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| It was so nice to finally hold Evan. He was so small and warm. He calmly nuzzled his head into my chest. I was amazed at how blond he was. His skin was perfect pink and he nursed easily. I didn't put him down the entire night. I just held him so happy to have him safe with me. |
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| Father and Son. Eric was so proud of his strong boy. Evan looked so much like Eric right from the start. It was almost too close! We were all amazed but it was so fun to see. I was so happy to see him in the recovery I cried. He was able to stay with Evan when I wasn't there as well. |
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| Grandma Donna. My Mommy. She said God had been telling her she needed to be here. She certainly did. I could not have recovered from the surgery with out her! I was in so much pain and she knew just what to do. She was able to tell me everything that happened when I couldn't remember later. Every detail that while not vital is something you just really want to know. She was able to stay with Ethan and Emma so Eric could stay with me. She came two other times to help while I was sick taking care of everything from home to kids. It was great to watch the kids get to know her so closely. I would have been lost and depressed with out her. |
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| Evan was an easy baby from the start. But he didn't spend much time in here. I just couldn't get enough of him. I had to have him in my arms no matter how much pain I was in. We had been through so much the last nine months I just needed to be close to him. It was a bond that ran deep and I felt like he had almost been taken from me so every breath was a blessing. |
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| Evan was born on the 17th. But we were finally reunited after midnight on the 18th. He was born at 9:53pm. |
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| Grandpa Ward dropped by the next morning to see Evan. His 9th grand baby and 4th grandson. Evan is the second boy in this generation of Koeser's to carry on the Koeser family name! Ethan is the first and 7th grand child. Emma is the 8th grand child. Eric and his cousin Brandon are the only Koeser boys. |
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| This is Dr. Beverly Tong. She delivered all my babies and I love seeing her around town to just chat. She is a great Christian and it shows in her care. I was so happy to have a Dr. willing to take such good care of me through out the entire pregnancy. Although I gave her a huge scare with my first and last pregnancy. Sorry! I truly love her, she saved my baby! |
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| Grandma Jo saw baby Evan when he was first born in the nursery. The kids slept at their house that night and came to meet Evan in the morning. Grandma Jo helped take care of the kids while I got my IV's and in the weeks when I was too ill to get out of bed. They loved walking to her house just behind ours and got to develop an even more special relationship with their grandma and grandpa. Eric and I would have never made it without the help. |
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| I never imagined the reactions my kids gave toward Evan. Ethan. My sweet boy who has it all planned out and has a lot of talk. Was the most gentle and compassionate little boy toward Evan. He had always said I was having a boy. I'd ask him about girl names. He finally said, "Mom you don't have to worry the baby is a boy!" Ethan was so timid he was like a first time dad. He wouldn't even hold him because he was too nervous he would "do it wrong and hurt him." He was even more concerned with me and was nice enough to say "I told you they would cut you open to get the baby out." which he had. But I felt horrible telling him I would still be sick for awhile. I had told him the entire time I was so sick that, "Mommy would be better after the baby was born." He was counting on that. But every day during recovery he'd ask me how I was feeling in the kindest way. Then almost two months after I went down in his room (stairs for the first time in a long time) and gave him a hug goodnight with little pain. As I was walking away I heard him tell Eric, "I'm so happy mommy feels better, she gave me a hug." It broke my heart. I hope I am never to sick to hug my boy again! |
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| Emma. Sweet Emma. I have never seen her mommy that much although I have bought her lots of dolls. She did carry around Woody from toy story for awhile. But when she saw her baby brother Evan she claimed him. She wasn't overwhelming but she was hands on. Holding and touching him. Talking to him and smiling. Until we brought him home. She then successfully ignored him for almost two full weeks! She didn't show anger or anything just wouldn't even look at him, talk about him, or anything! She'd walk around like normal like he wasn't even there. |
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| Ethan and Emma were so happy to snuggle with their daddy. Ethan wouldn't take a picture with Evan he was too nervous and just wanted to talk to me instead. |
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| My friend Amy who found out she was pregnant on the same day and called me at 2am to tell me... delivered two days before me and had a little boy. Jacob Scott Hartsoch. It was so fun to see them next to each other. They were almost born in the same room (had it not been for my c-section). |
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| My mom always glows when she holds babies. Especially her grand baby's. |
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| He was is beautiful and fair. Everything about him is perfect! |
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| Going home. We honestly tried to stay longer. I was in so much pain still and could barely move. But we left anyways. I still wish I could have stayed one more night. |
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| When we got home Ethan was willing to hold baby Evan. Since thing they are best friends. |
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| Emma, "You brought him home!" She ignored him once she realized he was staying! |
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| Evan turned out to not really take a nuk. He used it for a few minutes here and there but never was much of a sucker, a lot like Emma and total opposite of Ethan. But he nursed well so that was all that mattered. |
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| Eric bought me a floral arrangement that was so pretty. He wrote the most amazing card to go with it. The roses were Ethan, The lily's Emma and the tulips were about to bloom are Evan. |
Welcome to the world Evan David Koeser!
