What comes around ...

   Goes around.  And lands right where it's supposed to.  Always.  I believe that.  It's why my work in nursing homes during high school and college allowed me to provide care for my Dad in his last days of battling cancer.  It's why I got the call to go to Amber's during the final week of classes (when I could leave exams to a colleague) and not the week before.  It's why my Mom, after many years of living far, far away had just retired and moved into Amber's basement.  She not only provides Amber with a bit of rental income, but also babysits for Diego, and much more. She is there now, with 40+ years of nursing experience to help Amber with Yesenia.  She is there now to love.

   This is what's called Divine Providence - "in His wisdom He so orders all events within the universe that the end for which it was created may be realized."  

   Yesenia on May 4th - her birthday.

    Yesenia is now 10 days old and has already had an MRI, CT scan, surgery, and several ultrasounds of her head.  Friends and family around the world have been praying for this sweet baby.  We are grateful.  She is certainly here for a reason.  She is perfect.  She is exactly how she was meant to be.  On day 2 the neurosurgeons placed a Rickham Reservoir in her head.  Since then they've drained 5ml, then 10ml, and more cerebral spinal fluid from her head.  They fear an infection and have placed her on antibiotics.  They added a stitch to the incision.  They are working hard to reduce the swelling, but are optimistic because newborns skulls are soft ... and the brain is very plastic ... and there is a great deal of hope.

  the Rickham Reservoir

   Amber is breastfeeding (and pumping).  When Yesenia is too tired to eat she is fed through an NG tube - but she's getting Mom's milk.  She has just been moved out of the NICU and into the ICC - this is good - it means she is stable and strong and she is LOVED.

Mother's Day

   Today is everything Mother's Day should be.  A wonderful celebration of Motherhood and everything that it means.  I am grateful that I am here with my Mom, my sister, and her family.  I regret that I'm not with my own family and that I've missed so much time with my girls.  I've missed soccer games, homework, prom, SAT tests and much more.  I know they understand but they still miss me and I miss them terribly today.

   The last week has been exhausting, frustrating and miraculous.  First they planned an induction for Monday, then they cancelled it at the last minute.  Then they informed Amber that a c-section would be required and gave Amber no choice in the matter.  On Wednesday, an ultrasound revealed that the baby's ventricles were a '4' and they should be a '1'.  I have no idea of the unit of measurement.  Her head was getting bigger.  Or as Amber would say 'more big'.  During a visit to the park on Tuesday Alex and Amber tried to get some pre-baby family photos of Diego.  'Alex', says Amber 'you should get MORE CLOSE'.  While shoe shopping later that day she informed me, 'I have, already, shoes green the same like those'.  I'm not making this up!

   Before her surgery I asked the perinatologist for more information.  'Well, HYDRO is for fluid and CEPHALUS is for head'.  My response, 'well, Arrogant is for you and Asshole is what I think about you'.

   Yesenia Araceli Ramirez arrived at 2:08 pm Wednesday, May 4th weighing 7lbs 2oz.  She is 20 1/2 inches long.  She has a thick mop of dark hair covering her more large head.  On Thursday Yesenia had her first of what's likely to be many mri's (normal and dye contrast) which revealed the origin (but not the cause) of the bleed: the Choroid Plexus.  On Friday afternoon the neurosurgeon placed a Rickham Reservoir in Yesenia's head.  On Saturday, after a CT Scan confirmed the Reservoir had been successfully placed, they began draining Cerebral Spinal Fluid (5 ml) from her brain. 

What's a Rickham Reservoir?

   Saturday afternoon Amber started breastfeeding her.  She's been using a breastpump since the birth to ensure the milk supply comes in.  I'm impressed (x 1,000) with Amber's determination to nurse her baby.  All of this hasn't been easy.  Amber's hospital is 1/2 mile from the baby and we have to wheel her through an underground tunnel to reach the NICU.  Then she wrestles with wires and iv's to get to the baby.  By the time she's finished it's time to wheel back to the other hospital for pain pills and rest.  She's lucky if she gets 20 minutes.  It's hard, but she's a Mom so she's doing it and doing it well.  And she'll keep on doing it.  Because she's a Mom.