My sister's emails

**This is the brief synopsis of what happened, as told by sister Nicole:

Ruby Marie Whites was born Monday night at Sharp Mary Birch Hospital on Monday night, 07-07-08 at 7:48pm, weighing in at 3 lbs 3.3 ounces and 16.5 inches long. Kelly was at 32 weeks when she developed pre-eclampsia (aka high blood pressure), necessitating an emergency c-section.

We knew last week Kelly had some high blood pressure, and she was waiting to get some test results back. On Monday morning, the doctor asked her to come to the hospital for further testing. When she arrived, they ran more tests and agreed Kelly would need to be admitted and put on immediate best rest. We hoped to have at least a couple days to get some injections of steroids in Kelly’s system to mature the lungs of the baby. They also started a regimen of medications to reduce Kelly's blood pressure. However, her blood pressure spiked at 208 over 120, and they had no choice but to deliver the baby. They rushed her to the operating room, and 30 minutes later, Kelly and Louis were parents to a small but feisty newborn. They couldn’t be more excited and relieved to meet their daughter.

Baby Ruby was born kicking and screaming her new little lungs out. The nurses had to pin her little legs and arms down while they took vitals because she wouldn’t stop moving! Ruby is getting some oxygen but is otherwise breathing on her own (so take that doctors). She has long little fingers with a good grip and looks a lot like her mommy. She has some brown hair and light reddish brown eyebrows. Ruby will have to stay at the hospital for 3-4 weeks. We're hoping Kelly will be leaving the hospital on Friday, 7-11, in time to celebrate her 29th birthday with a good night's sleep at home. Kelly is recovering quite well, and anxious to spend as much time with Ruby in the NICU as possible.

Kelly’s doctor happened to be on call, so she was there to deliver the baby. The nursing staff has been so kind and supportive.

I am doing my best to make sure new daddy Louis remebers to eat and try to sneak some rest. We are so grateful that everyone is healthy and okay. Kelly says hello and thank you for all your thoughts and well wishes. Here are a couple of pictures of Ruby. Holding my hand, you can see just how small she really is. What a wonderful and exciting time!!

Aunt Nicole

***

Kelly has been admitted to Sharp Mary Birch due to very high blood pressure, 160 over 100, as a result of pregnancy induced hypertension. She will remain in the hospital until the baby is born, and monitored for preclampsia. Unfortunately, the only cure for preclampsia is delivery.

They are giving Kelly injections of steriods to speed up the maturity of Ruby's lungs over the next 48 hours. She is also on two meds for high blood pressure. The short term goal is to give the steroids time to work, in case the baby needs to be delivered in the next couple days. The next goal would be 34 weeks, which is just two weeks away.

I will keep you posted and thank you for your sweet thoughts and kind words today. Kelly is in room 488.

Aunt Nickel