Saying Goodbye For Now

Salem's little life was so very short but still has a story.  At 9 weeks gestation Latisha found out she had a bubble near her placenta that burst and was very painful.  She had thought she lost her baby but she saw the doctor the next morning and the baby was fine.  Latisha was told to take it easy for a couple weeks which she did and all seemed well.  The first of December they discovered a hematoma which burst. In a pregnancy, a hematoma forms when the placenta shifts and blood collects. Latisha continued to have problems throughout the month. A week ago her water broke.  She went to the hospital and the doctors were not very encouraging.  They did record the baby's heart beat and gave her a card for a free Build-a-Bear that she can put the recording in.  After a day the hospital sent her home.  We were hoping for the best but later that night Latisha started having labor.  The doctors told her she had a couple more weeks before they would be able to save baby.  We hoped the labor would stop but it got much worse.  Brent took Latisha to the hospital, but there was nothing they could do and while the doctor and nurses were running around getting "things" Latisha and Brent were alone and delivered Salem.  Moments before they were listening to her heart beat on the monitor and now she was gone.

The first thing I noticed when I saw little Salem was how very peaceful she looked.  We could see features of Brent, features of Latisha, and she even resembled her brother.  So, small, and fragile, but fearfully and wonderfully made, knit together in her mother's womb. The nurses were great and told Latisha she could have her as long as she wanted, so we were able to spend time with her.  They had put a cute hat and mini diaper on her. When August got there he was so sweet and gave Salem a gentle kiss. The hospital has a butterfly room where they invited Latisha to go rock Salem and spend time with her.  The family spent time in the room and August got to play as they spent the last time together as a family with Salem.  The hospital put together a memory box with the baby's foot and hand prints, a hat and diaper that matched the ones she wore and a couple other things.  We are grateful for the treatment we received from the hospital.

Latisha and Brent decided to have Salem buried on my mothers plot in a cemetery that overlooks the city.  A couple days later we went to the cemetery and laid flowers on her grave and celebrated her little life.  Salem impacted and brought joy to our lives and in our mourning we are still grateful for the gift she was.  We say goodbye for now but look forward to seeing you again.