Marlee May's Birthday!

Every child's birth is a miracle and every mom has her own unique story to go along with that very special day. I will never forget the day, but this post will serve as a written reminder to me of God's goodness. It was also the beginning of her hearing loss journey as the day after Marlee was born brought the first indication that something was wrong with her hearing.

Two weeks before Marlee's due date, my doctor allowed Greg and I to set the induction date. I could either be induced on September 28th or on the actual due date, October 4th. I had a difficult pregnancy, so my doctor was being kind and giving the option of an earlier date. However, I have a hard enough time deciding what to make for dinner! Now I had to decide my child's birthday??  I finally settled on the earlier date but still agonized over whether or not we had made the right decision. Here were my reasons for wanting to wait a week.

1. I didn't want to be selfish - I had made it this far. What's one more week?
2. I wanted to give Marlee time to come on her own.
3. I would have one more week to finish things up at school.
4. An October birthday would allow for a pumpkin-themed first birthday party.
5. The weather forecast for Oct. 4th looked better than Sept. 28th.

I wish I was kidding...

So after much agony, I changed my mind and decided to move the induction to Friday, Oct. 4th.

Wednesday night, Sept. 26th, I could not sleep because I was having nerve pain. I called my doctor to tell her, but unfortunately, there was nothing that could be done about the pain. In our conversation, however, I mentioned that Marlee had not been very active. I assumed this was because she had run out of room. My doctor told me to come in for an ultrasound. I left school (I was working half days at this point) and drove hesitantly to her office. I called Greg and apologized because I knew our insurance did not cover ultrasounds, and I did not think it was necessary. I was wrong!

My fluid was low and the doctor decided that I needed to be admitted to the hospital that night to monitor Marlee's heart rate and then to be induced the next morning. After all of that agonizing, the decision over her birthday was made for me! Praise the Lord for the unrelated pain that caused me to call my doctor.

Friday, September 28th, 2012: Marlee's birthday!

After a difficult morning, Marlee had trouble keeping her heart rate up. Because there was little fluid, she had no protection. In a room filled with concerned nurses watching her heart rate drop, my doctor came rushing in. She, too, was very concerned. In a matter of minutes, the decision was made to have an emergency c-section. In the scariest moment of my life, cords were pulled from the wall and thrown onto the bed with me, scrubs were thrown at Greg, and doctors and nurses surrounded me as they ran with me to the operating room. Greg had to wait in the hall likely because I had not been given enough anesthesia, so I felt much of the procedure. I don't recommend that, by the way!

At 12:38 p.m., just eight minutes after the decision to have a c-section was made, Marlee was here! She was here and she was perfectly healthy! 6 lbs. 2 oz., 19 inches long. I am so grateful for God's perfect timing and not my own. I am thankful for doctors who know exactly what to do and when to do it!

The next days in the hospital were wonderful. We loved holding, talking to, and showing off our Marlee May. It was fun to decide who she looked like and what her personality might be. Okay, maybe it was a little early for that, but I did decide that she seemed to have a very sweet personality :).

Saturday was the first time Marlee's hearing ever crossed our minds. Our families were in the hospital room, so Greg went to get Marlee from the nursery. He came back with news that she had failed the newborn hearing screening in her left ear. I immediately began crying. The nurses, however, had assured Greg that she failed the test because she was a c-section baby and still had fluid in her ears. Word must have gotten around that the news upset me because every nurse who came by reassured me that more than likely she did not pass the screening because of fluid in her ears. She failed the test again the next day, but, still, I was told not to be concerned. We left the hospital knowing we would have a followup appointment with the audiology department at Baptist hospital in about a month.

In the mean time, we had plenty, namely a little baby who did not adjust quickly to our world, to keep us occupied!