Gracee Ann Cleveland has been born!!! 7 lb, 2 oz...

Gracee Ann Cleveland has finally arrived at 36 weeks, 3 days on Tuesday, January 8, 2008 at 11:14 a.m. at Community South Hospital located in Greenwood/Indianapolis, Indiana. After a rough delivery of 12 hours; 6 hours of pushing and her not positioning right and having to have my water broken and having to be dilated, she was ready to come, but she was so deep and her head was positioned crooked. The doctor tried and tried to get her to position right and I tried pushing for 6 hours, but with nothing working, nurses began to come into the room. They gave me medication and rushed me immediately into the operating room for an emergency C-section to performed. My man and I were never told what was going on, but except for the fact, her head was crooked and if she come vaginally she could choke or it could break her neck.

As they were wheeling me out of the delivery room, they hit buttons in the operation room which made alarms say codes and I saw nurses rushing to the operation room. My man and I were scared after hearing all the alarms going off. As we were in the hallway, I didn't see my man (they had made him go to change clothes and clean off). I began crying, asking if she was okay and no one answered my question. I cried and cried saying, "Just take her, make sure she is okay. I don't care about myself. Just do all you can for my baby girl." Fifteen to twenty people were in the operating room when I was just down the hallway within a little distance, surrounding my whole body. I was immediately put on morphine for pain and transferred and strapped down for operation.

I couldn't stop shaking during operation and was very scared if she was okay and would come out alive from myself being born premature. My man was sitting beside me, holding my hand and I told him I was scared and he told me he expressed everything would be okay. He was scared as well. I could just see it in his eyes.

After they took my kidney and uterus out of my body, I heard a crackling sound and said, "Is she okay?," while crying. Once again, I was ignored. I didn't care though, all I cared about is if she was okay and I knew eventually someone would answer my cry. I began then praying to God while scared, "please God let her be okay, I don't care about myself. All I want to be is a mother and I ask that of you." A couple minutes later I hear a screaming, crying baby and I turned my head away from my man and cried. That's when I realized... I am a mother now and you can define me as one. I turned my head back while crying and asked my man, "Is she okay? I heard her cry. Is she healthy?" He looked over near her and told me she looked healthy. The doctor then stated, 7 lb, 2 ounces, a healthy girl. Walter turned his head away from me and I kept squeezing his hand for the surgery, tugging and pulling and so forth. When my man turned his head away, I didn't realize that as a man, he had cried for almost the first time in his life after being brought up of not being able to cry. I didn't know he was crying, he didn't tell me until after surgery.

Surgery continued and I thought it would last forever, but luckily, the surgery only lasted 1 to 1 1/2 hours is what I was told... Time went by so quick though!

After my man let out a small cry, the nurse asked him to come over. He held her and came over to sit beside me. Keep in mind, there was a doctor behind him, just incase he passed out off the stool he was sitting on. They were monitoring him as well, to make sure he wouldn't get weezy while watching everything in action. They asked him if he wanted to take pictures, but he told them we didn't have a camera, but boy if we had one with us, what a joy it would have been to have pictures of the surgery.

Finally surgery ended and they did some testing on her and then brought her in my room. I was so excited to see her. I was laying there in pain, but remembering the pain was for a good reason, not a bad one and that reason was for a child, and I was very proud to be a mommy. I was very scared, laying there, but I would never regret or take back being a young mommy. Some people question it and ask why I did it, but I'd have to say, I love her and that won't change and being young, its a great experience and I was always told by doctors I wouldn't be able to deliver a child naturally and would have to have a C-section, but my OB/GYN wanted me to atleast try natural and I did, but had no luck as you all are reading about.

The day after my C-section, I was laying in the bed and letting it sink in, that now I'm a mommy and what I'd do with her as a mother (take her to the park, possibly enroll her in a religious school, etc). The possibilities that went through my mind were endless. The nurses came in that morning and asked me to get out of bed. I told them I hurt really bad, but they told me I had to get out of bed anyway. It hurt sooo bad to walk to the bathroom and peeing after having stuff put in you was a difficult journey, but the nurses told me most pregnant women have trouble peeing after pregnancy. I went to sit on the toilet and I realized how painful it was to even use a muscle in my body.

That's when I prayed to God, "Please God give me the strength I will need, so I can get up, carry her, cuddle her, and love her. Please give me the strength to get out of bed and so people won't question or think I'm a bad mommy. Please help me God." I said that pray and within minutes, I was walking around and doing things and helping feed her. It was such a joy being a mom.. People say changing diapers isn't fun, but let me tell you, I was so proud, I didn't care about any diapers, feedings. I just wanted my girl in my arms.. Oh and oh, the joy of that is a great feeling! ::Big Smiles::

I asked when I'd be released, so we could all show her off and spend time with her and they told me normally release for C-section for healthy babies is 3 days, but with my quick recovery time, I was released the 2nd morning after her delivery. All testing came back as normal, except we're all worried about one of her feet being crooked. Some think it may be her position before birth, a cleft foot, a pengion food, or possibly, she is double jointed. Now none of this runs in my family, so I'm questioning how this happened, if it be the case, but we aren't sure what it is and will be talking to her pediatrician on Tuesday about it. They wanted to see her a week after delivery (just a newborn checkup, but 2 months old she will have her first shots is what I'm told). If she does have a physical problem, I'm not sure how we will pay or afford this financially, but we will figure out something and make sure her needs are met. I just hope she doesn't get made fun of like I did growing up for being *different*. I know God creates things for a purpose and all will be different and I value that greatly. I thank God everyday for what he has did for me and I praise him for giving me the chance of motherhood when I was told by doctors previously it was always impossible for me.

As you all can see, we've named her a name related to religious (Gracee)- pronounced GRACE-E. We believe this is a very important name for her, since she was born by the Grace of God. Her middle name takes after my mother and sister's middle name, Ann. The last name of course in respect and love takes after my man's last name and of course, the daddy.

Thanks for everyone's time, support and prayers.

Michelle & Walter Cleveland

PS. We will be posting pics soon under the kids tab. Please view and let us know what you think!

Congrats Michelle....I know how happy you guys are...and how tired...Children are a blessing...I wish nothing but happiness for you and your family...As I told you I had a C-Section too and it was scary...I wasn't prepared for it...They just decided to do it when it was the appointed time...I shaked through the whole thing...It was the meds that made me shiver...It was so strange my mom was like is she supposed to be like this..I was awake the whole time and it was so quick...not even 1/2hr...
But I am glad you are doing ok...Try and get some rest while she is sleeping though thats hard to do but you will need it...GL

I was shaking too - and it was because of fluids and medicine / so forth. I also think it contributed from my tremors from anxiety kicking in.. hehe! It was quick for me too - and they said an hour or hour and half? It took about 1/2 an hour or an hour at all and for some reason, time went by so quick, though, thinking about it, when I was laying there- I wasn't thinking it was so quick.. I felt like it was the longest time ever, then again, its not as bad as people make it.. Its all worth it and I have always prefered a C-section over a natural birth anytime.