Bits & Pieces October

Bits & Pieces of our Lives
October 2006

October 20 found grandparents, aunts and friends anxiously waiting to be granted permission to be allowed in to visit newly arrived baby Faith. Born at 11:10 a.m. mom and dad were given an hour of bonding time alone with Faith. As eager as we were to greet her it's wonderful that the hospital sees to it that new parents have this precious time. We were allowed into the room soon enough. Grandpa Ed was the first to lead the way, claiming seniority for the right to hold her first.

What more can I say?

Yes, she's a miracle baby. The first ultrasound revealed an abnormality in her brain so the local hospital sent expectant mom up to a hospital in Portland specializing in unusual pregnancies and acute neonatal care. A thorough, 3-D ultrasound had the doctor pronouncing Dandy-Walker Malformation. Her cerebellum was not developing; prognosis: mental retardation, hydrocephalous, and the potential for a host of other problems. The doctor was did not encourage our son and daughter-in-law to see the pregnancy through to completion. They were given genetic counseling. Two weeks earlier, before any ultrasound, they'd settled on a name: Faith. And so they trusted and prayed for the development of little Faith, and we who surround them in love also surrounded them in prayer, asking God for a miracle, asking His will be done. Follow up ultrasounds continued showing Dandy-Walker, until the August ultrasound. After intensely probing the brain, the technician sat back and carefully said, "If we didn't have the earlier ultrasounds we wouldn't think there was a problem. There is no evidence that anything is wrong." The doctor looked over the pictures and gave d-i-l the okay to have the baby at the local hospital with a follow-up appointment with the infant neurologist a couple months after birth if everything seemed okay at birth.

Faith Autumn weighed 7lbs and is 20.5". We are truly thankful, and in awe.

Faith, one day old.

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