Caleb’s story starts at 20 weeks gestation. I had an AFP test show that my baby could have spina bifida. The ultrasound tech noticed that his head was long & flat (squished). I was sent to a Dr. in Wichita. She told us that I had a placental abruption that healed its self & that the placenta was not working properly or making amniotic fluid (that is why his head was flat - he only had a dime sized amount of fluid). She also told us that baby’s that have abruptions at 20 weeks are severely brain damaged & that our baby would be a vegetable. She suggested aborting him. We told her that we didn't care what was wrong with him & that we didn't want to be given the 'suggestion' of abortion again. We would have nothing to do with taking the life that GOD gave us. I was put on bedrest at home to try to get more amniotic fluid, but it didn't work. She sent us to another Dr. in the same building & he was just as bad as the first ‘specialist’. I received steroid shots at 24 weeks to mature his lungs. I started bleeding at 25 weeks & went to the hospital in Newton (where we lived at the time). By the time I got there the bleeding had stopped, so I was sent home. At home the bleeding started again. I was scared so, I started calling hospitals & was told that there was nothing that they could do. So I had my husband take me to Wesley Medical Center (WMC) in Wichita. I was observed overnight & was checked but the dr. couldn't see where the bleeding was coming from. I was dismissed the next morning as the bleeding had stopped. I had an apt. with the 2nd 'specialist' & was told that there was nothing wrong & that the bleeding is ‘normal’ (it is not normal to bleed during pregnancy!). I was told that I could come in for daily non-stress tests & that they could not do anything for the bleeding. So I had myself admitted to Wesley Medical Center. While there I found out that he was a boy (from an ultrasound), that he had no fluid & that I had gestational diabetes. I was there on strict bedrest for 3 weeks because there was a chance that I could have a prolapsed cord (I never did) because I had PROM (premature rupture of membranes). For those 3 weeks I bleed constantly & I had contractions off & on that were controlled with anti-histimine (Benedryl). At 2:20pm on October 4th, 2001 I started having contractions that could not be stopped. After about 6 hours of observing me in Labor & Delivery my blood pressure shot up & Caleb's heart rate shot up & it was decided that I had an intrauterine infection. I was given the choice to have a vaginal birth (I never dilated) or a c-section. I chose a c-section (because I knew he would have a lesser chance of brain bleeds). Caleb was born by 'urgent' c-section at 7:58pm, weighed 2# 6.1 oz. & was 13 1/2” long. At birth he recieved surfactant therapy & his apgar scores were 6 at 1 min. & 9 at 5 min. He was in the hospital for a total of 67 days (54 days in the NICU at WMC & 13 days in a level 2 hospital in Newton). He had awesome nurses & a neonatologist that I just loved. He had the normal ups & downs of the NICU: infections, breathing problems, A's & B's (apneas & bradycardias), reflux, a PICC line, blood transfusions & lots of tests. He never had any brain bleeds & he came home 15 days before his due date (due 12-25-01) on a 'wiff' of oxygen, an apnea monitor & a pulse oximeter. He had an open reduction (surgery) of his right hip at 7 mo. old (4 mo. adjusted age). He a is totally normal boy. He runs, jumps & climbs everything in site! He is also very smart & talented. The LORD truly blessed us! (After all he was supposed to be a veggie!)
Caleb at birth (2001) (2006) Caleb & Eli
Alexia’s story starts with a normal pregnancy until 28 weeks gestation when an ultrasound showed that our 28 week baby was the size of a 17-20 week baby. After many tests, ultrasounds & a wonderful specialist in Wichita. Again we were given the normal options. Abort our baby or continue the pregnancy until labor began. Again we chose to carry our baby, even though we were told that her lungs had not formed correctly, her organs were outside of her body, she had a 90 degree curve in her spine, both of her feet were severly clubbed & that she would not survive outside of the womb. We were told that our baby had a rare form of amniotic band syndrome & that the band had wrapped around her chest (blelow her heart). Her only good organ was her heart, but the band could get so tight that she might die in utero. We had an amniocentesis to see if she had any genetic problems that could cause the same problems with another baby. I recieved steriod shots to mature her lungs, just in case she did have a chance of survival. The amniocentesis showed that her genes were perfect, that she was a girl & that all the problems were from the amniotic band syndrome. On April 2nd, 2004 I woke up from a nap with a back ache. It came in waves & I thought that she had moved wrong & was pinching a nerve in my back or pelvis. After 2 hours I began to get nauseous & went to the hospital. Shortly after getting there I threw up & my water broke at the same time. I was being prepared for my c-section as my husband arrived (he had to find someone to watch our 2 1/2 yr. old son Caleb). The c-section went well, (even though my uterus had begun rupturing & she was trying to be born though the rupture in my uterus), & our baby girl was born at 7:27pm. She weighed 3# 12.4 oz. & was 17 1/2” long (head to foot). My husband got to see her eyes open twice in the operating room before she closed them forever. In the OR she also tried to move her legs, but she was paralized & she also tried to take a breath, but couldn't. We held her & talked to her until her heart finally stopped at 8:43 pm. She lived 1 hour & 16 minutes without ever taking a breath. Again the LORD answered our prayers. We prayed for her healing (she is healed in Heaven now), that we wouldn’t have to choose the day of her birth (& death) & that we could hold her while she was alive (we got to hold her & pass her between my husband, our son Caleb & myself, until she died in her father’s arms & went to Our Heavenly Father).
Alexia at birth (2004)
Our 2nd son Eli was born at 38 weeks gestation after a normal pregnancy & c-section. He weighed 7# 15 oz. & was 21" long. He spent 2-3 days in the Newborn ICU to get his blood sugars straightened out as I had gestational diabetes. He is a very busy boy, just like his older brother!