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The Beginning -- January 04, 2003

Samuel Reed was born at home on Wednesday, December 18, 2002 at 1:39 pm. He weighed 7lbs 15oz and measured 20.5 inches in length. Labor and delivery went beautifully. However, Sam was a little slow to cry, and seemed to have trouble catching his breath.

The midwives were a little concerned and gave him a bit of oxygen and a vigorous rub-down to help him get started. But after an hour or so, it became clear that Sam's breathing wasn't normal. Sometimes his breathing was rapid, almost a panting, and sometimes it was very light and slow. Sam occasionally stopped breathing for several seconds at a time.

So, after a couple of hours at home, we took Sam to see our pediatrician. He was concerned about Sam's breathing pattern, but thought maybe he just needed some time to "get started." The doctor allowed us to take Sam home and watch him closely for the night, which we did. The next morning, we went back to the pediatrician, and Sam hadn't improved. The doctor recommended that we take Sam to the NICU at Mission Hospital, where he could be evaluated and treated by experts. So, off we went, beginning the emotional roller coaster ride that continues as I write this.

Posted by David at 3:41 PM | Comments (1)
if i didn't know better

had i not crested each wave of labor to your glorious
emergence
had i not been there for your debut
i would have thought you were dropped from heaven
your body damaged in the fall
but your spirit whole — big, beautiful and pure

never imagining my love to be so complete and selfless
not expecting my fierce desire to make your little body able
and perfect
or my fear to change anything
lest my meddling somehow diminish your beauty

You have captivated me
my sweet, imperfect angel

-Mindy