were probably going to go in a half hour but I still need to time the contractions. He mumbled something and went to sleep. Then they started coming every three minutes... (only 45 minutes have gone by).. I picked up Reese, gave her to my mom, woke up Kurt, and hopped in the car. By this time the contractions were extremely painful and coming every two minutes or less!!

Labor and Delivery

We checked into the emergency triage and they told us that they'll send someone down from maternity to walk us up there. Finally, after several even more painful contractions, they had an escort for us. He asked if I wanted to sit in a wheel chair, and I declined, hoping to walk these bad boys (contractions) off.

When we reached Triage in the maternity ward they gave me the gown and asked me to lay on the bed to check things out. As she was doing her thing I 'kindly' reminded the nurse that I would like an epidural. She said ok. Then she said "honey, you're at 9 right now, i don't think you're getting an epidural". WHAT?!!! I was freaking out. I looked at Kurt (as he describes it: as a deer caught in headlights) She then remembered that the anaesthesiologist was in an emergency c-section and would have been unable to come anyway.

It was 4:10 am.

They quickly wheeled me over to a room and set me all up to deliver this baby. She kept asking me questions while I was having contractions which was SO ANNOYING but I guess it had to be done..... when the questions were done she was helping me with breathing through the contractions. YES. just like the movies. hee hee hoooo hee hee hooo.. crazy.. if I wasn't in so much pain I would have laughed. It helped.. needless to say.

To skip over some detail, the doctor came in quickly and with two good contractions and a couple of pushes that baby was OUT! No epidural - no nothin'. I didn't think I had it in me. phew. I'm still glad that's over with.

it was 4:45 AM.

Everett- the brief version

When the NICU nurse was checking him out they noticed some abnormal heavy breathing. They said that they wanted to keep him under observation and run some test just to make sure that he was OK.

Later on that day they decided that they needed to run some more test and take some X-rays. When the x-rays were returned, they noticed that there was some infection in his lungs. Dr. Karp (our excellent pediatrition) was there to explain things and to 'introduce' us to the head Neonatalogist. The specialist then explained that Everett has fluid and infection in his lungs and that if they don't treat him soon things might get very bad. So of course we agreed to the treatment.

With a blessing from Kurt, Keith, and my dad, I was able to calm down a little bit.

As we were in the hospital things were pretty much at a standstill, another X-ray was ordered, but no improvement. The labs came back and were slowly showing signs of improvement but they were still unsure if he had to be in there for 7 days or 14 or more.

Finally by the last day we were in the hospital, they had moved him to a different location in the NICU and the doctor said that it was a good thing. The nurses all commented that things were looking better.

After Sunday is when everything was looking good and by Tuesday, they were saying how he gets to come home after his antibiotics were finished (Thursday).

Much to our relief, and much needed prayer, he was finally able to come home!

Thursday June 4th 2009

He's home. Thank goodness. Hallelujah!

Thank you everyone for all of your prayers, thoughts, and concerns. I am truly humbled by the power of unified prayer and fasting. You will never know how much it all truly means to me. That you care so much for our well-being and the health and safety of my family. I am truly thankful for the power of the Priesthood and for my husband who holds it. I am so thankful for all of you and all the love and support you show us. I hope I can return the favor to you when you are in need of it. Thank you. Thank you.