Update: after all of this, I was diagnosed with COVID 19 after experiencing shortness of breath. Unbelievable, right? I know.

I’ve written this out several times and still can’t believe it all happened.

First, the pregnancy. It was fairly easy for me. It was my second pregnancy, high risk, gestational diabetes, hypo thyroidism, singular umbilical artery, associated risks, meds and appointments for each. It sounds like a lot but it was manageable and other than normal pregnancy symptoms it was okay.

At 33 weeks they determined the baby was growing too quickly due to the diabetes, they upped my meds and kept a close eye on him. By 36 weeks he was measuring 9lbs and they decided he needed to come out via scheduled repeat c section at 37+1.

That day, 4/8 happens to also be my mother in laws birthday. They were doing to be birthday twins!

On 4/4 my father in law was taken to the hospital via ambulance because he was having trouble breathing. He has stage 4 lung cancer he’s been fighting since July 2017. We were told he wasn’t going to make it out of the hospital this time. Due to COVID no one was able to visit or say their good byes including his wife of 44 years, their 3 children, and 3 grandchildren. And obviously he wouldn’t be meeting his 4th grandchild.

We woke up on 4/8. My father in law was still alive, my surgery was scheduled for 1:30pm so we took the morning to pack our bag and relax. I showered, sat down on the couch to relax and wait to leave. I’d been having Braxton Hicks contractions for weeks, no big deal, but all of a sudden I had a more painful crampy contraction. I thought it was strange but I was going to the hospital in about an hour so no big deal. 5 minutes later, another one, this one ended with a sharp pinch and BAM, water breaks all over my couch. This baby was coming on his own! We grab our stuff, throw some towels down and head to the hospital. I called L&D to let them know I was coming, they were ready for me when I walked in. I got changed, the anesthesiologist came in talked to me, my husband did some paperwork, my doctor came to the hospital early to deliver my baby.

While I was waiting to go to the OR, I called the ICU at the hospital my father in law was taken to, across town from where we were. I asked if a nurse would be willing to share their cell phone number or email address so that I could send pictures of our son when he was born for my father in law to see. One of the nurses gave me her personal number and even offered to print the pictures for him.

Within 2 hours of my water breaking I was sitting in the OR ready to go.

Our son, Harrison Leonard C was born at 12:01pm on Wednesday April 8th. 9lbs8oz 19 1/2 inches. He was having trouble breathing so they took him almost immediately to the NICU.

While in recovery, I sent the pictures to the ICU nurse. Within an hour of sending, we got the word that my father in law had passed away. We never got confirmation he saw Harrison before he passed.

Harrison spent the next 4 days in the NICU. He has a hole in his heart, he’s jaundice, he learned to eat and regulate oxygen on his own. We brought him home on Easter morning.

Because of COVID, only my husband was allowed in the hospital, most of the time I was alone. My father in law won’t have a service.

I didn’t get skin to skin. I didn’t get to nurse right away. I’m attached to a pump 24/7 but thankfully supplying more than enough for Harrison. But he’s here. He’s home.

We’re so in love and he has the proudest big brother Lucas.