Month: July 2017

karliekirk

Thirty seven weeks

“But, her heartbeat is so strong,” said our nurse, asking a question without asking it.

“I know. It always is.” I answered her question in kind. I was approaching 38 weeks. Our nurse wanted to know what we all wanted to know. How could a three-pound girl with one of the most complicated combinations of critical congenital heart defects (CHDs) and a genetic condition documented in less than 200 people worldwide be so active, so normal, so seemingly healthy? How could Clara make it this far and still be born into a world where she might never make it past a day or even an hour?

Continue Reading "Thirty seven weeks"
karliekirk

Thirty five weeks

I sat in the nursery rocking Emmarie, her 17-month old legs spilling out over my belly as her head nestled against her sister sleeping in my womb. I thought back to our 33-week appointment. No one actually said the words “Clara is going to die.” I wish they had. I would rather hear those words than know them. They had never proven true; they had always cracked open, leaving a glimmer of hope.

Continue Reading "Thirty five weeks"