Helms Family Blog: October 2006

Statistics:
Name: Skylin Faith Helms
Date: October 25, 2006
Time of Birth: 8:38 am
Weight: 9 lbs 8.5 oz.
Length: 20 ¼ inches

Hospital Info:
Baylor University Medical Center
3500 Gaston Ave.
Dallas, Texas 75246
Room Number: 754 and 715

Timeline and Thoughts about the Day:

4:30 am - Wake up and get ready for the hospital. Because we are both masters of procrastination – we pack Misty’s bag for the first time.

5:19 am – Leave for our 5:30 appointment at Baylor Hospital (20 miles away). It is raining and (of course) we are going to be late. We decide to take my car to make sure we don’t break down. I am wondering how we are going to get the car seat in.

5:45 am – Arrive at Baylor. Park the car and start walking to the main building. We have no idea where we are going. We walk in the main door and see absolutely no one. I look at a map and it tells us nothing. We pick a hallway and starting walking. Amazingly we find that labor and delivery area - after walking about what seems to be 200 yards. I am thinking “this hike could have been avoided if I would have just called before hand.” Misty is in good spirits.

6:00 am – We check in at the labor and delivery area.

6:10 am – We get into our room and I start inspecting everything while Misty changes into her gown.

6:15 am – The nurse comes in and asks Misty a million question. She then hands us about 10 pages to review and sign (seven different consent forms). My first reaction is to just have Misty sign all the forms. Then, as you might have guessed, I started to feel compelled to review these legal documents word for word. I didn’t. Not because I knew they can have questionable enforceability depending on the health circumstances, but because I was thinking more about tending to my wife and future child.

6:30 am – They are monitoring the baby’s heartbeat and Misty’s blood pressure. A second nurse comes in and moves the monitors on Misty’s belly. She has trouble finding the baby’s heartbeat. She finally finds the heart beat high on Misty’s stomach. I think nothing of it until I hear the nurse tell a doctor “Look where the heart is.” A doctor comes in with a sonogram machine and looks at the baby. The baby is not in the right position. The baby is not breach but is sideways. I have never heard of such a thing. He tells us they have called Dr. Brodsky (Misty’s primary doctor) to let him know. Misty and I have no idea what this all means. We are a little scared.

7:20 am – Dr. Brodsky arrives and tells us we have 2 options: (1) immediately go to a caesarian section (c-section) procedure or (2) try a procedure called a transversion. A transversion is basically where the doctor tries to turn the baby into the right position while still in the uterus. This has some risks including broken bones and breach of the placenta. Misty would also be required to get an epidural. The doctor needs to be able to turn the baby without resistance and without inflicting sever pain on Misty. While it is not ideal, the risks are low. Misty has never had a c-section and we don’t want to go straight to that option if it can be prevented. The doctor tells us it has a 40% chance of working. We tell them to give it a shot.

7:50 am – A doctor comes in and does the epidural. He was a guy in his late 30s. Seems like a great guy. He had clearly done hundreds of these procedures. The epidural went perfectly.

8:05 am - Dr. Brodsky arrives and attempts to perform the transversion. He grabs the baby through Misty’s belly and moves the baby back and forth. He pushes and turns. Misty’s entire belly is moving. The baby looks like it is about 30 lbs. This looks very painful. Because of the epidural, Misty does not feel any pain. Medical technology is amazing! However, the procedure is not successful. Dr. Brodsky comments that the baby is just too big to move into position and is still sideways. We now have only 1 option – c-section. In my mind, I know that this is not a complicated procedure and that Dr. Brodsky has done it many times. But, I am still worried about Misty. This is major surgery.
8:10 am – We are preparing for surgery. They tell me I have to put on scrubs. I go down the hall and put on scrubs. They are prepping Misty for surgery. I get the scrubs on and set down right outside the surgery area. They are rolling Misty down the hall. I am looking at the sign on the surgery door that say “STERILE AREA – Full Scrubs Required.” I look at my filthy (I mean utterly filthy) Cleveland Indians baseball hat. I know I have no chance of getting that hat through those doors. (For those that do not know - I have worn that same hat to ever major event in my life starting at from my high school graduation. I wore it at our wedding, the birth of all of our children, college graduation, law school graduation, when I took the bar, etc. Not sure if it is lucky, but it is certainly sentimental). I mention to Dr. Brodsky that it is too bad I cannot wear my Indians hat. He says “I tell you what . . . I will let you take it into the room. You just cannot wear it.” Did I mention how cool Dr. Brodsky was?

