Drew and Nick came home on Tuesday, September 4th.

It is just two days later, and it’s as though they’ve always been here…the fatigue of a newborn X 2 is far overshadowed by the fact that we have 2 healthy babies.

The last 3 of our first 5 children (pictured above-minus Ava Mae- admiring their new little brothers) required, emergent and/or life saving care…

Kelly, who has Down Syndrome, was born at home. Since we had not performed any pre-natal ultrasounds or chromosomal testing, his condition was a bit of a surprise. Because of his Down Syndrome, we had him checked out at Dartmouth Medical Center, where he was admitted to the NICU, with numerous heart abnormalities. He was sent home 6 days later after much angst, many tears and inumerable prayers, with a clean bill of health. Apparently, Kelly’s heart was taking its time going through its post-natal metamorphosis. Kelly now brings us joy beyond compare. Kelly’s Uncle Matt had Kelly figured out long before any of us did.

Grethe was born at home, and promptly turned the color of slightly faded blue jeans…this is not a healthy baby sign, in fact, it’s a great way to ensure really crappy APGAR scores. My feisty little girl was clearly working hard to breathe and did so for the 20 minutes that it took us to get her into the car to the hospital–the midwife breathing for her the whole way!– where she was intubated(tube into her windpipe for air), stabilized and given the diagnosis of a congenital, diaphragmatic hernia…a huge hole in the left side of her diaphragm had allowed her intestines to travel up where her left lung should have developed. Subsequently, her left lung was about the size of a walnut. Grethe earned some serious frequent-flier miles, as she was flown to Dartmouth and then on to Boston Children’s Hospital in the first 24 hours of her life. Boston became her home for the next 30 days. Grethe came home from the hospital on the 29th of October, 2002 and she has never looked back…she will be 5 years old on the 30th of September. As one can see, Grethe turned out just fine.

We knew Ava was special, after an ultrasound and subsequent amniocentesis at 30 weeks confirmed that she had Trisomy 13, a chromosomal abnormality that is incompatible with life. Most children with Pateau’s s Syndrome, as it is called, live less than a year and many are stillborn. When Ava came to us 31/2 weeks early, we had no idea what to expect, and we could never have believed how much she would change our lives. Ava was with us for 9 days, and she was held almost every minute of her life, mostly by us, and often by our close knit group of friends and family. Ava spread love and and brought our community and family closer together than we had been before. Ava left this world a better place than she found it.

Bittersweet times…

Grethe holding Ava, Nov. 2005

So you see, when I say that “the fatigue of a newborn X 2 is far overshadowed by the fact that we have 2 healthy babies.” I really mean it. We are thrilled- to have 2 healthy babies, who cry, nurse, poop and sleep, (often simultaneously!) and who came home from the hospital uneventfully-to the point of being giddy.

We want to thank all of our friends and family who have supported us with love, nourished us with good food and held us in your thoughts and prayers. The collective sigh of relief at the boys homecoming was not lost on any of us…believe me.

Thank You, Thank You, Thank You.

With Love and So Much Gratitude,

Dr. Jeb

P.S.

For a very cool, “feel-good” story, check out this video of Paul Potts.   If this doesn’t choke you up or at least make you smile really big, then please, check your pulse.

XOXO

Dr. J

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