Life after Delivery

In celebration of Sanctity of Life Sunday:
In a mother's womb were two babies. One asked the other: "Do you believe in life after delivery?" The other replied, "Why, of course. There has to be something after delivery. Maybe we are here to prepare ourselves for what we will be later." "Nonsense", said the first. "There is no life after delivery. What kind of life would that be?"

The second said, "I don't know, but there will be more light than here. Maybe we will walk with our legs and eat from our mouths. Maybe we will have other senses that we can't understand now."

The first replied, "That is absurd. Walking is impossible. And eating with our mouths? Ridiculous! The umbilical cord supplies nutrition and everything we need. But the umbilical cord is so short. Life after delivery is to be logically excluded."

The second insisted, "Well, I think there is something and maybe it's different than it is here. Maybe we won't need this physical cord anymore."

The first replied, "Nonsense. And moreover if there is life, then why has no one ever come back from there? Delivery is the end of life, and in the after-delivery there is nothing but darkness and silence and oblivion. It takes you nowhere."

"Well, I don't know," said the second, but certainly we will meet Mother and she will take care of us."

The first replied, "Mother? You actually believe in Mother? That's laughable. If Mother exists then where is She now?"

The second said, "She is all around us. We are surrounded by her. We are of Her. It is in Her that we live. Without Her, this world would not and could not exist."

Said the first: "Well, I don't see Her, so it is only logical that She doesn't exist."

To which the second replied, "Sometimes, when you're in silence and you focus and really listen, you can perceive Her presence, and you can hear Her loving voice, calling down from above."

So likewise it is with God.

"Thou wilt shew me the path of life: in Thy presence is fulness of joy; at Thy right hand there are pleasures for evermore."

~ Psalms 16:11 ~

A Son Is Born

It has been WAYYY too long since I've posted anything (despite my starting this post in late March!)... so first things first. The newest addition to our family:
Alexander David Henkoski arrived 2 months early on February 3rd, 2016, weighing 4 lbs 2 oz, measuring 17 3/4" long with a 29cm head circumference. My labor was completely unexpected and happened so fast that is was easy to just roll with it. Unfortunately, it was so fast that the steroid shot didn't have any time to take effect and mature his lungs, so their continuing development was his biggest struggle in the NICU. So much so, that we ended up transporting him to Deaconess in Spokane when he was 2 days old on the ventilator. I'll let the pictures tell the story:

Our last maternity photo before he came

Waiting in the Kootenai ER

Why did he come early you ask? Well, we got in a car accident in early January by hitting a downed moose (the car in front of us hit it with their roof rack). After our car sailed through the air, it skid on its side (my side) for a total of 110 yards, making the side mirror come through the window and breaking my arm in the process.

My arm one week after the accident

To the best of our knowledge, although baby seemed fine during the ER checkup (I was 29 weeks pregnant at the time), I sustained a hidden seat belt injury over my placental site. 3 1/2 weeks later, my placenta started detaching (partial-placental abruption) which sent me into sudden premature labor. Praise God, my body prepared fast, and although I was hemorrhaging and his heart rate was quickly decelerating, he was born alive and well.

Praise God, I got my cast off the DAY before he was born!!! And although I was supposed to wear a bulky splint for another 3 weeks...well, that got quickly scrapped. ;)

My best friend - the Birth Ball

Taking details with my awesome Doc and Nurse

Part of my labor team (Jordan and Terri not shown) 

After a 5 hour labor, and 10 minutes of pushing, "Baby Boy Henkoski" was born. Even before they said that he was a son, I saw, and in that moment, everything was so worth it...We had a son. Someone to carry on our name!

Dr. Kimberly Judd was our Neonatologist, and an awesome one at that! This was my first real good view of him.

I got to hold him on my chest for a few seconds and kiss him before they whisked him away to the NICU with Daddy following.

My calm in the storm. My shady oak tree. My beloved husband, who has always been there for me--leading me closer to God.

First real photo

He's always liked his hands next to his face!! Even at the 14 week ultrasound.

For his size, his hands and feet were so long and big...they nicknamed him Puppy at Deaconess. 

MY son.

"Daddy & Me"

Later that day, they wheeled me in to see him..oh, touching him never felt so good! 

I got to swab his mouth out with colostrum...really be a mommy, you know... ;)

Papa came with "Wise Old Owl" flowers and got to lay hands on his first grandson too...and a prouder Grandpa, I've never seen! (Well, except Alex's dad--they were pretty comparable ;) )

 When I laid my hands on him for the second time that day, he knew it was me, and when I tried to leave, he cried until I put my hand back on him--twice. I cried...

 Bed has never felt so good. Kootenai's food and staff are awesome too... Selah was the first to visit me and bring me a baby gift.

On the 2nd day of Motherhood....

Oh, so tiny!

Kootenai NICU

My cousin Britney who was in this same room 5 months before with her Preemie came to visit with my Grandma, and that was so precious time spent!

We were told with his lung issues that Day 3 is the worst, and sure enough it was...bad enough that he scared the doctors, and had to go on the ventilator...which meant that at 4am, we transferred him to Deaconess. Bye bye home. Bye bye being able to stay down like I'm supposed to for the first 2 weeks (which I desperately needed with my other birth complications,loss of blood, and anemia).

He was a 'very sick baby', but I was sure he'd make it...I just wasn't sure when we'd get back home.. ;)

Under the Bili Light for his Jaundice...

Size difference (He was 3 lbs. something here....)

First real family photo!

He has his daddy wrapped around his finger!

4 days old, and back on the CPAP! Looking pretty comfortable....

This was my first time "holding" him!!!! (Even if it was just for a weight check!)

My very first time holding him

Daddy's first time holding him on his birthday!!

My Mom and Grandma

His very first outfit--that's a Newborn Shirt folks! (He really wore Preemie clothes, they just got the wrong one. ;) )

My mom and dear Oma

Finally, after 6 weeks, he came home on St. Patrick's Day - March 17th. What a joy it is to have him home! He is such a happy baby! He is an easy keeper, and only wakes up to nurse once at night, and loves to talk. He is also extremely expressive and tactile. Lots of facial expressions and hand motions. He's pretty determined too. (written back in March, I'm sorry!)

Green for St Patrick's day--and then his first blowout. ;)

Home, Sweet Home!!!

Welcome home baby Alexander David!!! We thank God daily for giving us the precious gift that you are!