8:15 am – We go into the surgery room. It is amazingly bright and loud. Lights are everywhere and the radio is playing. This is totally different then the low light, relaxed, quite environment in normally delivery rooms. As Dr. Brodsky said – “this will be a different kind of birthday.” I knew this was going to be a different experience. As a side note, they were playing KLTY on the radio. This is the Christian radio station that is programmed in the #1 slot of all of our radios. In fact, it is the only radio station Misty and the kids listen to. In my mind, I am thinking that the new baby is already being integrated into the Helms family.

8:25 am – They have everything ready and they are starting to cut into Misty. She is doing great. I am doing just ok.
8:38 am – They pull the baby out of Misty’s stomach. At first I cannot tell if it is a boy or girl. I have mixed emotions. My first thought was I hope everything is ok. It sounds cliché, but I am really just thinking “I hope the baby is healthy.” Then I think – Shawn Jr. would really like a little brother. But . . . it’s a girl. Secretly, I am happy about this. Jr. remains the only boy. I think Jr. kind of likes it that way. Selfishly I think it will help Jr. and I continue to bond. I should also mention – there is something special about baby girls.

8:40 am – They are cleaning our new baby girl and Misty is doing great. I ask Misty if we are sticking with the name we pick weeks earlier – Skylin Faith. She agrees and we briefly discuss the spelling Skylyn vs. Skylin. My friend Jerry Nixon likes 2 “y”s. Always a very logical guy, Jerry’s view was that this would always be pronounced correctly. I type “Skylin Faith Helms” into my Blackberry. I then type “Skylyn Faith Helms” into my Blackberry. “Skylin” just look right. We go with that. (Another girl name we seriously considered – Skylin Grace. The boy name we were going with “Eli William Helms.” Eli short for Elijah (not Eli Manning). William is my Grandfather Lindeen’s name. He is a great man with an incredible attitude about life. It would have been an honor to name my son after him.)

8:50 am – They finish sewing up Misty. A procedure I found amazing. They stitched up layer after layer. On the final layer of the stomach, they did not stitch on top of the skin but instead the stitches were inside. Imagine that the top of the belly is the cover of a book. Now imagine that the book is cut in half. The stitches were in and out of the pages of the book. The stitches will dissolve leaving only a slight line on the belly. Dr. Brodsky told me this stitching method and the dissolving stitches were developed by the cosmetic surgery industry. Only slightly tongue-and-cheek, he says that as long as money continues to poor into the plastic surgery industry, they would continue to innovate. Frankly it helps everyone. I love capitalism.

9:00 am – We are in the recovery room. Skylin has eaten and is crying a little. Otherwise, everything is great.

2:30 pm – Heather and the kids come for a visit. Each kid wants their turn at holding Skylin. They all seem very excited – including Jr. Brittany looks so old holding Skylin and I am reminded of when we had Brittany. Misty and I had nothing. In fact, because we had no insurance and no money. We were in a program for medical students that allowed us to get prenatal and delivery care at no (or very minimal) cost. Misty did not even have a primary doctor. That seems like yesterday. I realize we have come a long way since that time. It makes me a little sad to realize that my Brittany is getting older. I don’t like it. She will always be my little girl. Noelle is insistent about holding Skylin – not once but twice. She is going to be a good big sister. Triniti keeps shaking a pink bunny when Skylin cries. Triniti is convinced that she likes the rattling sound. Shawn Jr. has his normal loving touch. He is a little man with a soft heart. That heart will serve him well in his walk with Christ and in other areas of his life. I pray that he can maintain that “softness.” With 5 girls in the house and examples like his incredible friend Joseph Pelegreen, I am optimistic. Speaking of the Pelegreens – they called my phone. It seems that the kids were very excited to tell them the news. We are unbelievably blessed to have great Christian friends like the Pelegreen’s as neighbors. Lauren Pelegreen is an incredible young lady and it is my hope that she will remain an influence on all my girls – Skylin included.

7:00 pm – I am writing this timeline and start to cry . . . What an amazing day! God has given Misty and me another amazing child. I am overwhelmed at the abundance. I have a precious wife and 5 incredible children. I am truly blessed.