Welcome Baby Gavin!

Gavin Michael Federocko

7.8 lbs, 20"

As you can see, my doctor was wrong and I was right. I don't want to dwell on this point but still - it makes me feel good to know that this isn't my first rodeo (as husband would say), it's my third; and I kinda know what's going on with my body by now. Of course to get to the point where I was rendered speechless by the pain of contractions involved about an hour and a half of walking around Costco, contracting in between samples. Anybody who knows me knows that I seriously do not like to be hungry and I had been dreading the 12 hour food hiatus that was required of my scheduled surgery. If I was going in for emergency surgery, I was going to make darn sure it wasn't on an empty stomach! At one point (I think we were in the cheese section of Costco), a contraction was strong enough that I had to lean forward onto husband's back. I think I must have moaned. A shift supervisor apparently witnessed this and hustled on over to ask Husband if I was okay. He told her, "Yeah, my wife just had a contraction". To which she replied, in a very worried voice, "Do you think she's going to have her baby here in the store? You'd better get her to the hospital!". I'm pretty sure she was imagining the paperwork that would be involved in a live birth in her department!

Two hours later I was at the hospital, waiting in line for my c-section on what was apparently one of the busiest labor/delivery days all year, I was walked back to OR. I might add that my contractions were about 2-3 minutes apart at that point, and I was on no pain medication whatsoever. I was all over the place and cried through the last three contractions I could feel. I am a huge wuss when it comes to the pains of childbirth, and I have no idea why someone would choose to do it without medication, but hey - to each her own!

The c-section went great, with Husband doing a running commentary into the video camera and making the OB nurses laugh. He loved his blue suit, and made sure to have one of the ladies take a photo of him in it specifically for the blog; which is really quite funny considering he doesn't even read this blog!

The Man in Blue (my hero)


Mommy's First Kiss

And now, for the bummer part of the whole birth story...at 24 hours of age, Husband noticed that Gavin's face was getting very swollen. The nurses took him to examine him and he was highly irritable and had a fever of 100.3, which would eventually peak at 102 degrees. He was admitted to the NICU and has been here since Sunday. After multiple tests, including a spinal tap, we know that Gavin somehow contracted a bacterial infection. The bacteria found is a "common flora" found on human skin. He most likely contracted it right after birth. It could have been when he was given his vitamin K shot, when they took blood...who knows. The important thing is that he looked devastatingly terrible last Sunday around 10pm when I visited him in the NICU, and today he looks great. He's had a wonderful turnaround, and he should be able to come home when he completes his 7-day course of antibiotics, which will be Sunday. Of course, I'm telling myself Monday or Tuesday just so that I don't get my hopes up.

Please keep little Gavin in your prayers. We are so thankful for the prayers, love and support of our family and friends. Many of you know that this is the second time we've been in the NICU with a newborn. Kirby was born with pneumonia and sepsis, so spent the first 10 days of his life here. I guess you could say we're experienced at this, but it's certainly not an area in which any parent wants to become an expert. We trust in the Lord, and we trust in the wonderfully skilled and caring staff here.

God bless you and your families. Hug each other extra tight today, and be thankful for His many blessings. I know we are.