Had one of "those" moments this week.
You see, we're currently anticipating the arrival of two new members to our little "gantt clan"....one is not due until July 4th, but the other is due like..............NOW! Andrew (our middle son) and his wife Hannah are expecting their first - a little girl or so they tell us. We're very excited for them and for ourselves because we love our grandkids!
A couple of weeks ago our oldest daughter Robyn (who is due on July 4) started bleeding. It was very frightening for her because she and Wayne have been trying for quite some time now to conceive their third. No worries - she went to the doctor's office where they did a sonogram and to the delight of everyone discovered a strong little heart beat just thumping away. Maybe an irritation or something. Whew!
Then last night, Robyn was out with some friends who were in for the holidays and called us all the way from Keene, NH in tears - its seems that she is bleeding again; a lot. Her husband went to Keene to pick her up and they were off this morning to Greenfield, MA (in a blinding snowstorm) to visit the doctor again. Again with the sonogram and . . . . . there it was again: That brave little heart announcing to everyone that it was there with a steady, strong beat.
Now, this is important to us because way back in 1985 when we were expecting our third child we went in for a check up just prior to delivery - and there was no heartbeat. Our little boy was dead. He was born later that day and we got to hold him for a few minutes - but then, he was gone. My heart was like lead this morning as Robyn left for the Doctor's office - the very same office where we found out that little Matthew would not be coming home to live with us. I remembered that numb feeling I felt then as Barb and I listened for his heartbeat - and it wasn't there. As I held Robyn in my arms before they left for Greenfield and she cried into my chest, I prayed for her and I prayed for her baby as only someone who has been there can pray.
I cried again later, when she called me to tell me that that precious little heartbeat had announced, "I'm here, Mommy!" I cried for her baby - but most of all - I cried for my baby; so thankful that she was able to hear that reassuring sound from inside her womb.
Robyn has to take it easy for a while. It seems like the placenta is very low and the baby is putting pressure on the cervix and that's what is causing the bleeding. It's not a critical condition, but it could become one - so we're still praying - praying for the reassuring sound of a beating heart.
