Baby Update: Epilogue

so, it did turn out that Angie had her cord wrapped around her neck - twice, in fact. interestingly enough, both Ryan and Sarah were born with their cords wrapped once around their necks... so they were joking how, appropriately, their little girl would have it wrapped around twice - once for each of them. anyway, they were grateful and relieved that the doctor had definitely made the right call, and the c-section ended up being an answer to prayer in the end. God works in ways we don't always fully understand!

Ryan and Sarah both wanted to express one more time how very grateful and blessed they are and were by everyone's prayers and well wishes. thanks for taking the time to read the blog and care for them by asking God to care for them. it means more than you know.

Angie and her parents will come home on Sunday morning, and she's looking forward to meeting each of you!

Angie Meets the Fam

Angie

she is... the most... adorable, rosebud of a baby...

we couldn't stop looking at her.
(and Ryan and Sarah are naturals as parents, let me just tell you.)

FINAL BABY UPDATE!

SHE'S HERE!

IT'S A GIRL!

i will eat humble pie for the rest of my life!

her name is Evangeline Lily Tiren, and they're going to call her Angie. she was born via c-section at 4:01 PM. 6 lbs, 12 oz, 19.5 inches long. light brown hair, blue eyes, and she came out wide awake and looking around!

Ryan and Sarah are doing great - Angie started to nurse very well right away. the Medler clan is there now; we're planning to go later this evening...

SO much rejoicing! the picture above is one Ruth sent - they've been watching her go through the "baby factory" through the window, as she gets all washed up and ready to meet her Fans.

thank you all for praying throughout this process - we are all so excited and blessed!

PS: in terms of the gender... obviously, i am not the new family soothsayer. i should have known better than to go against my mom, Jo, and my grandmother (and my Aunt Mary Beth who is not a grandmother, but you know, she's usually right too) all saying it's a girl... as i said in an early post, grandmothers are always right.

Baby Update #13: "Breaking News Flash!" GUEST UPDATE by David Somerville

This just in via text from Casey:

"she's not progressing enough and they're concerned it'll take too long to get her to where she needs to be. they're thinking that the cord is wrapped around the baby's neck or somewhere else. so she'll be going in for a c-section most likely in the next hour. with prep and everything it'll be an hour long process but the baby will be here this evening most likely! they're doing well and are comfortable with moving forward. they trust doctor and are eager to meet their baby. please be praying for no complications for Sarah or the baby."

So here we go!

Baby Update #12.5: field trip

Mom and i took Ryan food and clothes, as previously mentioned. we weren't able to see Sarah, as she was in the room concentrating on getting through a contraction (good sign - she's having to work through them more).

they're waiting for the catheter balloon to basically fall out, which will signify that she's dilated enough for them to break her water.

we grabbed this shot with Ryan before he went back to the room to care for Sarah.



in other exciting news, Mom had to parallel park at the hospital. she insists that she hasn't parallel parked since her driving test when she was 16... so i had to coach her through it the entire time. it was quite the role reversal. i think she bumped the curb maybe four times. but she never gave up, and that sucker ended up only an inch away from the curb. then she made me take a picture to prove that she did it.



hopefully we'll have even more thrilling news later.

Baby Update #12: in it to win it

another text from the daddy to be:

"God answered prayer. the doctor was great and got it in. Pitocin is starting. Sarah's def* feeling the contractions more. please pray labor starts soon. the balloon will hopefully widen her cervix to 3 or 4 cm. at that point she could keep dilating and they might even break her water to help it. we'll see."

*for all you non-texters... okay, just Uncle Dave and Uncle Wayne... "def" is short for "definitely."

Mom and i are going to get Ry some clean clothes and lunch and take it over to him now.

back with more later... same Bat-Time, same Bat-Channel.

Baby Update #11: "where's the beef?!"

just received the following text from Ryan:

"we're waiting for a doctor to come in to help with putting the catheter in. it's tricky so the midwife wants his assistance. she also wants his opinion on moving forward since the baby's heart decelerated when Sarah was on her back for the attempted catheter procedure. please pray for wisdom and gifted hands."

thanks for your prayers and support everyone! keep it coming!

Baby Update #10: did anybody else dream about babies being born?

