The Story of my Birthday

This blog post originally appeared on Mom & Dad’s wedding photography blog: FengLong Photography Blog. I think Dad was just lazy and didn’t want to re-write it all, or maybe he was smart and being “efficient” by not writing too blog posts… Hmmm…

Here is the original post:

Another personal update this week! As a follow-up to the photoshoot we did 2 weeks ago of Betty and some maternity photography, we have officially welcomed Miles Winston Long into the world and into the FengLong family! Here is the story of Miles’ rough entry into this world and how her entered our lives on February 24th, 2011 at 1:47 PM…

Those maternity photos seem like a world away looking back on that time two weeks ago. We took those photos on a Thursday, and the following day Betty had a check-up with her doctor. Due to the high blood pressure she was having they didn’t let her go home and kept her at the hospital for overnight observation, finally letting us go home on Saturday. Two days later on Monday she had another follow-up, and lo and behold, blood pressure was still high even after being on bedrest both in the hospital and at home.

For the next week and a half Betty was at the hospital on strict bed rest, with the nurses monitoring her blood pressure multiple times per day. They we worried she may have pre-eclampsia, but all of the blood work came back negative. Finally they decided to induce delivery on Wednesday, a week and a half after being admitted to the hospital.

They started her on Pitocin (oxytocin) early Wednesday morning. After a miserable first day, we talked to the doctor about having her break the water and continue going or to start again in the morning. One of the side effects of Pitocin is not being able to eat, so we chose to have some rest that night and start again on Thursday.

Thursday morning, our doctor broke Betty’s water as we started up on the Pitocin again to really get things moving. And moving they did, Betty started the contractions and we even got so far as to start an Epidural. All of this medical science was not without it risks and we had quite a scare about an hour into slowly increasing the dosage of Pitocin. Suddenly the babies heart rate dropped and our nurse rushed in to stop the drugs and put Betty on oxygen to get him back in the normal range. Everything worked and we monitored as the contractions slowly started again.

The next problem to happen to us was that after each contraction, Miles’ heart rate would drop and then pick back up again. More concern for the doctor, so she ordered a cesarean section for the safety of the baby.

What happened next seemed like a whirlwind of emotion and activity. Betty was prepped, I was in a hospital gown as well, and before I knew it I was sitting in the recovery room waiting for the nurse to get me. She came in with an update, Betty is still feeling pain even with with Epidural still running. “Let’s go Dad!” the nurse says to me as we are whisked to the operating room which is full of doctors and nurses with Betty on the table. I get a front row seat by Betty’s head which is behind the drape, drugged but conscious I hold her hand but don’t think she remembers any of this. The doctor tells me to stand up and I watch as they pull the baby out!

During a blur of emotions I remember walking over to the side table where the other nurses start cleaning Miles, getting the fluids out of his mouth and making sure he was breathing. Watching him kick and squirm I could not help but get emotional as the miracle of life is presented before you. I wasn’t crying but it would be lying to say that my eyes didn’t start to water as I watched him there.

From the operating room, I carried little Miles over to Betty who was still half in and out of consciousness. She gave Miles a kiss on the forehead but I don’t think she remembers ANYTHING while under the influence of all that pain medicine! Miles and I went from the operating room to the transitional nursery where the nurses weighed him, measured him, and recorded all of the other vital signs.

I was sort of surprised that they let me into this same room as Miles, but it was just Miles, 3 nurses, and myself in a small office so I guess it was alright. One nurse doing the measuring and washing while the other two were entering the information into the computer. This was still a magical time and I’m so glad I was able stay there to be with Miles just minutes after being born!

I brought Miles with me back to the recovery room once Betty was finished with her surgery and the drugs started wearing off. I handed the camera over to one of the nurses, dialed in some “safe” settings and had our nurse take our first family portrait together:

I also had Betty take one of me with Miles from back in the room:

So now we are back to present day, Sunday and day 3 of Miles’ life with us here at Piedmont Hospital. Betty’s blood pressure has remained high so we didn’t get to go home just yet. Even though it is very frustrating being stuck here, at least we are under the watchful eye of our loving nurses who are just trying to make sure things are safe for Betty and Miles. In the meantime, I’ve also had a good amount of free time in between holding Miles which let me practice taking photos of Miles during these early days!

Hopefully by the time you are reading this the blood pressure medicine has worked it’s magic and Betty will get cleared to leave and we can finally go home after 2 weeks here. I’m sure the cats are getting lonely at home, we will be back soon!

Soon we will have a new assistant on wedding shoots, but let’s give him a few years, ok? Thank you everyone that left us such warm comments on Facebook! These comments helped as Betty has been trapped here in her room for such a long time. Now that the pregnancy is over we can’t WAIT to get back to shooting weddings! With the warm weather also rolling in in Atlanta, things are combining for a perfect 2011! 🙂

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Zachary Long is a wedding photographer based in Downtown Atlanta, Georgia. Together with his wife Betty Feng they form Feng Long Photography. Zac and Betty are available for weddings in the Metro Atlanta, GA area and destination weddings throughout the United States and China.

All images (c) FengLong Photography

Please view our website and blog at www.fenglongphoto.com/

35 weeks now! I am coming soon…

It has been a while since my last blog. In last two months, my main activities are growing and moving around. Doctor said that i had a growth spur. Mom is freaked out because her belly becomes so BIG now! She is not happy the fact that she is chubby, heavy and swollen. She describes herself having elephant feet, bear palm, panda face and belly. 😦

I know her pain and I can not wait to come to see her and dad as well! Five more (perhaps less) weeks to go!

Even though complaining a lot, mom is happily to just get her final maternity photos done before I come. Love those photos.