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 would have nothing to do with taking the life that GOD gave us. 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 & was told that there was nothing wrong & that it was ‘normal’ (it is not normal to bleed during pregnancy!). I had myself admitted to Wesley Medical Center in Wichita. I was there for 3 weeks constantly bleeding. At 2:20pm on October 4th, 2001 I started having contractions that could not be stopped. After about 6 hours I was given the choice to have a vaginal birth (I never dilated) or a c-section. I chose a c-section. Caleb was born at 7:58pm, weighed 2# 6.1 oz. & was 13 1/2” long. His apgar scores were 6 at 1 min. & 9 at 5 min. He was in the hospital for a total of 67 days (57 in the NICU & 10 in a level 2 hospital). He came home 15 days before his due date (due 12-25-01). 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 (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, both of her feet were 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. 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. 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 & 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. We held her & talked to her until her heart finally stopped at 8:43pm. 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
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 is a very busy boy, just like his older brother!