Birthday Blessings

Emily is 1 today! What an amazing year it has been! I’ve been spending some time going through all her pictures from the past year, and I just can’t believe how far she’s come!

Last year on September 7, there was so much uncertainty! I had gone into labor the day prior (on Labor Day, ironically) at 27 weeks 6 days pregnant. I was admitted to the University of Chicago Hospital, but despite several rounds of magnesium sulfate and all efforts to delay labor, the contractions continued and I kept dilating. Twenty-four hours later, two doctors came into my room and informed me that I had developed an infection and the baby would need to be delivered via c-section in attempt to prevent the infection from reaching the baby. I remember panicking when I heard the delivery would be that night. I remember crying with the doctor and Luke about the risks. The doctor assured us that this was the best thing for right now. She said that the baby would be safer outside rather than inside.

As they were prepping me for the epidural and preparing the surgery room for an emergency c-section, I couldn’t stop shaking. They almost couldn’t get the epidural in because I felt faint and couldn’t hold still. Everything was so surreal.

After Emily was born, I remember one of the neonatologists briefly showed Emily to me, all bundled up, before she was whisked away to the NICU. I wasn’t sure if she was stable or not until many hours later.

I didn’t get to see Emily again until the next day. At 2 lbs 11 oz, she was much tinier than I had imagined, but I was just so grateful that she was alive and stable. I remember that the beeps of all the machines were loud and scary to me at first.

Emily stayed in the NICU for 62 days while she learned how to regulate her body temperature, eat, and breathe. I remember the doctors talking with us about how her immune system was not yet fully-developed, so infections were more likely and more lethal for her. They also laid out the risks for cerebral palsy, learning disorders, hearing loss, brain damage, and blindness.

Emily seemed oblivious to the odds against her. Besides an infection on her leg, a blood transfusion, and a few days of “isolation” while they ran MRSA tests, she had an uneventful NICU stay. The nurses always commented that she was such an easy-going baby. In fact, she was always paired with a more demanding baby because she could wait a little for a feeding or diaper change or put up with a noisy “neighbor.”

For two months, Luke and I drove back and forth to Comer Children’s Hospital to visit Emily while also trying to give our children attention back at home. It was hard to have my kids split up, because no matter where I was, I always felt I should be at the other place.

On November 8, we took Emily home. Since then, the doctors have kept a close eye on Emily. I have taken her back to Chicago for checkups every 3-6 months to check her eyes and ears and to make sure she’s growing right. We’ll continue this until she’s 2, but so far she’s hitting all her milestones on schedule.

Today Emily is nearly 18 lbs, perfectly healthy, smiley, amazing, and, like all children, miraculous. Thank you, friends and family, for sharing in our journey and encouraging us along the way. Thank you, Lord, for so many answers to prayer! What an amazing year this has been!

Happy 1st Birthday, Emily. We can’t wait to see what God has in store for your life. For such a little baby, you have been a huge blessing to us. You’ve won over our hearts (along with the hearts of just about everyone who meets you) with your blue eyes, big smile, and happy personality. We love you, sweet girl!

p.s. Pictures to come after birthday parties this weekend (my family) and in two weeks (Luke’s family).  :)