GRACIE LEE

I hardly know how to begin this blog. January 19, 2009 is a day that will forever be etched in my memory. This is the day I gained and lost my granddaughter! My first inkling that anything was wrong came about 4pm that day. Emily called to tell me that she and Richard were on their way to St. Luke's Hospital for a BioPhysical Profile Ultrasound as she hadn't felt Gracie moving for a while. They had called the Midwife and gone in to her office where she was monitored for a while and found Gracie had a good hearbeat but no movement. They were sent out for lunch and told to return later, same thing, good heartbeat...no movement. I was at work when Emily called to tell me and I immediately researched this ultrasound on the internet as I had not heard of it before. I started getting a sinking feeling in the pit of my stomach as I started reading what no movement could mean! Even with a good heartbeat! Of course I told my co-workers and we all agreed Emily would be having a c-section soon. I left work and went home and immediately started getting some things together for the Gracie that I had for her. I also got out some of Emily's old baby blankets and washed them as it was cold and I didn't know if Emily had any blankets yet. I was getting very antsy as Emily hadn't called yet to tell us the results of the ultrasound. I kept wanting to call her, Gene kept telling me to wait, that Emily would call as soon as she could. Gene warmed us up some leftovers for Dinner and while we were eating Emily called to say that she had been admitted overnight for monitoring and that the ultrasound could not be done until the next day as they had to call in a special team to do it. I didn't know whether to be relieved or more upset. I was upset the ultrasound wasn't done yet but relieved that a c-section was put off as I was hoping everything would turn out OK, that Gracie was just sleeping soundly. I talked with Emily for close to half an hour and she sounded upbeat so that made me feel better. Said Richard had gone home to care for the animals and bring them something to eat. While we were talking her phone shut off, so we texted and she gave me the phone number to her room. About that time Richard called from their house to say Emily had called him telling him our conversation had been cut off and that he would call me back with her room number once he got back to the hospital. Well, when Richard called back less than an hour later I assumed he was calling with the number to Emily's room, even though she had sent it to me by text. When I answered the phone, Richard was crying hysterically saying Emily had just been pushed down the hall for an emergency C-section as Gracie's heart rate had dropped and Emily's heart rate had gone up. I told Richard I was on my way and threw the phone at Gene. I flew up the stairs to grab a few things and as I headed down the stairs Ralph and Lydia were at the front door.
Within 20 minutes of Richard's phone call we were on our way to Jax.