Our Newest Gift

Almost exactly a year after a miscarriage, we welcomed our precious little girl into the world. She is every bit worth the wait and worth a more challenging pregnancy than I had with her brother. Here’s a review:

I spent half the pregnancy with “morning sickness” – which plagued me most often after supper/before bed. Dietrich shared an upper respiratory/sinus infection with me about halfway through, which resulted in me not even keeping fluid down for about a week. My growing baby stretched me and pinched nerves and seemed to scramble my organs. I learned quickly which foods the baby didn’t seem to like and didn’t try those foods again for several weeks.

Then came the 20-week ultrasound. “It’s a girl!” I excitedly told everyone. We were also delighted because we had her name picked out already (we picked both a boy and a girl’s name when pregnant with Dietrich). I was especially relieved as we hadn’t come up with a single new boy name. From that day forward, we called “baby” by her name, Madilynn Janet.  Then at the following appointment, I was told she had some “soft markers” that were of concern: dilated kidneys and a spot on the heart. We were referred to high risk. (Here would be a good place to mention that my husband, Peter, has been deployed since about the beginning of the second trimester.) These two markers together can mean an increased likelihood of down syndrome. While we loved our baby and wanted her regardless of any perceived “imperfection” in the world’s eyes, we also prayed for better news at the next appointment/ultrasound.

The next ultrasound, the tech told me everything she was looking at and what different parts were – truly amazing! The place in the kidneys had corrected itself and the spot on the heart also ruled insignificant. We were thankful and relieved. We rejoiced and praised God.

At my 36 week check-up, I was told we were on the schedule, the first slot of the day, for my repeat c-section on Oct. 22. I dutifully went to my twice-weekly monitoring. Baby girl repeatedly kicked or hid from the heart monitor. My parents and Peter arrived the week before the planned event. When we went in for pre-op the day before, we were told, due to some glitch we weren’t on the schedule and would have to be “worked in” – just to call the next morning to see when to come. So we go in a little later than the original plan. and we wait. and wait. Noon we are told. Then 1300… Then 1400… Then 1500… Finally, at about 1545 (3:45 PM), they begin prepping me. Up until then, I felt no nervousness. As soon as I sat down in the OR, anxiety flooded over me. However, so did the calming words of scripture: cast all your anxieties on him. I prayed, knowing that others were also praying for me. I focused on breathing – lots. I tried to ignore the beeping monitor of my heart and blood pressure. It seemed like an eternity before Peter was allowed to come in with me.

The anesthesiologist and his “helper” told us everything going on, explained things, answered Peter’s questions, and constantly checked on how I was doing (he even came by the next day to check on me!). In our first c-section, we had none of that, and it seemed very fast. This time, the doctor took her time (of course, my water hadn’t broken and I had no contractions, so they had time), going one layer at a time, working patiently through any scar tissue. This seemed like another eternity, but finally FINALLY at 1626 (4:26 PM), I heard my baby girl’s cry as they lifted her over the drape for me to see her! Then she peed on the doctor (which Peter found most satisfying). She weighed in at 8 pounds 2 ounces and measured 20.7 inches long. She remains in the 75 percentile for size/age. At her two week check, the doctor declared her both beautiful and perfect – always nice when the doctor agrees with you.