To say the pregnancy was complicated would be an understatement but our little Ruby was meant to be. From the very first ultrasound, we were told there was a blood clot forming next to her in the womb and we should prepare to lose the pregnancy in a matter of weeks. But God had different plans and the blood clot became smaller and smaller and no longer threatened her growth. Next came kidney stones for mama. This was something we had way too much experience with and in fact were prepared to have procedures and surgeries (I've had 17+ to date) like I had with my pregnancy with Nevaeh due to my chronic kidney issues. But this time was different. I was told that I needed immediate surgery right after she was born not only due to my kidney stones but when they had gone in for one of the procedures they found a "mysterious growth" in my bladder which the surgeon felt was cancerous as it had grown so fast and they "had never seen anything like it". After several consults, we were told our best option would be to have our little girl prematurely up at OHSU so we could way out our options for possible treatment. Wah? John and I prayed and cried and prayed and cried but felt that we needed to wait until Ruby was full term before undergoing any more tests and exposing her to any more radiation or trauma than she already had been nor have the extra risk that comes with being a preemie. And that's just what we did. We waited. And I'll tell you this. I'm not very good at waiting. And I'm even worse at letting go of control. I HAD ABSOLUTELY NO CONTROL and that drove me crazy. The not knowing. But it was the very best place that I could be because the only thing I had left to do was trust. Was to let go.
At 37 weeks Ruby came into the world scrawny and adorable. She was placed on my chest and it was love at first sight but I started wondering why I hadn't heard her cry and why she was blue! Realizing she was not breathing, the nurses took her from me and John stopped recording as they put a tube down her throat to get some of the fluid out of her lungs that she had ingested. And then beauty, she started breathing. She never did cry those first hours. They pricked her feet. Nothing. They gave her her first bath and still nothing. We had quite a mellow chellow baby on our hands! We stayed an extra day after the dr determined the heart arrhythmia that he first heard with her was gone completely. Within that first month, I had the surgery on my kidney stones and another stent placed as well as a biopsy done on the growth. When they went in to take the biopsy, they were surprised to find that it had shrank almost completely and after preparing for the worst and deciding to accept whatever came our way, the biopsy came back 100% benign. But that is not where the miracles stop.
A week later, Ruby and I made a special trip up to Newberg, Oregon to visit my best friend Kayin until two teenagers ran their stop sign. We were both going 60 mph. When I saw that my car was going to hit them head on all I could think of was my 5 week old in the back seat. I closed my eyes and said the shortest prayer I've ever said in my life. Dramatic I know but true. When I opened my eyes after the impact, both of our cars were in a ditch, with my car pinning theirs. And Ruby screaming. Ruby was screaming. She was alive. I was alive. Smoke. My pants were soaked from the water in the ditch and I had pieces of my front teeth that had broken off in my mouth. I felt like a million bricks were on my chest and felt as though I had broken every bone in my body. And then mommy mode kicked into gear. I crawled in the back seat and unbuckled Ruby. More yelling and screaming. This time from the other car. The driver and a bystander pulled the teenage passenger out of the window and layed him on the grass next to me (we later found out had crushed his pelvis). The ambulance transported us to the trauma unit due to the speed of the accident. They cut off my shirt. I loved that shirt! My chest and ribs were bruised but NO broken bones, NO fractures and more amazingly my little girl Ruby Rox DID NOT HAVE A SCRATCH. God's Grace and protection. Ruby Rox- Our miracle. And her story has just begun.
"For I know the plans I have for you" declares the Lord. "Plans to prosper you and not to harm you, Plans to give you a hope and a future." Jeremiah 29:11
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