Dr. Chu came in and checked me and decided he didn't think I could make the trip without the baby being born in the ambulance.  He wanted to do my section in Demopolis and then transfer the baby to Birmingham.  I was not comfortable with this and made sure he knew it.  I had already called Dr. Hosier's cell and left a message about what was going on, but had not heard back from him yet.  We later found out he was out playing tennis (he wasn't on call).  I KNEW if he got the message, he would meet me at the hospital in Birmingham.  He's so wonderful!  In the meantime, Dr. Chu called and spoke with the doctor on call for Dr. Hosier, who wouldn't accept me as a transfer because of my advanced dilation.  It didn't really bother me to have a section done in town, but I still was not comfortable having Rhae in Demopolis because they don't have a neonatologist or a NICU.  With what we were expecting, I knew those two things were absolute musts! 

     Dr. Chu finally came in and said they would send a NICU team on an ambulance to transport Rhae back to Princeton if I had my section in Demopolis.  This sounded like my only option, so I agreed.  At some point, Kristi or Natasha informed me that the ambulance and NICU team would not leave Birmingham until after the baby was born and they knew they were coming for a viable baby.  Well, that changed EVERYTHING!!  Dr. Chu told me I basically had 3 options: 1) go by ambulance and hopefully make it and have the baby there; 2) have her in Demopolis, stabilize her as best they could, and have the team come from Princeton for her; or 3) go by ambulance and most likely have her in transit, but they would be unable to stabilize her and I would just be able to hold her until she most likely passed away.  Now this may seem like a difficult decision, but amazingly, it wasn't.  I knew that if i had to wait for a transport team to leave AFTER my section, it would take them 2 hours to get there and 2 hours to get back and it was not guaranteed she would make it to Birmingham.  I knew that if my daughter had to die, it was going to be in my arms and not by herself in an ambulance.  They started Mag to try and stop my labor, and we started making plans to go by ambulance to Birmingham.  The neonatologist was actually the physician who accepted me!

     On the way there, Dr. Hosier called back and told us he would be waiting on me at the hospital with a team assembled to take over when we got there.  Gosh was he right!  They wheeled me into the room, and all of a sudden, it seemed like people were coming from everywhere!  I didn't see Dr. Hosier right away--it was almost like he had to stand in line!  But when I did see him, I felt a little better.  (Did I mention I sort of freaked out on the way in the ambulance?)  I had sent Jay and Kaye on to Birmingham about 30 minutes ahead of us--I wanted to make sure he was there when we got there, and I was relieved to see him as well!

     Dr. Rees Oliver was the neonatologist on-call that night, and after about 30 seconds of listening to him talk to Jay and I, I was so relieved he was there.  We had prayed for a kind, Christian doctor who would give Rhae every chance she deserved...God had answered our prayers again!!  This man was such an amazing Christian, and not only did Jay and I fall in love with him, but so did the rest of my family!  I think he was as excited as Jay and I when Rhae was born!

     They took me back to the C-section suite and began prepping me for the delivery.  Several days later, Dr. Hosier told me during that time, he actually went to the waiting room and spoke with the family, reminding them we were not in a good situation, and to remember we  may not have a baby when it was all over.  Dr. Hosier and I really bonded over the last 4 months of my pregnancy, so I felt relieved when he came to the suite.  He stayed with me while they did my spinal, then went to scrub up.  It never really dawned on me to be nervous or scared again until right after I knew he had made the first incision.  Thank goodness I had Nubain and Phenergan in the ambulance when I freaked, because I think it helped me up to this point not to be so scared. 

     I don't remember a whole lot from this point until Rhae was born.  I remember Jay was there sitting beside me and holding my hand.  I know the nurse anethesist was there as well, and the anesthesiologist seemed to be in and out.  Chris was the anethesist and he was so nice.  I'm sure everybody remembers we were not expecting a whole lot--actually we didn't really know what to expect because so many doctors had told us Rhae most likely had the fatal type of OI, and if she did survive it probably would not be for long.  What I expected was Dr. Hosier would remove Rhae, I would here him suction her, and then I wouldn't hear anything else.  We had been told if she did survive, she would have respiratory problems, so I figured either way things went, I wouldn't hear her.  Well, I heard him suction her, and I was not prepared for what came next...the LOUDEST, most GLORIOUS cry I have ever heard!  I have to admit, for a split second, I actually thought, "Somebody has a baby in here."  Then it dawned on me, that's MY baby!  The next several hours were amazing!  I remember Jay looking over the drape and me asking him how she looked.  He said, "Normal."  Knowing how Jay usually downplays everything, I asked, "No--I mean WHAT does she look like?  How short are her arms and legs?  How does the rest of her body look?"  he again looked at me with that deer in the headlights look and said, "Normal.  Dana, she just looks normal.  Her arms and legs aren't that short.  She looks normal." 

     Several minutes later, Dr. Oliver brought Rhae over for me to meet her for the first time.  It wasn't a long meeting since they needed to get the the NICU, but it was wonderful.  I remember her color not being great, little bitty eyes on a little bitty face, and all that hair!  I also remember the huge smile on Dr. Oliver's face and the joy in his voice!  Remember--I told you he was as excited as we were!

     The rest of that night was mostly a blur.  I remember going to recovery and several people coming in--I remember conversations with some.  I remember rejoicing with everyone.  I remember Dr. Oliver coming back and congratulating us.  I remember telling him I knew God sent him to us (which I really realized a few days later when I found out he RARELY takes call at Princeton but was there that night).  I remember Dr. Hosier coming in with a look in his eyes I had not seen before.  I remember realizing how wonderful Aleshia and Lana were because they rolled me in the bed from recovery to the NICU window and stayed with Jay, Daddy, Jennifer, and I for about an hour while I just looked at Rhae through the window.  I remember never staying outside the nursery window that long with the mother's I worked with in labor and delivery.  I remember realizing just how good God is.