Bentley Robin

It was a Tuesday, September 4th. I was busily working at Papa Murphy’s prepping for the $10 Tuesday rush that we had every week. I had asked my store owner if I could take off early that day to go home to clean and prep. My son’s birth mom was planning on being induced on September 7th and I wanted everything ready! Little Bentley had other plans! A failed NST landed us all into the L&D department for the 2nd time in 2 weeks. I decided to stick around my store for a little bit- bit was ready to leave at any moment. PING “
GO NOW!! SHITS HITTING THE FAN!” I ran out the door still in my apron and raced to the hospital. I ran into the room with just enough time to give our birth mom an encouraging ‘thank you and we love you!’ before she was taken back for an emergency c-section. I had never felt more alone and scared until I was standing alone in that hospital room with her older children not knowing if she or the baby was okay. My husband was caught up at work and wasn’t going to make it to the birth. At 5:02pm, my husband sat down next to me and PING “Baby is here!” followed by the most glorious photo! I sent it to everyone in my contacts. My grandma replied “AW So tiny!” In my blur of staring at my son’s face- I missed that his weight was on the warmer in the back ground! a wee little one coming in at 4lbs 14oz. We were invited up to the NICU to meet Bentley. Shane held him first and then me. While he was with me, he began to shake. Soon after we learned he was not regulating his blood sugars and needed IV dextrose. We were told this would take a few days but could anticipate leaving the hospital around Friday. (I’ll interject here to mention that our sons mom did great in surgery and was back in postpartum healing and resting. We did go visit and sit with her a few times during her stay!) The next day Bentley was still refusing to eat and was not maintaining his temperature. He was placed into an isolete and an NG tube was placed. We were then told it could be weeks before we would be going home. Just depended on how quickly Bentley learned how to be a baby! So every morning I would arrive at about 7am to be present for shift change and rounds. I wanted to hear report on Bentley. then I would leave so they could finish report. I would spend my days by his crib side, telling him all about his home, the farm he would be grown up on, and reading various books to him. After 14 LONG days (and a double code blue on the unit) we finally got to go home.