Maxwell House 6: Riley Renee Maxwell's birth and name story

Birth Story Week Continues

Introducing:

Riley Renee Maxwell

6/11/07 7....something pm

7lbs 6oz

Riley's due date was June 27th 2007. Since I had had a previous c-section a mere 20 months earlier and a back surgery 11 months earlier, my doctor decided that a c-section would be best. We scheduled the c-section for June 18th. Things were going great and just as planned. I went to my last doctors visit on June 11th with my toddler in tow.....rambunctious toddler that is. The doctor checked me and I was dilated to a 3 which was no big deal except for the fact that he did not want me to go into labor and my situation to turn into an emergency. He told me to go home relax and take a warm bath......ha ha. I could tell by the look on his face he knew that wasn't going to happen after all Cameron had pushed every button and opened every drawer in the exam room. So, I went home packed my bag and told Ryan to get home because this was happening TODAY. Sure enough my contractions got regular and I started spotting so off Cameron and I went back to the doctor. When I got back to the office my doctor didn't even check me, he sent me next door for delivery. My mom was able to beat Ryan there and she immediately took care of Cameron for me so I could get checked in. My little Riley was born and this time she was able to stay with me the entire time in the recovery room. This was a HUGE deal and I believe was a major factor in my mood and ability to nurse. She latched on right away and Moth and I were able to bond alone with our little girl without any distraction's. I spent three nights in the hospital and we were given a clean bill of health and off we went into the world, our family of four.

Riley's birth story does not end there. Things were going great until July 11th. I had spent the whole day out with my sister in love in her neck of the woods about 45 minutes from our home. I dropped Moth off at his office and she lived right by so spent the day with her. Riley slept the whole day I was there, she didn't eat much and she felt warm. I was a little concerned but she was only one month so I thought she was just tired. When Ryan and I got home we were able to take her temp. 104.5. Well, that was high but we thought we would just call the nurse line and they would tell us to watch her and take her in to the doctor in the morning. Boy were we wrong. She said to immediately take her to the hospital and made sure that I understood she meant NOW. Let me just say I ~~tend to~~ always overreact. Moth is constantly saying "it's OK, don't worry it will be fine" I was really trying not to panic so I calmly called my dear friend Casey and asked her to come with me. I knew that Ryan should stay with Cameron and I thought I would only be gone long enough for them to give her Tylenol and send us on our way.....again boy was I wrong. We go to Baylor (in retrospect ALWAYS go to the children's hospital when dealing with children DUH) and we were immediately told by a doctor, "I am glad you brought her in because she could be dead in a hour" Wow! Thanks...I brought her in so flippin' save her! Even with that comment I held it together. Then they asked me to leave to do a spinal on her so I went to the waiting room and I heard her screaming. I am not sure there is anything worse than hearing a newborn scream and not being able to be there, to help or anything. I lost it. When we got back to her the nurse was bragging that it only took her three tries and that was good on an infant, she was proud of herself and in any other circumstance I might have rejoiced with her, however this was my baby, there was no room for error. LOOOONG story short we ended up having her transferred to Cooks where they could get a better grip on what was going on with her. We were in a room where she was hooked to 27 leads that went to a box that monitored any seizures she was having, there was also a camera in the room that followed her movement. It turns out she contracted a non deadly form of Hepatitis (fancy word for virus) and we spent three weeks in the hospital making sure she was going to be OK. She is and she is fine so there is Riley Renee's month long birth story. Today Riley is perfectly healthy except for MRSA that she contracted in the hospital, but I will take that any day with all we went through.

Riley on the seizure floor at cooks

I kept my composure pretty well I think

This picture says so much. Ryan having a moment with his daughter. Cameron......trying to swing on the curtain and get us kicked out of the hospital. He also set the alarm on the elevator and tried many time to escape and I am sure he pushed the nurse button a hundred times, making us come up with something we needed each time!

Now if you are still here....for the name. Side note...... I was completely freaked out when I found out I was having a girl because I am historically not well versed in the art of "girlishness." Also, we had the name Riley for a girl or a boy

It is a simple equation Ryan + Leslie Renee = Riley Renee

We love the idea of all of our kids names having a "story" behind it and there is no better story for Riley than the story of her mommy and daddy. She will always carry us around with her in her name no matter where she is.

I know the spelling is wrong but ooops I messed up on that one.