I never could have known, when I wrote my last post, that I would need the reminder myself. God sees us through EVERYTHING but one week ago today I wondered.
You see my daughter went into labor 5 weeks early. They didn't know it either when they left to get an ultrasound around noon on February 4, 2019. Cora hadn't been feeling well so her midwife made arrangements with a doctor she had worked with quite a few years to request an ultrasound.
As I walked in Michael and Cora's door about 10:00 AM, I noticed that Rosie had one puppy born already. Cora said that she had just checked her about an hour before. I pulled the dog bed containing the VERY large mama into the entry way so that the puppies could be warm as they entered this world.
Cora seemed fine and truly excited that the puppies were coming but that's not all who was coming.
Michael and Cora left for Bismarck around noon while I stayed with Elsie and Rosie. Cora had the ultrasound which revealed that the baby was breach. It was noted that Cora was dilated to a 1. I never heard of the midwife in this saga again except that Michael wondered if she was stuck in her yard as we are having LOTS of snow!!!
Labor progressed quickly and INTENSLY while puppies were popping out of Rosie at the rate of about 1 per hour. Finally we got a text about 8:00 PM that a C-section was needed. I was thankful that my BodyTalk Practitioner, who was a midwife for many years in her first life, was preparing Robert and I for the fact that this would not be a home birth once again! );
About bedtime we moved the puppies into the laundry room in a pen that Robert had set up for them. They were warmer there plus people could come and go from the entry way much easier. As we moved them, we counted the tiny creatures.
The last count I had made for sure was 6 but Jacob had counted 8 when my men came over for supper. As Robert and I moved the puppies, we counted NINE of them. Then Robert went to move the mama but she wasn't very comfortable. He picked her up in the blanket she was on and moved the whole bundle. When he laid Rosie down in the new pen, she had had ANOTHER puppy. That was the last one, though, which made TEN!
We prayed for Cora and her baby.
Elsie just could not go to sleep although she's usually out by 8:00. We assumed that the tension of daddy and mommy being gone, and grandpa and grandma being there, scared her. Then, too, she was NOT very fond of the puppies. Half the time she cried at their whimpering and the other half of the time she couldn't take her eyes off of the ever growing pile of puppies in her home!
Finally Robert put on a movie and held Elsie while I collapsed on the couch into a very light sleep. I woke up when Robert said that I should probably check my texts. There was one from Michael stating that the C section was over and that it went well. His words, "Mama and baby came through just fine," were an amazing relief!!
Finally Elsie fell asleep and Robert laid her in her crib. We relaxed but were surprised when another text from Michael soon followed. "IT'S A GIRL" he announced. Then these words followed, "No name yet but she is 4 pounds and 5 ounces and 19.75 inches long"
We knew nothing about preemie babies but we're learning. The next day we were able to see our little granddaughter in the NICU. I wept inside at all the hoses in her nose and mouth. Then, too, there were the monitors she was hooked up to. I loved her so much as I stood by her little trembling body and prayed that she would live.
Now we're a week later and our little granddaughter is starting to nurse and she's almost off of oxygen. God provided in marvelous ways for my daughter and her family!! A dear friend of Cora's just "Happened to be" going on a 12 day vacation with her mom and sisters. She is loaning Michael and Cora her HOUSE in Bismarck for as long as they need it!
Miranda's mom brought a crib to the house for Elsie to sleep in and her sister is loaning them her breast pump. All of this is kindness unimaginable!!! Michael is fixing some little things in the house so that it is nicer for Miranda when she finally gets her home back! ISN'T GOD WONDERFUL HOW HE MEETS OUR NEEDS--HOW HE SEES US THROUGH????
So, just in case you're curious, our daughter and her husband named their fragile little daughter
Christina Louise Dalquist. Michael has someone in his ancestry named Christina and Louise is the name of Robert's mother's mother. Michael read from the name book that Louise means "Fierce fighter". I think it's a perfect name for someone who started life fighting for every breath!
Please keep our family in your prayers--especially Christina for she's so very small in a great big world. The hospital staff has been excellent to work with. Michael and Cora have a home away from home where they can be together yet away from the hospital. Our friends are keeping us all covered in prayers! It's too cold for farmers to bring grain into the plant so we have our men to help us through chores; puppies; watching Elsie; travel to and from Bismarck; and the stresses of having a preemie baby in the family!
Please keep Christina--my third grandchild--in your prayers!
Dawn
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