John Cornelius White, named after both of our fathers, is home at last. His patron saints are St. John the Baptist, the voice crying out in the dessert to prepare the way of the Lord, and St. Cornelius of Acts Chapter 10, the Gentile baptized by St. Peter to illustrate that God's plan for salvation applies to all people.
Thank you to those who offered prayer support for our family this week. As soon as we requested prayers, John had an immediate turn around. Within hours, his tubes were out and he was breathing completely on his own. We were allowed to start nursing and there was no turning back. Dave navigated the hospital system for our family and advocated for nursing and skin to skin care. My parents were tremendously helpful in caring for Isabella and ensuring that she got to see Mommy as much as possible. My midwife spent a great deal of time with us at the hospital. My friend, Beth, a lactation consultant and RN, talked us through many concerns and kept cheering us on to spend as much time talking and touching John as possible. Our good friend, Regina, offered transportation. Many people were sending us constant text messages to check in. Others called frequently to offer phone support. Thanks to everyone who prayed on our behalf. We know that many, many people were storming heaven with prayers.
People continue to voice concern about the way that we chose to birth our baby. To be clear, what happened with John would have happened if he was born at home or in the hospital. The doctors in the NICU explained to us that 10percent of babies have some kind of difficulty at birth due to a variety of factors that are not always easy to pinpoint. My body went into labor all of its own accord. John's heartbeat was strong and steady throughout. It was not until he was birthed that he had difficulty receiving oxygen. We continue to believe that birth is a completely natural physiological practice. And of course, we are so grateful that the technology our baby ended up needing was available to us when we needed it to be. I am grateful for the strength of my husband who accompanied John on his transport and never left his side until I could get there to be with him.
Here are some pictures we are excited to share from the past few days. We are now at home just enjoying our life together as a family of four. Isabella has been doing great with John, giving him lots of affection. Dave has taken some time off of work and we are just focused on enjoying each other and being there for John and Isabella, as both were put through a great deal this past week. Truly, "...the Lord is kind and merciful..."