...because i sure did. mayhaps it's a good omen. of course, you know what's also a good 'omen'... God's still in control of when "Ryan and Sarah will get their baby," as Emma would say.

which is good for us all to keep in mind, considering the news we got from Ryan this morning:

"no change in her cervix. good news is head is down on the cervix. they're going to put her on Pitocin again to try to get some regular contractions going. if the regular contractions combined with the head on her cervix don't improve dilation after 3 hours, they'll probably give her a c-section. they don't want to send us home because the baby's heart rate slowed both times Sarah used the bathroom last night and they want to keep an eye on that. they gave her oxygen and started hydrating her through the IV to get the heart rate up and it's doing well now. we both slept better than last night. Sarah thinks she got 6 hours, but she doesn't feel great. she needs to stay on the monitor so she can't shower, and they're not going to have her eat a solid breakfast as they don't know how the day will end. please pray she become dilated soon! we're trusting God and learning patience - it is good to be still and wait for the Lord. thanks!" (sent at 8:20 AM)

and then a few minutes later:
"another blessing is that they just realized they could try putting a foley catheter inside her cervix - it's usually used for bladders. they're hoping the balloon will help expand her cervix as they get the Pitocin going. so, now we have two methods that will hopefully work. pray!"

so, it looks like the stakes are raised a little, specifically a c-section kind of becoming more of a possibility and the danger of the baby's heart rate slowing. nothing to get freaked out about, but definitely things to lift before God.

Ryan and Sarah actually have internet where they're at now thanks to my dad, so they were able to get on and read everyone's well wishes and comments here on the blog! i know it would bless them a TON if you feel like posting any encouragement or just a quick note today - i'm sure it would help keep them distracted, as well as mean a lot. the next 3 hours will be kind of crucial. thanks for supporting them, Baby Tiren Fan Club!

we'll end on a lighter note. Ruth and Alex took Ryan some Benadryl last night so he could sleep (i guess bribing the midwife to hook him up to an IV so he could get what Sarah was getting didn't work....... i kid, i kid.) the Benadryl box, in a startling coincidental kind of way, was - GASP - half blue and half pink. Ruth joked that even the silly Benadryl box couldn't decide on what gender the baby would be... except for the fact that she's pretty sure the box was just the slightest bit more blue than it was pink, and i am inclined to believe her because Ruth always tells the truth and because i went to CVS this morning and double-checked every Benadryl box i could find and they are absolutely more blue than pink and of course the gender of the baby is going to be scarily determined by the Benadryl box.

ahem.

more later. please pray.

Baby Update #9: "if we just keep on trying..." GUEST UPDATE by Kelley Murphy

Here's the news from Lake Woebegone.

Short story: Sarah is still only 1 cm dilated and 70% effaced. Sooo... Those In Charge are shutting down the Pitocin for the night, and putting her on a stronger med overnight to get her 100% effaced hopefully by morning. They're thinking the Pitocin isn't making her dilate because she's not completely effaced yet.

They will also give her something to help her sleep. (Personally, I think if she's going to sleep through the nurse coming in to check on her every 2 hours, it needs to be chloroform. Unfortunately, it's probably going to be something like benadryl. Or - what's that medicine that features the commercial with the big creepy green moth? I don't know.) We all need to pray (fast, candlelight vigil) that Sarah sleeps good and hard, and that Little Tiren kicks it into high gear first thing in the morning.

In all seriousness, please pray for rest and peace for Ryan and Sarah (especially Sarah), that they would truly trust in God's timing for L.T.'s birth.... and that Sarah would progress quickly too.

back to you, Casey.

Baby Update #8: i can haz update?

the father-to-be just woke up from a needed nap... he told me that a couple of hours ago, the midwife told them Sarah was 1 cm dilated and 70% effaced. which probably means she's even farther along now, a couple hours later. contractions are stronger and more frequent. we're getting there!

it's starting to look like this child will make his or her long awaited debut later tonight... like... much later tonight. but that's just one inexperienced Aunt Casey's speculation. this same inexperienced aunt also suggests stocking up on long movies (Gettysburg? Pride and Prejudice?), popcorn, and gummy bears to help pass the time this evening. she is inexperienced in babies, but knows a thing or two about good movie snacks.

just a suggestion.

stay tuned.

Baby Update #7: "get the salad spoons, man!"

we last heard from the almost-parents about 2.5 hours ago... there was nothing new to report except that they're upping Sarah's Pitocin dose...

oh! Ryan actually texted me just as i was about to post this! he says: "her contractions are intensifying, but there's still a ways to go. they're not going to check her until she gets more uncomfortable, which is good because hopefully she'll be getting along nicely at that point."

he has very good grammar when he texts, doesn't he?
but that's not the point. the point is, we're still waiting. so keep praying!

in the meantime, here's a gender tally update. all i'm going to say is... i think there are about 21 people who might want to change their minds over the next few hours...
Boy: 22
Girl: 21

and lastly, in order to keep things interesting, we here at Team Baby Tiren HQ offer you the following clip of a classic Bill Cosby routine. Ryan and Sarah would want this shared. i feel sure of it.