Born January 17, 2012! Weighing in at 7lbs. 15oz. and 22" long at 9:53pm
We had a boy! Although that wasn't the most climactic part of the evening. Due to medical issues with myself I was set up for an induction on Thursday the 19th. But on Tuesday I was beyond miserable and upset. A little background: I had been sick the entire pregnancy with severe GERD, dehydration, the normal morning sickness 24/7, low iron, and then a rapid heart rate and dip in my oxygen to which they discovered a heart defect in myself. All of which put me on very limited activity. There was a time I hadn't left home for almost four months. I was receiving I.V.'s twice a week at labor and delivery and could barely do anything for much of the pregnancy. My mom came three times to help out, sleeping on the couch for weeks, and my mother-in-law took the kids a ton. So it wasn't a question as to why I was so ready. But you would think I could wait two days. But I couldn't I was in tears (I never cry). I just wanted God to break my water. I felt like something was horribly wrong.
So on Tuesday the 17th my wonderful Dr. Tong told me to come in to get checked and she'd take a look. She was able to go ahead with the induction that night and things got started. My water broke and contractions picked up to two minutes apart. I had just gotten the epidural and the anesthesiologist was still in the room. My contractions felt different since I had gotten up after my water broke but I didn't think anything of it. Then they couldn't get a solid heart beat on the monitor. The nurses nor I didn't think much. Baby was quite active all the other times I had been monitored on my visits and we'd all joked how baby would end up with the head monitor. My nurse proceeded to put one on but the color drained from her face. She said she didn't know what she was feeling that maybe the baby had flipped. She called in another nurse and she checked. I saw her mouth, "It's the cord" and immediately knew the cord was coming out before the baby. But it wasn't just the cord. The baby had his foot up by his head. So he was pushing his head off the cord (which is when we'd get the heart beat).
Apparently we discovered later he had opened the cervix with his foot and let the cord drop through. Who knows how long his foot had been stuck up there. Honestly I think it'd been awhile as I kept explaining the feeling of a hand pushing him up like a hand stand for a few days. Immediately the nurses slammed the code button and told me, "Get your @$$ in the air now". Here I'm going to brag but I was able to flip my entire 9 month pregnant epidural body over and up in one swoop slamming my head against the top of the bed. The nurses later said I was amazing! I knew what was going on. I knew I had to get the baby off the cord. They said if I hadn't been able to or they couldn't have flipped me it could have ended very different.
The anesthesiologist was able to run down the hall with us "hammering" the right drugs into me. (Otherwise I would have been put to sleep). The nurse jumped on the bed with her hand holding the baby's head off of the cord while counting the beats on the cord best she could as we literally went running down the hall. Leaving Eric and my mom back in the room. Within minutes I was on the operating table with a sheet thrown on my head and left to my own as they were focused on baby now. (In other words it wasn't a nice sheet hung up or a mask and head cover or arms out organized like on the shows kind of things).
Dr Tong who had been at home got there within minutes and was slicing me open. I could feel when they pinched but didn't care this baby was going to come out alive! I was cold, naked, alone, scared, worried, but God had the most calming sense of peace come over me. I was willing to do whatever I could to get him out. I knew freaking out wouldn't help, and that they'd probably knock me out. I asked to hold the anesthesiologist hand since I had talked with her before. I remember saying, "What's your name?" "Hi, I'm Jessica, can I hold your hand." Again bragging but it's my birth so... Dr. Tong said I was the most calm patient she has ever done a c section on let alone a true emergency one.
So I was cut open fast and it took a lot to unwedge him as he was far down with his foot by his head. Everyone was literally holding their breath and she was saying, "come on baby". We had no idea what the outcome was going to be. All this had happened over a period of 8-10 minutes from when they decided to put a monitor on his head and we weren't 100% sure if he'd been with out oxygen. Then he came out. He was crying and perfect. She exclaimed, He's alive! Not it's a boy like I had imagined but even better. Everyone literally cheered and clapped. He received an apgar score of 9/10. I named him Evan David, meaning God is gracious and he who is beloved. Then Dr. Tong said someone go tell Eric he has a healthy boy, he's probably worried! The information went down the halls like a chain from one person to the next to Eric. To which him, my mom, and his had a nice cry. (I was told). I didn't get back to Evan for awhile after they took him to be observed while I got sewed up and all the other stuff that goes along with surgery. But I did get to touch him and I was comforted knowing he was in good hands. God gave me so much peace.
Apparently just the day before the assisting Dr. in the c section and many other hospital staff had just practiced a full term prolapsed cord emergency c section. Also I felt comfortable as I knew all the nurses. Although I don't care for the head monitors I had prayed knowing it was a possibility and had decided to allow it. (Thank God). There were two extra nurses on that night, one being Tricia who figured it out and had been an E.R. nurse, so calm and quick. Everything and so many more little things were perfectly in place for such an event. For the merciful delivery of Evan. Thank you Jesus.
