Megan Beth Rimington

Megan Beth Rimington

Born: October 13, 2009
6 lbs. 3 oz. - 19 inches

She's Here!! She's Here!! After a week and a half of on-off contractions making life very unpleasant, I finally went into real labor on Tuesday morning and delivered this darling girl on Tuesday night at 7 p.m. Megan arrived 2 1/2 weeks early, so she was rather smallish. She has since lost weight like all newborns do and was 5 lbs 13 oz. at the last weigh-in. She is so tiny!!

We are both home, albeit hermits now after being given very strict instructions by her pediatrician and the other hospital staff that we are not to take her out for at least the first month or two - possibly longer with the swine flu quickly turning pandemic in our area. Our older girls will get to wash their hands and change their clothes the instant they get home (yay, more laundry for me) and if they have been exposed to anyone with the swine flu at school - it's a shower for them too. Lucky girls.

I was amazed at how quickly the swine flu has became such a big deal here just in the last week. The IHC hospitals in the state of Utah have implemented strict policies now - No visitors allowed under the age of 14 - so no, the girls haven't seen their new baby sister yet! It became more serious yesterday when they started allowing only 2 visitors total per patient - period. They get a wristband that allows them in, and only if they pass the strict screening procedures at the front door where everyone is checked for a fever and questioned extensively to see if they have any flu like symptoms or have been exposed recently. I was told by the nurse today that hospitals are starting to turn people away because they are quickly filling with serious cases of the swine flu. Currently Weber County has about 15 percent of the population with the swine flu, according to their numbers. If it reaches 30 percent, it will be considered pandemic.

Needless to say, I could hardly sleep last night worrying about my new little one and the health challenges we face in the coming weeks trying to stay healthy. As my nurse put it this morning, usually winter babies run the risk of getting RSV, which is serious, but very treatable. This year, not only do we face that risk, but now with the swine flu, babies have very serious complications - the number one risk is that they stop breathing. I am trying to stay calm and not panic too much, but it is going to be a very interesting couple of months as John and I take turns staying home with the baby. I haven't even begun to think of all the logistics it will entail. We have canceled all plans to attend any parties, and only one of us will be attending Alicia's 2nd grade program in a few weeks, I will not be able to attend their Halloween parade at school...and the list goes on.

Hopefully all will go well and we will make it through unscathed. At least we get to enjoy this sweet bundle of joy and experience a little piece of heaven in our home.