Cooper Devin Ball

Wow I don't even know where to start. For those of you that don't know Devin and I welcomed our beautiful baby boy into the world on September 5 at 9:38 pm. He was 3 pounds 3 ounces and 161/2 inches long. We named him Cooper Devin Ball. It was quite a surprise to have a baby 9 weeks early but we are so thankful he is so healthy and doing so good. On the day Cooper was born I was on bedrest so I was reading, talking on the phone, and I even updated my blog that day. At about 3 in the afternoon I started getting a really bad migraine, a migraine is a symptom of Preeclampsia and so my Dr. told me that if I got another one to go into the hospital. I decided to rest instead. Devin got home from school about a half hour later and that is when I started feeling worse. The migraine was getting to be unbearable but more than that I had this horrible pain from my ribs down. Devin finally convinced me to go into the hospital and see what was wrong. We got in there and they took my blood pressure- it was really high, which is another really bad sign that the preeclampsia was getting worse. The nurse left to call my Dr. and by the time she got back I was in such bad pain I was sobbing. My Dr. was in provo that day and so they told me that another Dr. was going to come in and have a look at me. I couldn't stop crying, I hurt so bad and I was so scared my baby wasn't going to be okay. The Dr. finally got in there and checked me, they decided something was definately wrong and since it was still 9 weeks before my due date that they would be sending me to provo in an ambulance. When the ambulance people got there they told me it was a liability thing and Devin couldn't go with me in the ambulance. I went hysterical. I was so scared to go alone, I needed my husband. The Dr. turned to the ambulance driver and said this is a special situation and her husband will be going with you. As soon as we got to Utah Valley Medical Center they got me right in and the nurse looked at me and said I think she is abrupting, get the Dr. in here. He was in the room within minutes and introduced himself to me and said Well lets have a birthday party! I instantly liked him, his attitude was so calming. The next thing I knew the epidural guy was there telling me to lay on my side, I hate needles but I wasn't scared at all I was in so much pain that I loved getting the epidural. Within minutes my pain was gone and I was in a very relaxed state. I looked over at Devin and he was all dressed up in a white suit with a face mask signing papers to let them give me an emergency c-section. All my pregnancy I had told Devin that having a c-section was my worst fear and here I was having a c-section. But honestly in the situation I was so scared my baby wasn't going to be okay that I would have let them cut me open anywhere to get him out. They wheeled me in the operating room and no kidding like 4 minutes later showed me our sweet baby and then whisked him away to the NICU. It was all very surreal to me. Now, looking back, I am so thankful that we were being watched over and that we got here just in time to get our baby here and that he is thriving and healthy. My placenta was abrupting when they delivered him and it was already 60 percent abrupted. If we had waited any longer we wouldn't have sweet baby Cooper here with us today. Cooper is just over three weeks old and I can't believe how much my life has changed in that time. I love being Cooper's Mommy, it is such an honor to be a mom and I love my sweet baby so much. Cooper is still in the NICU at Utah valley but is doing so good and growing like a weed. Last night they weighed him and he is 4 pounds 7 ounces. He is starting to eat really good and once he gets the feeding down he will be coming home! I can't wait to bring him home! I pretty much live at the hospital right now so I haven't had time to get pictures up but I will as soon as my life slows down a little bit! Thanks for all the prayers and love from family and friends. It means so much to have wonderful people behind us!