The past nine weeks have been scary at times, emotional always, but my
family has made it this far, and the end of this chapter of our life draws near.
What happened was, there were sudden complications with the pregnancy,
and it became very likely that we were going to have the baby early at 22
weeks. The biggest problem with that was … the first week of ‘viability’ is
23 weeks. The baby would die.
G had to immediately live at the hospital under constant bedrest and
monitoring. That alone is hard to deal with. And it effected our lives on
many different levels; it was even hard on our dog.
And as for money, well … I still didn’t have a job since December of last year.
G had maternity leave, but that was supposed to be for after we had the baby….
Where ultrasounds used to be exciting, they became frightening.
Where each week used to mean checking the What to Expect When You’re
Expecting book and checking internet articles to see how our baby was
developing, it instead became a cruel game of chance, knowing each day G
didn’t go into labor added another percentage point or two towards our
baby’s chances of survivability.
Lots of small miracles happened. G wasn’t dialating any further or contracting for stretches of weeks, and friends, family, relatives, and people from far away started praying for us and showing support beyond anything we ever imagined.
I managed to snag a job after searching for nine months, and it was much more than I’ve ever gotten paid before. And it’s a fun, pleasant job. The people there were very supportive of G and I, so much so I feel like I’ve gained another family.
Vivi (the dog) fared well, too. He’s still up to his usual roo-ing and sniffing around. And the other day he found the rubber ducky we keep in the bathtub.
Max is our baby. He was born at 28 weeks and 2 days into the pregnancy weighing more than expected at 2 pounds, 14 ounces, and was 14 inches long. Against tremendous odds, he’s completely healthy. All the blood tests, the brain sonograms, everything looks good. He doesn’t like it much when I take his temperature … but he loves to be held :)
As of yesterday, he’s grown to 3 pounds, 2 ounces and is still at the hospital in the Neo-natal Intensive Care Unit. He’s back and forth between a CPAP and a nasal canula, but other than that he’s doing great. We visit him two-to-three times a day every day and give him lots of love and attention.
So, our life is still a hospital one, but I’ve got to say things are a lot less scary than before, and with G back home with me, things are starting to get back to normal.
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Comment by Merrilee Faber — November 16, 2009 @ 10:42 pm
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Comment by ruzkin — November 17, 2009 @ 8:02 pm
I recall during the birth of my little one there was a moment where something didn’t seem right, and it scared me to death. You both have my respect for being so strong as to pull through, and with the miracle that is a little one.
Congratulations by default, a pat on the back for extra. Your lil’ boy is lucky to have parents as strong, devoted and supportive as you two appear to be.
Kudos.
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Comment by Ryan G. Sanders — November 17, 2009 @ 10:08 pm
He’s now 24 days old and he’s gained another ounce.
A side-note—it turns out today is national preemie awareness day.
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Comment by Nick Enlowe — November 17, 2009 @ 10:58 pm
The birthday thing is great. My daughter’s birthday is a week away from mine and it’s always been an excuse for a family holiday and celebration. She’s 23 now and we still do it!
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Comment by Graham Storrs — November 18, 2009 @ 12:11 am
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Comment by vetta c — November 24, 2009 @ 3:29 pm
Max is a perfect name for him. It seems to fit! Max seems like a strong name to me. :) He such a sweet & adorable little baby. I am very happy for you two, congratulations!! Please keep us all updated on you three. God bless!
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Comment by Latrina — November 30, 2009 @ 6:17 pm
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Comment by L. — December 1, 2009 @ 12:14 pm