Hestia Homeschool for Young Wild Women

Shelby's birthday was a bit overshadowed by the prom and leaving for Colorado, but she certainly wasn't neglected. She had a great time with all her new dinosaur stuff---including one of those kits where you dig with a small implement to dig out dinosaur bones.

All three of my children are "miracle babies"---Mandy came to me suddenly as a open adoption, Tabitha was born after NINE years of infertility treatments and six months of bed rest, and Shelby was an Absolute Surprise Pregnancy.  As soon as I learned I was pregnant, I was placed on bedrest and sent to a perinatologist to save the twins I was pregnant with.  At thirteen weeks I learned that one of the twins had died. It was heartbreaking, but I was so relieved to see that wee Shelby was still swimming around on the ultrasound, even though her twin's body was crumpled and unmoving on the bottom of the separate placenta. There was no heartbeat.

I cried and prayed every day to make it to 32 weeks when she would have a chance to live on her own.

The next day I had surgery to sew up my cervix. I stayed on bedrest for seven months, visiting the doctor's office three times a week for a cervical length ultrasound, a regular ultrasound and non-stress test, and an office visit. The day after the cerclage was removed, I went into labor and delivered my Shelby Lynn.  I had an unmedicated, perfectly natural easy labor. She had aspirated meconium, so we stayed in the hospital a few extra days because her breathing was rough and uncertain. However, she was allowed to stay in the room with me and someone from NICU came up to check on her every hour.

What a gift she is.

What a gift all my daughters are.

What a gift to the world all children are.

I wish her twin had lived...

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• #7 Comment from rgossett4195 
  6/26/06 2:49 PM | Permalink

  It is so heartbreaking to think of our unborn children.  They truly were children to us and will always be alive in our hearts.  Shelby is certainly growing like a weed and she seems to be as free as a spirit as her sibs!  rose~!
• #6 Comment from deshelestraci 
  6/25/06 10:26 PM | Permalink

  I love birth stories.  She looks so sweet in the second picture of her with the bench.  Very much like she is looking forward to sitting on that bench when it is finished.
  Bunny is sweet too.  You have far more patience that I with all of the animals at your house.
  Traci
• #5 Comment from csandhollow 
  6/25/06 9:12 PM | Permalink

  Yes indeed you have 3 lovely babies!
• #4 Comment from sugar1337 
  6/25/06 8:40 PM | Permalink

  I am glad that she had a great birthday!  :)
  http://blog.myspace.com/poptartcoco
• #3 Comment from ryanagi 
  6/25/06 6:37 PM | Permalink

  She's getting so grown up looking. :-(  Our babies are getting too big.