Finally--Grandparents!!!

When: About 3:45 this afternoon (Saturday, November 6, 2010)
What: A wee little baby girl
Where: Eastern Idaho Regional Medical Center, Idaho Falls, Idaho
Weight: weighing no more than 4 lbs 4 oz.
How Born: Caesarean Section

Currently Carolyn Tigner Shaffer is in good medical condition after the surgery and is resting at the hospital.
Lily Shaffer is in the Newborn Intensive Care Unit (NICU) and will remain there until she grows to term (probably 2 or more weeks) or begins eating healthily and gaining enough weight. Carolyn is expected to be in the hospital for another 3 or more days. Samuel is there with Carolyn and the baby and is a happy father right now.

We are happy new, first-time grandparents.

The story as Claudia and I know it:

Last night Carolyn and Sam came over to the house. They had been worried about the baby because it seemed to have dropped a little over a week ago and Carolyn was not feeling very well. During the day the lay midwife had ordered an ultra sound to examine the condition of the baby and Carolyn. The imaging showed a low level of amniotic fluid--less than half. Carolyn is only 35 weeks along and this was a concern. Visits were scheduled with the midwife and Dr. Isbell (Ob Gyn) on Monday, but no one would see Carolyn until then.

At our house last night I was the only person who had observed a mother in labor. I was concerned and thought they ought to probably contact a doctor right away. To me she looked and acted as though she were in labor. Carolyn was grouchy about the inference. They decided not to contact the doctor. Home they went.

This morning Claudia received a call while I was out reading with a friend's son. Sam and Carolyn were going to the hospital because some "things" had occurred during the night and the midwife had told them they should go there immediately.

They went at about 9:30 am and were there the rest of the day. The hospital was apparently about ready to send them home until about 3 pm, when Carolyn's body started into full labor. A C Section was scheduled for 4 pm. Claudia called me as soon as she found out. I headed home withing about 5 minutes. We arrived at the hospital at 3:50 pm and the baby had already been born and was in the NICU. We were told everything was going to be just fine. We stayed awhile, saw our new granddaughter, retrieved some supper for Sam and us and some flowers for Carolyn's room (Carolyn is on a clear liquid diet until they know she can take in solid food). We then wished them both well and left the hospital for home.

We were both pleasantly surprised to discover that the baby had been born and that both were physically doing well.

What more can we say--she is perfect!!!