"Hi! I'm new here

World meet Anya Monroe Lopez, now two weeks and a few days old, Anya Monroe Lopez, meet World. 

Anya was due Oct 21st but was delivered almost a month early on midday, September 26th. Five days earlier was my baby shower. My husband's family insisted on bringing the presents over because 'you never know', my mom repeatedly told me to be ready because 'anything can happen, now at any moment', relatives from both sides swore up and down that she will be early, and I had a feeling (although I ignored it) that my Anya was meant to be a September baby.

I had spent the three weeks prior to my very intimate, very small baby shower ( I am your classic shy, introvert. I don't overly enjoy parties or being the center of attention, I find both exhausting, and, paradoxically enough, isolating) up all night crying and scratching the soles of my fee and palms of my hands with what ever nearest object I could obtain. I was itchy, severely itchy, abnormally itchy. I was losing copious amounts of sleep and was suffering from migraines because of it. My doctor (an amazing, wonderful doctor) took my symptoms seriously despite the fact that I personally felt like I was going insane, as the itching would disappear magically by daylight only to reappear with a vengeance at sunset.

Long story short, she made an appointment that week for me to see a high risk doctor. I show up at the hospital for the appointment at 7:30 a.m on September 25th and leave the around 4/5 with my bundle on September 29th. This was completely unexpected, we were completely unprepared "anything could happen...".  

The high risk doctor I went to see that day informed had a condition called Cholestasis of pregnancy. Only a small percentage of pregnant women get it, I had it. The elevated levels of estrogen causes the liver to sort of...malfunction leading to a back up of bile, an accumulation of salt under the skin (thus the itching) and poses a huge risk to the baby. Baby would have to come early, either by induction or c-section. I was 36 weeks, she would be delivered around week 38, maybe 39 the doctor declared. None of us knew at that moment we would actually be meeting her the very next day. The doctor wanted me to have an ultrasound and undergo a fetal stress test before I left, during which my husband and I were informed that she was in distress. She wasn't moving as she should and after three failed attempts to rile her I was told I might have a c-section that very day. Frightened does not begin to describe how I felt. I was extremely thankful my husband was there, he was suppose to work that day (he begins work at 3 a.m) but he had a difficult time leaving me that morning, I was in tears from the itching and in pain from my stomach being ill. He attempted to leave, spilt his tea on his uniform and forgot his lunch, he decided it was a sign he should stay with me, he was right.

I was kept overnight for monitoring, strapped to what felt like a million wires and told to sleep only in a certain position so that they may receive an accurate reading of the fetal heart rate. It was very uncomfortable night. I was sure, I would be released in the morning with set date to return for induction at a later time. That wasn't to be. I sent my husband home to care for our dog, my furry baby, and slept alone. 

The next day I was informed things had not look significantly better and was told I was not allowed to eat or drink as a c-section was still being considered. It became more real when they brought in papers for me to sign for the anesthesia and went over all the risks associated with the procedure. I was also told that I had low potassium levels, which could lead to chest pain and elevated heart rate so the y would be administering me potassium through an IV. They hooked me up, warned me of some pain, and it hurt like hell. I was in crying and begging for them to stop within minutes, it felt like thick hot lava was forcing it's way through my veins. They decided to try the other arm only to have the same results. So there I laid crying unable to move both of my arms while two nurses frantically tried to figure out how to ease my pain, when a third nurse or tech came in,stripped me naked and wiped me down. I was crying to hard to informed her I took a shower lat night, not that it would have mattered, they were disinfecting me for the c-section I was about to go down and have. The one no one informed me of. The one my husband was not yet there for. 

My husband made it in time, I was still shaken by the extreme pain I had just experienced from the potassium and scared about the upcoming procedure. My husband contacting my mom in NY who wasn't due to arrive for another three weeks, the week of Anya's due date in October. My mom immediately left her job and boarded a plane with y younger brother. They would be there in the morning. I missed my mom.I needed her, that comforted me. I was given the epidural, and was convinced of it's effectiveness when I realized the warm squishy thing I kept feeling with my hand was my leg, I couldn't feel it, at all. My husband was there the whole time, 15 minutes late after surgery began I felt a sudden unburdening, I was able to breathe again, really breathe. Then I heard " Oh my god! Look at all that hair!".I don't remember hearing her crying but I do remember her being placed on my chest and us jus staring at each other, both equally perplexed by what just happened. Both of us trying to comprehend our new realties but both too exhausted to fully do so. I spent the next four days in the hospital recovering and the last two weeks recovering at home, which I am still doing. 

Getting to know my baby has been a joy I could have never imagined. She doesn't cry instead she whimpers. It is the sweetest thing ever. She is calm and quiet and nothing ever disturbs her. She is the most amazing person I have ever known and she can't even talk yet.

World meet Anya Monroe Lopez. Anya Monroe Lopez meet World.