Tender Mercies

Annie was born at 3:45 pm after a mostly uneventful labor. The end was a little intense, but overall, things went very smoothly. She weighed in at 6 pounds 8 ounces and I haven't even thought to find out how long she is. She has a little bit of hair, and if you ask me, she looks like the rest of our clan- very Sabin!

I feel like I have been holding my breath for three months waiting for Annie to take her first breath. My greatest hope for today was that she would be able to breathe on her own- that we would at least hear that first cry before she was passed into the NICU and likely intubated and placed on a ventilator. After what seemed like eternity and was probably actually 30 seconds, she did it!! Just as the doctors were passing her through to the NICU team, she let out a cry- one of the best sounds we have ever heard. At that point, the window was shut and the blinds drawn tight while they assessed and stabilized her. Talk about torture for two worried parents! After 20-30 minutes, we started to receive news about her. Most of it good news as we were expecting a pretty scary scenario. This is where she stands right now: She is breathing on her own- no ventilator so far! They have her on oxygen canulas and with that she has been able to keep her O2 levels where they need to be. Her color is great. She is pink and looks really good. The doctors do not believe she has Down's Syndrome as she is not exhibiting any of the typical characteristics. We will not know about DiGeorge Syndrome for a couple of days, but the fact that she is doing so well gives us great hope that she does not have this either. For now, they have not had to transfer her to the CICU at PCMC and if she remains stable she will be able to stay here in the University NICU and we can hope to bring her home much sooner than we anticipated. The doctors have told us that the next 48 hours are critical and will give her a chance to prove herself. There is still a chance that she will be intubated and transferred, but, so far, so good!

Of course, we know that even best case scenario for Annie will be a long road. But, we feel optimistic and hopeful for her and are filled with gratitude tonight for all of our blessings and our Heavenly Father's watchful care over our family. We both felt so much peace last night and throughout the day and know that your love and prayers combined with our Heavenly Father's tender mercies are sustaining us. Please continue to pray for Annie- it means everything to us! We will keep you posted as we learn more and follow her progress on this journey. Please know of our love and sincere gratitude for your part in all of this.