Welcome! Micah Ahava Elise Brigham!


Last week, we were half-way through a high-risk pregnancy. Today, I became a father.

Wednesday morning: Olivia called me from home while I was at work. She was nauseous and couldn't stop throwing up. I met her at home and we headed to labor and delivery. We were just 23 weeks pregnant. Micah Ahava Elise is just 9 days older than Josiah was when we lost him.

Thursday: I went to work while my mom stayed with Olivia in the hospital. We thought we might be going home afterwards, but her labs showed some irregularities and her blood pressure was high. No more work.

Thursday night: 6 hours of major back-spasms for poor Olivia. No other indications of labor, but she eventualy slept more from exhaustion than from from the stack of drugs they gave her.

Friday morning: Going home? No. Some consultation about Olivia's suddenly droping platelet levels and high blood pressure. Olivia is flown to Fort Worth, and I pack up as much of our world as I can fit into the car and follow her.

Friday night: Indications are mixed: most signs point to a new manifestation of her Lupus, though a few might also point to HELPS (a potentially life-threatening pregnancy complication that can only be halted by delivery). We make the decision to begin steroids for Olivia (for her platelets) and for Micah (for her lung development), trying to give the best chance for both. Medicines are added to keep Olivia from having a stroke.

Saturday: The steroid therapy seems to be helping Olivia's platelets (slightly up from the 60's toward a goal of 200) but her blood pressure is still high. Still not sure whether the problem is HELP Syndrome or Lupus, but every day increases Micah's chances for survival by several percentage points.

Sunday: Olivia is given permission to get out of bed, but another 7-hour series of back-spasms curtails that freedom within minutes. Multiple pain relievers are no help. Without a good friend being here with us, I doubt I could have helped her much this second time. It was truly terrible.

Monday: Olivia's platelet count plummets to near-critical levels (30), and her blood pressure shoots up above 220/160 (I think). Her doctor has been checking in all weekend, and begins orders for delivery even as he drives to the hospital. Today is going to be our daughter's birthday.

Monday, 10:11 AM: I am in the delivery room by Olivia's head. She is unconscious when Micah is born. Olivia's thin platelets are a threat and she requires 2 transfusions just to avoid bleeding to death. Micah's lungs are not developed enough to cry, and she cannot breathe until they get a breathing tube into her almost too small windpipe. The doctor described the surgery as "uneventful" which I find ironic considering the difference Monday @ 10:11 AM will make for me for the rest of my life. But,we have discovered 4 things about our doctor: he believes in Jesus, he is brilliant, he cannot pass up free dark chocolate, and he has a dry sense of humor. Micah is in the operating room for several minutes before being transported to the NICU. I was invited to touch her, and I can't resist. I barely connect the back on my finger to the back of her hand. My daughter moves under my touch and suddenly I am "Daddy."

Now: This will be a long road. There will be ups and downs. The downs will be really scary. But, before I was a daddy, God was our Father. Before Micah was our child, she was known to Jesus. Before the beginning, the end has been determined. We believe for Micah's life and her purpose in this world. We believe this will seem like the hardest thing we have ever. We believe this whole thing has been His idea. We also believe God will not fail to reward those who faithfully serve Him.

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