Baby Update #6: cue the Jeopardy music

as mentioned in Ruth's amazing email, i was indeed... out of the house... when Ryan called. forgive me. but here we are, back in the saddle.

in addition to starting Sarah on Pitocin, they also mentioned that she's already been having contractions on her own, and that the nurse said she was "about a fingertip dilated." they weren't sure exactly what the nurse meant by this. Ryan thought maybe 1-2 cm, depending on whose fingertip the nurse was referring to. so if it was Shaquille O'Neal's, she's probably about 5-6 cm. point being, we're not certain at this time just how dilated Sarah really is.

while we wait, pray! pray for things to speed up. and for strength. they're starting the day tired.

Baby Update #5.5: Hard Day's Night

they just took Sarah off the Cervidil, and her cervix is definitely softer, which is good news if you're planning to have a baby later on in the day. they're eating breakfast. Ryan said they'll figure out how to proceed in an hour or so. (yes. another hour. you can do it.)

Sarah got about 4 hours of sleep; Ryan said he was in and out but he definitely got sleep too. they're tired, but contractions have intensified, so the next few hours look promising.

(PS: happy birthday to cousin Greta! hopefully you and Baby Tiren will share a birthday... which means you get extra cake - some for you, some for Baby Tiren. good plan!)

Baby Update #5: A New Hope

good morning, Baby Tiren Fan Club!
let's do a Pre-Baby Day recap:

• yesterday, Ryan and Sarah went to the hospital to have the baby.
• the baby didn't come yesterday.
• i used words that i don't typically use when writing - words like dilated, cervix, and effaced.
• the baby better come today.

when we last left our heroes, they were sleeping in a hospital room, waiting for the meds to kick in so Baby Tiren would be primed and ready to go this morning. so far, i haven't heard anything, so it's safe to conclude that Baby Tiren stayed put (with his head in the downward position, as he should) through the night.

our current flavor tally is still running close:
Boy: 20
Girl: 18

i'll let you know as soon as we hear anything! Ryan thought that they'd hopefully be checked and have decisions made around 9 AM. more info soon.

Baby Update #4: tomorrow is another day

Ryan just called. they'd been waiting for the midwife to arrive this whole time (since they're not considered an urgent case, they had to wait).

turns out, Sarah is now 40% effaced and still not dilated, which means they will (most likely) not be having the baby until tomorrow. they're putting her on Cervidil to help soften her cervix. she'll be on it through the night, for 12 hours, and then in the morning (probably around 8:30) they'll see if it helped and then induce. there's a small chance it could induce labor in the middle of the night, but they're not counting on it.

they're disappointed that they probably won't be meeting Little Tiren tonight, but are grateful that they can both sleep and be ready for tomorrow. they have to stay at the hospital as Sarah will need to be on the baby monitor while she's on the Cervidil. she's having mild contractions, but nothing strong yet. they're giving her something to help her sleep.

pray for a good night's sleep, for strength for tomorrow, and for faith to trust in God's timing.

so, today we shall re-label as Pre-Baby Day, and tomorrow will be the official Baby Day.

Baby Update #3: Medler Report

as seen on Paul's Facebook:

"Just visited Sarah - she's relaxed, waiting for the midwife to arrive, and they'll start everything in a couple of hours. It was cool sitting in the room, chatting with Sarah, with the baby's heart beat providing a background noise."

additionally, i texted Ryan about an hour ago and he said the midwife was supposed to arrive any minute. hopefully she's there now.

it looks like Baby Tiren is going to be a little while in coming. maybe you should go eat something chocolate in Sarah's honor while you wait - i'm sure she'd encourage and appreciate it.

Baby Update #2.75: no news is... good news.

at least, that's what i'm thinking at this point.

in the meantime, Libby has offered to write an acrostic poem in honor of Baby Day... so far, she hasn't sent me anything, so i'm starting to doubt her dedication to the project. she probably needs some encouragement. maybe if we all ask her very nicely she'll come through for us.

in any case, whether there's a poem or actual news to post, you'll see it first here. unless you're checking Sarah's dad's Facebook page... in that case, you'll be getting the information, just without my obnoxious comments.

