Downs Syndrome

Dear Charli,

I had this notion in my head from your ultrasounds that you would need surgery for your duodenal atresia but that's all. I know there was a possibility the duodenal atresia could be linked to Downs Syndrome, but I had convinced myself you didn't have it because Dr. Huff never saw any signs of it on any of your ultrasounds.

Tuesday morning after your Mommy had been given a round of iv antibiotics, I wheeled her up to see you.










I don't remember who came to talk to us first, but someone did, and wanted us to know you were being tested for Downs Syndrome. The doctor had seen some physical characteristics of Downs and ordered the tests to be sure. The events of that day are a bit of a blur now. I remember every doctor or nurse who came to talk to us, first asked us if we had already been made aware of the Downs. I remember thinking and saying to your Mommy, that I can't see it and we asked the nurse to show us the physical signs they saw. Because of your Mommy's research, she knew what to look for, and after being made aware of the characteristics in you, she then could see what the doctors saw all along.


The finger curved so cutely, apparently ready for tea parties with Grammy and Nana is actually a characteristic of the Downs:




Your beautifully shaped eyes are another characteristic that I still only see sometimes and I never see when you're asleep:




Your right hand has one crease straight across and a curved crease around the base of your thumb unlike the 3-4 creases on most hands and like your left hand has.





I didn't want to see the characteristics that meant something was wrong. I wanted you to be perfect. And you know what, you are perfect in every imaginable way. God made you and God has a plan for you. Every doctor who talks to us about Downs tells us that children with Downs are the most loving children we will ever meet. We have been told how blessed our family is, how blessed we are that God chose us to raise such a special little baby girl. And they are all so right. Your Mommy has been so amazing. God placed you in the care of an awesome Mommy who is going to take such wonderful care of you.

I never realized until you that Downs Syndrome can be such a blessing to a family. I look forward to getting to know you, watching you grow, and learning all I can to help you develop.

I thought there might be things you can't do, and I'm learning more and more that just isn't the case. You can do everything, just some things take a little longer than they might for a child without Downs.

What a blessing you are to us!
Love,
Grammy


 

Charli ♥

Dear Charli,

After you were born your mommy began to vomit and run a fever. The doctors wanted her on antibiotics before she could go to the NICU to see you. In the wee hours of the morning before Poppy drove Granny home, he and I went upstairs to see you again together. We decided together we wouldn't hold you until your Mommy was able to hold you again. Each time we look at you we grow to love you even more, if that's possible.

In the NICU they already had you hooked up to monitors and had your iv in place, and the protective gel on your eyes:





I still think you are the most beautiful newborn I've ever seen.
Love,
Grammy

An Incredibly Blessed Day!

Dear Charli,

On Monday morning, March 19, your Mommy had an appointment to see Dr. Kirchner. Mommy called me afterward and said she was dilated to a 3! Dr. Kirchner just told Mommy to go home and that if her water broke or contractions started to call her or the hospital, that she would be on call all day.

Your Mommy called me again at 11 am that she was beginning to feel what she thought might be contractions. She had been having contractions for weeks but couldn't feel them unless she put her hands on her belly. Her doctors said she probably couldn't feel them because of all the excess fluid.

Your Mommy was beautiful pregnant! That's you inside her belly in these pictures:






I left my job at the church office and went home to have lunch with your Mommy about 12:30. She tried to call Dr. Kirchner but everyone was out to lunch and the hospital wouldn't page her until 1:00. At 1:05 Mommy called the office again where they told her to go to the hospital in Seguin to be transported to San Antonio. So I called Poppy and Granny and told them they could meet us at the hospital. I put all your Mommy's bags in the car and we drove to the hospital.

When we arrived at the hospital we went straight to the ob department and the ladies there were very confused. Apparently Dr. Kirchner had 2 pregnant Mommies going into labor and reporting to the hospital. They kept asking your Mommy if she was Sam or Samantha. They were expecting her but had not received notification yet that your Mommy was coming. They got that straightened out and soon after Dr. Kirchner showed up to check on your Mommy and to make sure she got there ok. She ordered a helicopter to get Mommy and you to San Antonio faster. As soon as the helicopter had been called Poppy, Granny, and I decided to head over to San Antonio, hoping and praying you wouldn't arrive before we could get there. I became aggravated when just before our exit to go to the hospital traffic just completely stopped. We weren't moving at all and I was so afraid I was going to miss your arrival! Soon it started moving again and we found our way to the hospital and to your Mommy. Mommy was still in the triage, or emergency department of the OB and I waited with her there while Poppy and Granny waited in the waiting room. She wasn't there long before they moved her to a labor/delivery room to get ready for you. Your mommy was having contractions close together but not in a great deal of pain and not dilating any further.
Your mommy let me take some pictures of her in the hospital:


Still beautiful and still smiling! She doesn't know how blessed she is that she was only umcomfortable for a short while until her doctor gave her some medicine that took all the pain away.

Your heart rate dropped pretty low a few times and scared Grammy. The nurses put oxygen on your mommy and had her lie on her side because you seemed to like that better. Your heart rate dropped again a while later and the nurses did the same thing and it worked again. Suddenly sometime around 10:00 or 10:30 all the nurses and some doctors came rushing in to the room. Your heart rate dropped again and nothing was working to raise it. Honestly Grammy was scared and it was all happening so fast and there were people everywhere. One doctor decided to check your Mommy and discovered the reason: your Mommy was completely dilated already and ready to push you out. That doctor, Dr. Lunsford and the other doctors and nurses helped your Mommy know when to push and one of the doctors rubbed your head and said some babies like that and it helped stabilize your heart beat while you worked to come out.

In a very short time you were here, all purple and blue and crying and your Mommy and I were crying, so happy to see you. A doctor handed me a pair of scissors and asked if I'd like to cut your umbilical cord. I did, then kissed your Mommy and grabbed a camera to take your picture. Your Mommy did so great!

You arrived at 11:04 pm, in the middle of a raging storm outside with thunderstorms, tornado warnings, and high winds. Your Mommy and I were completely oblivious to the storms and only knew they existed when I went to the cafeteria and saw a news report on the tv. 

 Your mommy had decided as soon as she knew you were a girl that your name would be Kayleigh Charles, and she wanted to call you "Charli."  You scored a 9 on your APGARs and you looked so perfect and beautiful! We had to wait to know your weight because they wanted to get you to the NICU for all that.

We knew because they had to get you to the NICU to look at your heart we wouldn't get to see you long, but as soon as they said you were ok they wrapped you up and put you in Mommy's arms:


They put in a tube to drain your tummy right away (that's the tube poking out of your mouth)


The nurses let me call Poppy and Granny to come to the hallway so they could see you before you went upstairs to the NICU:



I still cry tears of happiness when I remember seeing you for the first time. You have blessed our family so much already and we love you so very much!

Love,
Grammy