Our New Year's Surprise

Happy New Year to all.  For those who have yet to hear or have heard through friends and family, Emily and I will be having our first child in Colorado.

Emily and I spent our New Years in Vail, CO this year on an annual celebration with close friends.  After a week of skiing (Steve not Emily) and a fun filled New Years Eve celebration, to our surprise shortly after 1AM local time Emily's water broke and we were taken to the Vail Valley Medical Center.  As baby Smith is just under 30 weeks we were sent via ambulance to Presbyterian St. Luke's Medical Center in Denver,CO.

We quickly learned our eager skier would require us to stay in the prenatal intensive care until baby Smith is born.  Both Emily and baby Smith are doing as good as can be expected under the circumstances.  Emily has not had any pain and through the first 24 hours we were able to accomplish the following for baby Smith:

• Review two ultrasounds (baby Smith just over 3 lbs.)
• Constant monitoring of the baby's heart rate, held between 110-160 (very positive sign) 
• Rule out an infection as the cause of the water breaking to this point (allowing for a natural birth, not necessary to  induce labor) 

To date Emily has had a very successful and uneventful pregnancy, including lack of any morning sickness.  The doctors reassured us that this is due to an unexplained circumstances and nothing we did (or did not do) facilitated the situation.

Since the water has broken the doctors will not do anything to stop the birth process and see delivery as a sign that Emily's body recognizes the baby is better not in utero.  We are now only able to 'hurry up and wait' and are now in 'expected pregnancy mode' with 24x7 watch for labor and delivery.  Right now best case scenario Emily will carry baby Smith to approximately 34-35 weeks (early Feb) as the benefit/risk scale reverses for babies in utero beyond 35 weeks without full amniotic fluid.  Every day in utero equals 2-3 less days in NCIU so we are all praying for Emily to stay pregnant as long as possible.  However baby Smith can come at any moment and will need NICU care until cleared for us to go home to Charlotte.

Emily is on strict bed rest and is experiencing very subtle and non-pattern forming contractions, a very positive sign.  For those of you who know Emily, she does not sit idle well, however starting tomorrow she will be able to spend an hour a day in the prenatal pool and do some non-intensive movements which are good for building up amniotic fluid.  We also have a very nice and new private birthing room with a beautiful view of the Rocky Mountains and a large flat screen TV with several channels, movies, and games.

Given the situation at hand we are very fortunate as this medical center is has the largest neonatal intensive care nurseries in the region and typically handles preemies between the weeks of 22-28.  In addition with the help of family we were able to secure a room at the Ronald McDonald House just a couple blocks from the medical center where Steve and family can stay until the baby is born and where Steve & Emily will stay once baby Smith is born and receiving treatment and in the NICU.

Thank you in advance for your thoughts and prayers.

Love,
Steve and Emily