Welcome, Kenadi Beatrice Todt!!

On March 12, 2007, I had a regular OB/GYN appointment. At this visit, I told my doctor that I had been having contractions, irregular, but still contractions. I was very uncomfortable and within a week, I had gained ten pounds bringing my overall weight gain up to 19 pound. Which was great considering I gained 75 with Gavin! My doctor decided to send me over to the hospital for monitoring. I figured they'd keep me a couple hours and let me go. Strap the stress test straps on me for a couple hours and discharge me. By this time, I was 37 weeks along and had been going to the doctor every week since 32 weeks to be hooked up to the stress machine to monitor babys movements and heartbeat. But this was not the case this time! If Kenadi was born, she'd be considered term since I was 37 weeks. So I was admitted to the hospital on March 12th. I was having contractions but still irregular about every 10-20 minutes. On the 13th, my doctor came in a couple times to check on me but still no word on weather or not he was going to release me. My mama was there with me and Gavin was with my step-dad. My mama left that night to go home and get clothes together for me and Kenadi since I didn't come with my bags. She returned the next day. My doctor came in on the 14th and decided I was to be induced the next morning at 4am.

Like clockwork, he was in the room at 4am starting me on pitocin. The contractions started full blast at around 9am on March 15th. I had laid in the hospital for two days thinking, what if I have her on the 20th, the same as Kaylea? Talk about a bittersweet day! After what seemed like forever, I was finally dialated to a 4, meaning I could have my epidural if I wanted. And I chose to get it. I was in horrible pain! Pain I didn't quite feel with Gavin as I wasn't in labor long before they decided to take him via C-Section. I had discussed with my doctor about planning another C-Section with Kenadi as it was a small chance my scar would began bleeding and I could hemorrhage. And if it was anything rare that could happen to a pregnant woman, it was going to happen to me! But ultimately, I opted on a vaginal birth with no hesitation to take her via C-Section if anything went wrong. So, the anesthesiologist came in and gave me the epidural. It just so happened that a student was doing them that day and he did mine wrong! It only numbed my right side and I could still feel EVERYTHING!! So another one had to be administered! And this time it took! He gave me a pump to hit every so often. This was around 11:00 am. At about ten after eleven I noticed her heart rate had dropped into the 50s. All of a sudden the nurse come running in the room making me turn on my side and put oxygen on me. Then, when that didn't work, she checked to see if I'd dialated. I had! I had went from a four to a ten in a little less that twenty minutes! It was time to push that's why her heartbeat had dropped! She was coming and fast!! The nurse tried her best to start getting her out. Now, keep in mind, I'd never really had to do this much when having a baby. With Kaylea, I pushed but the doctor pretty much pulled her out and with Gavin I was asleep. So, this was kinda new to me! And let me just say, an epidural is great for pain, yes, but I couldn't tell what I was doing AT ALL!! I was pushing but it felt like I was just bearing down in my chest! Everytime a contraction would stop and I'd stop pushing, Kenadi would go back in! Her heart rate was steadily dropping, so, a vaccum was used. Thus didn't work either! My normal doctor was in surgery so another doctor had to take over. I was begging the nurse to call him to do a C-Section! All I could think was, please God, PLEASE don't take my baby girl from me! Just get her out, PLEASE!!!

I looked over at my mama and her face had turned white! So, I said do y'all know something I don't know? I knew she hadn't died because I could still hear her heartbeat! In a panic, my doctor took the scissors and cut me and pulled her out! At that moment I was so glad I'd gotten the epidural because that would've been very painful!! I had a stage four episiotomy, the worst one!! But there she was! My absolutely BEAUTIFUL BABY GIRL!! I couldn't help but think about my angel, Kaylea Blair in that moment! Their birthdays were merely five days apart! Kenadi made, what would otherwise be a horrible month for me, better! She was a new symbol for March!

She was perfect! Born on March 15, 2007 at 11:44 am Weighing in at 5lbs. 6ozs and 18 1/2 inches long! She had a head full of jet black hair and looked like me! She had low birth weight like Gavin because of my blood pressure. I felt complete now! I finally had a baby girl to take home to love and spoil and hold, just because I wanted too!! About twenty minutes after she was born, I let my bed up. My epidural was still in affect so I couldn't feel anything from the waist down. Mama had left to go get me some food because I hadn't eaten since Sunday and it was now Thursday! When she got back, I was sitting up eating and she was talking to me. It was one of those true moments where I could see her lips moving but couldn't hear a single word she was saying! I started to panic! So she got the nurse who laid my bed back down. My blood pressure had dropped severely from sitting up to fast! It was 80/45! So within a few minutes I was back to normal!

Jeremy didn't show up. I had called everyone I knew that talked to him to let him know I was having her. But not a word back. My mama cut her cord and my friend Amanda stayed with me the last night I was in the hospital. My step-dad came in not too much later to bring Gavin to see his new baby sister! It was a proud moment in my life! And the looks Gavin gave her, a look of pure amazement! I was so happy but at the same time I was sad because Jeremy missed her birth! I felt like she didn't even have a daddy!

Kenadi had a rocky start and there was trouble ahead in a few different forms....

The pictures below show Gavin seeing her for the first time, coming home from the hospital and her birth announcement.