Baby Update #2.5: "there's something due any day // i will know right away // soon as it shows..."

here are the current gender tallies, based on votes that are coming in from all over the globe! (well... from this blog, family opinions, and Sarah's Facebook.)

Girl: 15
Boy: 16

it's still very close.
but as you can see... it's going to be a boy.

there's still time to weigh in! what flavor do YOU think Baby Tiren will be? blog lines are open to take your questions and comments now. we only have a few hours left, people!

Baby Update #2: Turrrrn, baby, turn!

just heard from Ryan. he said, and i quote: "THE BABY TURNED!"

apparently the breech position Baby Tiren was in is categorized as the most difficult kind of breech to turn. Dr. Shrout, who is an expert - she's done this for 15 years and has only had one baby not turn - had the baby turned and ready to go in, get this - 30-40 seconds. Ryan said that actually, stubborn Baby Tiren kind of got the idea that he or she was in for a turning and after a little encouragement, turned on his/her own! answer to prayer, definitely.

administration of the epidural also went very well - thanks for praying for that too!

currently they're set up in Labor & Delivery, waiting for their midwife Angel to arrive. they've put Sarah on Pitocin to keep the baby's head down, as well as to induce labor. they're letting the epidural drugs drain and then they'll take her off of that so she can hopefully bring Baby Tiren into the world naturally.

Sarah is 50% effaced, but not dilated. once Angel gets there, they'll start figuring out the best thing to do and how long to wait. it also sounds like they might put Sarah on stronger drugs tonight to induce labor.

that's the latest and greatest! further updates as news warrants. in the meantime, you may continue to frantically text and call and email to whine about the fact that there are no new updates (coughLibbyandKelleycough). be warned though, this may force me to post some kind of original song or poem in order to grant your request.

Baby Update #1.5: while we wait...

so, the immediate family placed their final bets last night and this morning on what Baby Tiren's gender will be. here are the results:

Ryan: boy
Sarah: boy

Paul: girl
Jo: boy
Ruth: boy
Alex: girl

Craig: girl
Cynthia: girl
Casey: boy
David: girl
Erin: boy
Alex: boy
Libby: girl
Andrew: boy
Laura: girl
Josh: boy
Nate: girl
Emma: girl (of course she'd have said girl if the question had been "do you think it's a boy or monkey?" she also wanted to name the kid Belle. so... your call.)

it's currently a tie! although both of the almost-grandmothers admitted that they really really don't know. but the indecision is probably just a good attempt to ensure they're right no matter what happens, because grandmothers are allowed to make up their own rules.

feel free to post your bets and guesses. (i will gladly take a cut of any winnings.)

just note, you have fair warning: if you guess girl, you will be wrong. (see my vote above. thank you.)

Baby Update #1

hello all!

this is Casey, Sarah's sister-in-law. i'll be updating the blog as Baby Day progresses.

Ryan & Sarah just found out that their version (the attempt to turn the baby externally) has been moved up to 1:30 this afternoon, so they'll be leaving a few hours earlier than they were expecting!

Sarah will get an epidural (pray for her, she hates needles - who doesn't?) around 11:30 or so and then they'll proceed with the version.

pray the baby turns so that no c-section will be necessary.

It's Time

We will meet our child next week! We're scheduled to go to the hospital on Tuesday, the 24th, to try and turn the baby (since they are still breech) and then induce. Here is the info we sent out in an email...

Thank you all for how you have been praying for us and the baby already and thank you for asking how you can continue to pray for us as we get ready to meet our little one next week. We'd appreciate prayers that everything would go well, below are also some specific requests related to the process we'll be going through on Tuesday.

- The turning of the baby can be very painful and so it's 99% sure that I will get an epidural for it. I think this is the part I'm (Sarah) most scared of from getting it, to the side effects ( I'm more prone to some side effects than most people), well, everything really. Please pray for peace and ease in getting it.
- The doctor who will be attempting to turn the baby is very successful at it, but there is of course always the chance it won't work. So please pray the baby will turn with Dr. Shrout.
- After turning the baby, I will be induced. Our #1 prayer request related to this is that I would have started to dilate already, so the medication wouldn't be such a shock to my system.
- Induced labors are known to be longer and hard, so prayers for a short labor would be great! :o)
- That no matter what happens, baby would be healthy.
- On the 25th, Alex Tiren heads back to college in Michigan. It would be great if the baby could come before he leaves so he could at least see the baby once before heading off.

My sister-in-law, Casey, will be updating the blog for us so check back for info about the baby next week!