Seamus's Birthday - Mark's Side of the Story

Good Afternoon,

Let me begin by saying that we are so fortunate to have Dr. Tillman and Dr. Reinhardt on our side. Yesterday, for me, was the most emotionally draining day of my life. At 8 AM, yesterday, Kerry was heading home. At 8:40 AM, she was scheduled for an emergency C-Section later that afternoon.

For the next 6 hours, we maintained the status quo. Then came pre-op. For those of you that did not know, Kerry had difficult births with both Jack and Bobby. Seamus William, needless to say, was the most difficult. The difficulties started in pre-op. The reason why the doctors decided to deliver Seamus wasn't for his sake, it was for Kerry's. Her blood pressure levels were rising over the course of the last two and a half weeks and they made a decision to deliver Seamus, so Kerry wouldn't have a Stroke. Scary stuff, I know.

As they were medicating her, her blood pressure levels decided to go south--dangerously south. When you see serious concern in the nurse's eyes and in the doctor's eyes....you know something's wrong. Quickly thereafter, her nurse, Becky, did a fantastic job of stabilizing Kerry's blood pressure and my emotions. And then came delivery. As they wheeled her out of the pre-op room, they said to me wait here for 15 minutes and we will come get you. Fifteen minutes....tic toc....24 minutes....tears, fears, worries...singing to myself Everything's Gonna Be Alright, Everything's Gonna Be Alright....and then a nurse said, are you ready to be a Dad again? Ummm, yes. Of course, Dad's have the toughest job...they have to watch the girl they love, lie on a table, drugged up, worried, scared, thrilled, happy, tired, and humbled because their goods are on display for the world to see and they have to look her in her eyes and smile and say you are awesome, you're doing a great job, everything's gonna be alright, I love you so much, he's gonna be fine, you'll be fine....all this without knowing if I was telling the truth.

Well, it turns out.....I was. Seamus William Slaughter was born at 6:23 PM on 9/2/08. He weighed in at 5lbs 4oz and measured 18 and 1/2 inches long. He will be in NICU until he starts breathing on his own. I will send out photos of our little man soon. Kerry is still on some medications to control blood pressure and she cannot have any visitors or phone calls until Friday afternoon.

Please do not hesitate to call me on my phone at 214 500 6308. I just turned it back on.

Sincerely,
Jack, Bobby, and Seamus's Daddy