Life of Miah Rachel Wilde

Karren had a C-Section planned for Friday morning, October 16th. When she went into her regularly scheduled appointment with her OBGYN, there was some concern about Toxemia and Dr. Stull decided that it would be best to go ahead with the birth. We waited in the hospital and Karren's heart rate was indistinguishable from the baby's, both between 140 and 180 beats per minute. Once it was established that the baby was still alive via ultrasound, Karren stopped freaking out, and the two hearts returned to normal.

I took this opportunity to return home and get the necessary clothes and electronics. Sonya would be taken care of by Debbie Pearson that day and our families in the days to follow.

Upon my return, Karren was still in Triage. We finally were taken into a private room around 4 PM. Karren started getting scared again so I gave her a blessing and she became relaxed enough to fall asleep. Dr. Stull finally arrived and Karren was carted into the surgery room where she got her saddle block while I waited in the hall.

Finally, it was time. Miah Rachel Wilde was born October 15th at 6:26 PM via C-Section. A huge tidal wave of fluid came from Karren's uterus. There were no cries and we were both a little scared. Miah was started breathing on her own, although it was weak. She weighed 4 pounds 4 ounces, was 18" long and had a head that is 12.75" in circumference. I took her to Karren's head, gave her a name and a blessing and we both cried tears of joy. Both Miah and I stayed in the room with Karren while she was sewn up, after which, we returned to our room.

Earlier in the day, we found out that a new rule was put into effect a week earlier: no more than two people (including the father) could visit during the entire stay at the hospital. This meant that there was a chance our families and Sonya would not meet Miah! This scared us because we knew we would be there at least three days, and the chance of Miah surviving until then was slim (although she is a fighter and ultimately beat the odds). After getting multiple different answers, it was decided that we were an exception and that our direct family and our photographer could visit.

We relayed this information to our respective families and they were overjoyed. Sonya and Karren's mother and father came right away and our friend (and photographer) arrived shortly after. Karen (http://www.karenmurdock.com/) took some amazing shots of Miah that we will always cherish. Karren's parents were visibly pleased to be able to meet their newest granddaughter. They left and my parents arrived a little later. They had a long day traveling from Saint Louis despite the fact that they didn't believe they were going to be able to see Miah. They too were very grateful to meet our little angel.

The night that followed was long. Karren and I held Miah the entire night, Karren more than me. There were multiple scares where she would turn blue, stop breathing for a short while, and then jump start right back up again. She is such a fighter!

On the following days, we were able to spend lots of quality time with Miah and our families. Our parents visited many more times, Sonya was able to visit twice, and Bryan and Carly both got to visit once. There were many emotional moments and we all learned more about God's great plan for us. Miah is to be here a short while and we are certain Heavenly father has great plans for her. She will always be with us and she has many (including my mother) who will welcome her home.

We were really grateful for the staff at Saint Vincent's, especially the nurses, who were very knowledgeable and brought us lots of comfort. They helped us do things that aren't usually part of their job such as take foot prints, hand molds, measurements, be with us when Miah was having issues, and gave us many words of comfort.

Miah survived the hospital and was able to come home with us on Sunday, October 18th. She stayed with us until Tuesday, October 20th before passing away. Karren kept her close the entire 5 days and many friends visited her. There was no baby more loved. We are at peace with Miah's passing and we feel so blessed to have been able to spend all this time with her. She is a blessed daughter of God and it makes me personally want to be my best so I can be with her when I return home. We look forward to seeing her again when we return to our Heavenly Father.

Dogs and "Maizes"

For the first time in a long time, our family got to do a Saturday family outing. Most Saturdays are consumed by cakes or catching up on the work we don't get to do on a cake weekend. This weekend, we ate lunch at a French bakery, hung out with friends and their dog Libbey, and visited The Pumpkin Patch. It was great fun and we really enjoyed the time together. Below are some photos from our day.

A Scheduled Delivery for Miah

I fasted this last Fast Sunday for Miah and Karren and I prayed to see if we should do a C-Section or a vaginal birth. We felt at peace with our decision to do a C-Section. After Karren's doctor reviewed her file and since Karren had an emergency C-Section with Sonya, Karren's doctor agreed with us and it is now scheduled for Friday, October 16th in the morning. We are both excited to welcome Miah into our little family.