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When Hello also meant Goodbye. 💔

Lisa • Sun, Dec 11

I posted a few weeks ago about our daughter's condition..

She had Hypoplastic Left Heart Syndrome and was just diagnosed with hydrops a few weeks ago.

Our sweet baby girl, Anna Marie Smith, was born December 9, 2016. She was 5 lbs and 15.5 inches long.

I woke up to my water breaking around 11:30 on Thursday night. I really thought I had just peed but it kept coming and I was starting to have contractions so I knew I needed to head to the hospital. I showered and got dressed and woke up my husband.

(My husband is in the Army and had JUST come home from the field maybe 4 hours earlier. They weren't expecting to come home until Saturday. SO thankful for that!!)

We got to the hospital about an hour and a half later and they confirmed my water had broken and I was 1 cm dilated. They quickly got me into a room and I got an epidural about 45 minutes later.

Around 2:45 or 3 AM (I wasn't really paying too much attention to the time at that point) they checked me again and I was 2 cm but fully effaced. They started potocin to help speed things up.

Around 7:30, I was at 5cm. About 15 minutes later my husband went to move the car and get some coffee. The nurse told me if I started to feel pressured in my butt to call her. I was on the phone with my mom and I started to feel it. I called the nurse in at 8 AM and SURPRISE, I was at 10 and her head was coming!! I called my husband and he ran back up.

I started pushing at 8:30.

My beautiful daughter was born at 9:31 AM. ❤️❤️ She didn't cry but she let out a couple breaths and moved her feet and hand a few times.

She left this world at 10:55 AM. She went peacefully while in our arms.

We got to spend all day with her until I was released at 7:30 pm.

After our three miscarriages, I was worried I would never carry a child but I did.

After learning Anna's diagnosis, I didn't think I would get to hold her while she was alive, but I did.

After learning that the swelling/fluid had gotten worse, we didn't think she could survive delivery, but she did.

I didn't expect to be able to have a vaginal delivery but I did!!

I know in my heart that she came when and how she did because she knew how badly I longed for that experience. I could not be more proud of my daughter!! She amazed everyone by how long she survived and how strong her little heart was beating until she was in our arms. I know she wanted to meet us before she passed away.