Beginning around week 20, you were head down at every single ultrasound. Because mommy had a high risk pregnancy due to Type 1 diabetes, we got to see you every 3-4 weeks in an ultrasound.
BUT on the ultrasound at 33 weeks, you had suddenly decided to lay on your back in the Frank breech position, with your little butt over my cervix and your feet in my ribs. You were measuring at 4 lbs 7 oz, so we hoped you'd still have time and room to flip to delivery position.
At 35 weeks ultrasound, you were ENTIRELY breech in the Footling breech position with your head under my ribs and your little feet over my cervix. At this point, you weighed in close to 7 lbs 13 oz. We feared you wouldn't have time or room to flip again because we had the medical induction scheduled for 37 1/2 weeks.
We tried ice packs behind your head to encourage you down in my uterus. It seemed to work after about an hour and you shifted a few inches over and down each time. We tried putting my feet up and laying inverted for some time to encourage you to flip. I don't know if these methods actually worked or if maybe you just understood that you needed to flip, but by 36 weeks ultrasound you were back to head down.
We were very excited because we really wanted to deliver you vaginally. There were many medical studies that showed delivering a child vaginally would significantly decrease the risk of the child developing Type 1 diabetes, including boosting the immune system.
So, on Monday July 18, 2011 when mommy developed a migraine in addition to two weeks of severe swelling of the extremities & elevated blood pressure, we called Dr to see if mommy could be checked for Pre-Eclampsia. We headed to the ER to go to Labor & Delivery and were admitted by midnight.
The tests did come back positive for minor Pre-E. Mommy and you were monitored throughout the night. On Tuesday July 19, at 11:15 pm, Cervidil was administered to help ripen the cervix. Instead, Cervidil put mommy into prodromal labor. She held out through 15 hours of contractions 2 minutes apart and strong. When the pain was almost unbearable, she vomited. She was only 3 cm dilated so she let the doctors administer an epidural, hoping to gather strength enough to push when needed.
Trying to make labor pains more bearable, she tried to roll onto her sides and/or stand up to walk around. But the external baby monitor was very difficult to maintain and kept slipping down the belly.
Daddy had to move the monitor many times during labor so the machine could keep a close watch on your heartbeat.
Mommy was hooked up to 7 bags of IV fluids and medications including saline solution, antibiotics for Strep B, Regular insulin drip, Pitocin, etc. Every hour, nurses would come into the room to check Mommy's blood glucose levels. Every 45 minutes after we started the Pitocin to advance labor, nurses would come in the room to increase or maintain levels. Since we were admitted on Monday night and labor didn't kick in until Wednesday evening, it could be summed up as an average of 5 hours total sleep throughout the three days in Labor & Delivery between the two of us. So, when the IV machines kept alarming every ten minutes, Daddy would try to avoid having an extra nurse entry to the room by watching and re-setting the IV machines himself. He had to do this so often, it was as if it were his job. They tried to hook up the travel heart monitor, but it ran out of batteries and would beep incessantly as well.
Six hours after epidural, Mommy was 7 cm dilated and progressing quickly. But you were only at the -2 position still. Dr said she would give us two hours break from the Pitocin drip to let us rest. Then, she would start the Pitocin drip again and see if your head had moved further down in the cervix.
Two hours later, the Pitocin was started again. This time, the contraction pain came straight through the epidural. An hour later, Dr came into our room and said she'd like to begin preparing for a C section. The nurses had been watching your heartbeat at their desk and noticed that every time I had a contraction, your heartbeat would drop. This implied that the blood flow wasn't providing enough for you to withstand vaginal labor.
Mommy was very afraid, but her and Daddy decided that whatever was best for our little girl was what needed to be done.

At 11:43 pm on July 20th, Mommy was prepped for surgery in the Operating Room. At 11:46pm, Daddy came into the room in hospital scrubs and sat beside Mommy's head. Mommy squeezed his hand so hard as she shook with fear and nerves. At 11:48 pm the doctors began delivery via C section. And at 11:50 pm, Heart Fiona was born.
You didn't cry very much for the first ten minutes. The doctors gave you to Daddy to hold. You were 9 lbs 4 ounces and 20 inches long. When a nurse said "Wow, what a BIG baby" you began crying. Daddy laughed and said "No, no. You're medium sized!" And immediately you stopped crying. You received an 8 and a 9 on the Apgar scoring.
In the Post Operating Room, you had a low glucose level down to 28. The nurses said they expected a newborn to go as low as 40, but 28 seemed too low. They fed you some formula and tested you again. By Thursday, July 21, you re-joined Mommy and Daddy in the recovery room with a normal glucose level.
On July 21st evening, blood tests returned a positive reading for jaundice. So, you stayed in the nursery, only coming out every 3 hours to feed with Mommy and Daddy for a half hour. On Friday July 22 evening, you were returned to us. Saturday and Sunday we all waited for you to have a poop. The doctors ended up needing to keep us until Monday morning, July 25, keeping watch on your vitals. They gave you a clean bill of health and the three of us went home where our dog Wallace and kitten Jaq were awaiting our return. Albeit maybe a little too anxiously awaiting our return because we got daily updates from Papa and Scuttle about the things Wallace had chewed and destroyed while we were at the hospital for six days.

Your newborn pictures look exactly like Mommy's newborn pictures. Same facial structure, nose, lips, eyes, cheekbones, etc. Your hair looks to be the same color and texture as Daddy's. Your feet are also your Daddy's feet. Your long fingers may be from either side, but we're thinking you may take after either one of us musically with guitar or violin.

Heart Fiona is beautiful and smart. At just two days old, you were picking up your head with your strong neck muscles. You are adorable when you smile. You are a very heavy sleeper and you love to cuddle with Daddy. We are very very happy.