The Birth and Triumph of Madeline Alice

May 7, 2008

Two mornings after Madeline was born, I was in a hospital room on the general patient floor, shivering. I’d checked out against medical advice the night before because my husband called to say our baby was dying. I’d only seen her for a second, and I couldn’t let her pass without me. She stabilized after [...]

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Why the hospital sucked (besides the obvious)

May 3, 2008

We had a variety of Maddie-related tasks to do today – prescriptions, follow-up appointments & consults, and lessons on how to mix her medications – so when I woke up this morning feeling like my appendages weighed 1,000 pounds each I knew it would be a long day. I had a physical therapy appointment at [...]

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Maddie Marches Down Wilshire Blvd

April 27, 2008

Today I walked five miles and my daughter was transferred to a different hospital. I know you think both of those things are lies since I a) abhor exercise, and b) Maddie has been on the brink of transfer every day, but today both actually happened! We started the day by attending the March for [...]

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You Gave Me Strength

April 8, 2008

We received many emails and cards when Maddie was in the NICU. A lot of the notes made comment on the strength we showed during Maddie’s roughest days. I never felt strong. I was numb, on purpose. I tried to separate myself from the horror of the NICU, and I tried to not love my [...]

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Two Months Home

March 19, 2008

Madeline came home from the NICU two months ago. I really can’t believe she’s been home two months. I mean that in a good way. Since she’s been home, she’s gained almost three pounds, has grown a few inches, and has developed a ton of personality. In just over a week, she will have been [...]

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Commencement

January 18, 2008

Now that we’re in a very different place, it’s a bit easier to reflect back on the first few scary days of Maddie’s life. The nurses are the main reason for this. They’ve all been coming by this past week to visit with Maddie. It’s been a non-stop parade of nurse visitors for her. Each [...]

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