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Post date: Oct 1, 2009 8:24:19 PM
Well I think we can re-name Sunday 27th Sept as the International Day of Prayer for baby Elena. From the international delivery room - Polish midwife, African midwife, Greek Registrar, Chinese assistant, Scotish Baby Doctor and six other baby doctors - all in the room at the time she was born - to a little neonatal care incubator wherein the praying across the world began. I could never have imagined, just 24 hours ago, that I would be giving birth to a baby girl whom we would be Baptising just a few hours later through a small whole in the side of a tank with a pipette and Roman Catholic priest from a nearby church - the church of the Immaculate Conception.
Prayers were said for baby Elena almost immediately by you all and we are sincerely grateful. Thank You. From the immediate prayers of Mama, Kathy, Ted and little Edward and all of our family to the prayer circle Basia started in America and prayers by Father Henry in Seattle, a mass in Leeds (Dave and Catherine) Norfolk (Catherine's Mum and Parish) Devon (Clare O'Toole and her mum's Parish), prayers by Laura and Richard in Yorkshire, Laura's mum in Sale, Auntie Chris and the friends Mama had notified and finally last night I received a text from Wanda saying that a nun was even praying for baby Elena in Rome. This morning Mama is going to church and also Father Paul Lomas, who married us and baptised Edward will be saying a mass. Thank you.
I was lucky enough to have brought a small angel statue to hospital, I took off the gold cross I had been wearing that godmother Ciocia EE had given to Edward for his baptism and big Ed placed it in her cot alongside a prayer card "Footprints" I had taken from Mama's prayer book. It was very special and the priest said that Jesus indeed was "carrying" baby Elena for the time being while she gained strength. Edward and I were united by our faith in the neonatal unit and were able to welcome her into God's family.
Wow. What an overwhelming experience. Highly medicalised but paradoxically the most profound spiritual experience of my life. Thank you so much for ALL your thoughts and prayers.
They are still running tests on our baby girl. She had a brain scan and they found no sign of bleeding on her brain although they found a small amount of swelling which they say is consistent with a trauma at birth. She has been on medication, antibiotics in case of infection, oxygen and glucose and has been pricked and poked for a whole heap of blood tests. One of them will take 48 to grow cultures but so far they are satisfied with the rest. She isn't allowed any visitors apart from Edward and myself because of the swine flu precautions.
Yesterday after her Baptism she started fighting with the tube in her mouth so they removed her tube and she started to breathe on her own. When I went down to see her in the night I was allowed to cuddle my baby daughter for the first time at 3.15am. A truly joyous moment for a mother whose heart felt like it had been torn out although I know that in prayer it remained with her.
We have to see what today brings but I know that with all the love and prayers ourselves and baby Elena have received over the past 24 hours we have to remain strong and optimistic. She hasn't done a wee wee yet so is having another scan this morning to see why. I suppose they will now be checking for damage to other organs - so we need to keep praying!!!!
Thank you so much everyone and we will keep you updated with any news.
Baby Elena Mary Grace weighed 8lbs 10 at birth. She is strong and looks uncannily like me. She has dark hair, Marczak eyes, my eye brows, nose, mouth, finger nails, toes, my chunky thighs and strong arms currently fighting with tubes. She is beautiful. We were able to film her baptism and they took a photo which we have shown to little Edward - who was right all throughout my pregnancy that he was going to have a baby sister called baby Elena - a two year old's instinct :-)
THANK YOU ALL ONCE MORE
Renatka, Ed, Edward and Elena. X
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