You know, Bart and I waited 6 years before we (or rather I) I
was ready to have children. In the summer of 2008 we got it… our first positive
pregnancy test after about 9 months of trying. I was scared to death, was I
actually ready to be a mother? I scheduled my first appointment to see the
doctor at 8-10 weeks but by the time the appointment arrived our precious baby
had not been able to survive. My doctor told me to wait a few months and start
trying again. Almost exactly a year later in 2009 we found out we were
expecting again. This time I had no fear in my heart. I knew I was ready for
this and Bart, well Bart had been ready since 2003 when we got married, lol. I
scheduled my appointments and every month I would go and get to hear that
precious heartbeat. I couldn’t wait for that 20 week ultrasound to find out if
we were going to have a little boy or a little girl. At the time I wanted a
little boy so bad I couldn’t stand it. Finally, it was ultrasound day! This was
it! Bart and I went in to find out if we were having that little boy. The
appointment ended very differently than we had hoped and even anticipated.
During that appointment they were not able to identify whether we were having a
boy or girl… no big deal the baby just wasn’t in the right position. However, as
the ultrasound moved along the ultrasound technicians’ voice changed, her smile
disappeared and turned more into a look of concern. Bart and I began to get
worried. The technician left the room for a brief moment to speak with our
doctor about what she had found. When she came back she explained that she had
found a few abnormal things during the ultrasound and that we should go to the
Dr. Gautreau’s office and wait for her there. It seemed like an eternity before
Dr. Gautreau stepped through that doorway. We were told that the baby I was
carrying would be born with an omphalocele. For those of you who haven’t heard
of this birth defect it is actually fairly common. It happens as often as 1 in
every 1000 live births. That means today alone upwards of 350 babies could be
born with an omphalocele. An omphalocele, is a hole in the babies’ abdominal
wall that allows the organs such as the intestines, kidneys and sometimes the
liver protrude out into the umbilical cord. We were told that we need to see a
maternal/fetal specialist and that they would schedule the appointment for us
as soon as possible. Dr. St Amant our maternal/fetal specialist is one word….
AMAZING! Over the next 8 weeks or so he sees me for ultrasounds regularly and
researches tirelessly to diagnosis what he has told us is a baby boy! During
this time we learn that omphalocele are commonly as sign of Down syndrome and
he wants me to have an amniocentesis to do some genetic testing for Down
syndrome and trisomy 13, 18 and 21. He also request a gender test to confirm.
We have to wait a week for the results… it was seemed like an eternity. It is
now December 2009. Surprise!!! You are having a girl! Second round of news… no
chromosomal defects!!! That is great news but he notices something else during
our ultrasound. Our little girl never changes position, so the next possible
diagnosis is Body Stalk anomaly. A body stalk anomaly is a baby that has
attached itself to the placenta wall. It will be a baby born that will not
survive as there is no way to separate the baby from the placenta. We will
schedule and have a fetal MRI performed to get a definitive yes or no on the
diagnosis. This is the first time I remember the word abortion coming up in doctor’s
appointments. The fetal MRI goes on with no problems but we have to wait until
after Christmas and New Years to get the results. This has to be the worst
month of my pregnancy for both Bart and myself. We struggle to hold on to our
strength and faith not knowing what the New Year will bring. Our first
appointment of 2010, brings good news… a diagnosis! Our baby girl, to be named
Gabrielle, does not have body stalk anomaly. She will be born with OEIS. Again,
abortion is mentioned and Bart and I don’t even acknowledge the notion. Information
overload begins, research, meetings with surgeons and pediatricians. We
schedule a delivery appointment via C-section for April 8, 2010 at 38 weeks.
The day of my 36 week appointment arrives and I awake with cramping. I call and
they tell me to come to my regular appointment that afternoon unless the
contractions get closer together. So off to work I go until my 3:30 p.m.
appointment. The appointment brings news of 3 cm dilated and a baby on the way.
At 6:08 p.m. Gabrielle cries for the first time. I barely see her before she is
whisked away to another room to be looked over by a team of nurses and doctors.
They come and get Bart and bring him to see her and then bring her in to me. I
get to hold her for a few brief moments before she heads off to the NICU. It
will be the next night before I see her again because I can’t hold any food
down. Finally on March 30th, in the NICU of Womans Hospital Bart and me both
get to hold her for more than just a few moments. On the afternoon of March 31st,
the real adventure begins.
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| Just a few pictures of Gabrielle over the last few years |
Fast forward 6 years to today. It is this precious little
girls 6th birthday…. 6th?!?!?! This can’t be for real…
can it? All of that happened 6 years ago and it feels like I just blinked my
eyes and we are here. We are in present time where there is a little 3 year old
sister and Kindergarten and daddy daughter dances. There are funny little faces
and even funnier things that come out of her mouth. There are times I think
that I might choke her because of the sassiness but in the same moment I am
proud of her for trying to get her point across. There are those dreaded UTI’s,
surgeries and no weight gain. But they are just dots in a miraculous life. They
sculpt her and mold her BUT they do not define her. There have been amazing teachers,
doctors and nurses along the way. They have been moments questioning if we made
the right decision on switching doctors and hospitals from New Orleans to
Cincinnati and again to New York City. Many times I am so proud of her I feel
like I will literally burst with pride. There have been family, friends and
parish that have backed us up and helped us along the way. This year has been
jam packed from graduating pre-K to starting Kindergarten to her first dance
and almost an entire year free of UTI and surgery.
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| Bart and Gabrielle before the Father Daughter Dance 2016 |
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| My little princess. |
It is with incredible pride, happiness, joy, boastfulness that
I celebrate this little girls 6th birthday! There were days of
darkness where I questioned God… how far will she come? His answer… just watch
and see. She holds the answers. She will go as far as you encourage her to go.
She is as timid as a rabbit in most moments but as ambitious as a fox in
others. Just when you think she might not be able to do something, she does it.
She will do it her own time not yours but keep pushing her, encouraging her. Watch
her and see. She will surprise you. She will make you wonder why there were
days of darkness when there is so much light that surrounds heart it could
blind you. She will teach you to be a better person, mother, and friend each
day that she is on this earth. She is my test for your faith.
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| I wonder some days what is going on in that little brain up there... |
My only question now…..
What does tomorrow hold?
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