The Sunnyside of Life: February 2009

Thursday, February 19, 2009

Dynamic Entrance

We were sitting around the living room 7:30 in the evening in our little apartment in Provo, Utah on February 20th, 1981. The phone rings. "Mom it's for you" I call to my mother, Olive, who's been with

us for the past three weeks awaiting the birth of my fourth child, now overdue.
"Bill is in Salt Lake for a bite to eat and I am going to meet him there before he heads off to Elko, Nevada in the eighteen-wheeler. I'll only be gone for three hours at the most so don't have the baby while I'm gone." and she left. Marty left shortly after to tutor in the Physics Lab, where he attended Brigham Young University. The kids Kendy, Casey, and Brice were watching a movie so I took a quick shower. As I dried off, I had a contraction, then 3 minutes later, another. I began to feel panicked and grabbed the phone book to get the number for the Physics Lab. It took some doing but finally I got a hold of Marty and told him the situation. He flew home; I don't think speed limits existed in his mind at that moment. The neighbors took the munchkins and Marty got me in the car and flew to the MedArt Birthing Center, running two red lights! Good thing too, because after I got out of the car I had a pain, walked to the door, had a pain, walked a few steps, another pain. After they laid me down the doctor had only time enough to put on gloves and say "the baby is coming," which I knew. The nurse didn't make it, the old Dr. Broadbent assisted the young Dr. Broadbent. It was quick and the pains never really got too extreme. I felt like dancing after she was born but they wouldn't let me. Old Dr. Broadbent asked what we were naming her and I told him Brittney. "Brittney Nicole" he suggested. We loved it. 10:36 pm Brittney Nicole Robbins had made her dynamic, yet not very painful entrance into the world. .

My poor Mom arrived back at the apartment to find noone there! The neighbors came over and told her I had had the baby while she was gone. I tried to mind my mom but being a mom took over.

Sunday, February 15, 2009

Three in the Hospital within 30 days!

From my journal October 20th 1981
"Kendy had a doctors appointment this morning. She went in 4 weeks ago for her year-old check up and there was a concern she weighed 15 lbs. 2 oz, well below the normal range. This follow-up visit showed her at 14lbs. 6 oz. Dr. Auxier insisted I take her to the hospital for tests and observation. Testing from the first visit showed a high level of nitrogen in her urine, a sign of kidney malfunction. At the hospital, they weighed her again, 14 lbs. 9oz. This was 1:30 in the afternoon. She ate a regular dinner of milk and baby food. They weighed everything."

That night many prayers were said by friends and family in Kendy's behalf. Two close friends, elders of our church, came to give her a special healing blessing. The disease in Kendy's body was commanded to leave and she was blessed to begin a normal growth pattern. I wrote, “It was a powerful and sincere blessing and I felt a lot of faith was in that room.”

Oct 21^st entry: “This morning at 6:00 am Kendy weighed 15lbs, 9 oz! I couldn’t believe it and had the nurse weigh her again. The doctors couldn’t believe it and had her weighed on another scale and sure enough it read 15 lbs. 6 oz. She gained an entire pound in less then 24 hours. I knew it was the blessing and prayers and that she was healed.” That day they continued to do numerous tests and kept her for observation for 5 more days before releasing her to go home.

Nov. 14^th, 1981

I am admitted to the hospital. My second baby, Casey, is born.

November 17th “I took Casey to see Dr. Auxier ( he routinely sees the baby on their 3^rd day of life). Casey was asleep as the doctor listened to his heart beat. He listened for a long time and then said, “I will need to see him in a week,” and walked out of the room. I was dressing Casey when Dr. Auxier walked back in. “I’ve been thinking of what to do. You might have noticed I spent an unusual amount of time listening to the heart. His beats were only 60bps while he slept, they should be 120. I know you have been through so much but this is a serious concern and you will have to admit him into intensive care for a heart monitor and testing. He may have SIDS.”

At the hospital the heart monitor would sound an alarm when ever Casey’s heart beat would drop below 80bpm referred to as bradycardia. It would happen frequently. During the night he had aphnea, which is when he stops breathing for over 15 seconds. This condition is usually in premature babies and they outgrow it by the time they reach normal birth age. Casey was two weeks over due.

The same elders came and gave Casey a blessing. Again it was powerful and there was a command of healing. Although it wasn't as immediate like Kendy, Casey’s monitor stopped going off less frequent. Finally Casey was released on November 22^nd with a home monitor. This home monitor recorded his heartbeats and would alarm for any bradycardia. It only went off because of bad connections not for bradycardia. First comes the trial of our faith and then the blessings.