-Guest Blog Entry by Manny Negron
My
name is Manny Negron, and I have two children, with one being recently born,
which I will tell you about through this entry. When James approached me about
writing a guest blog entry, I was not sure what to think, however I was
honored. James and I have been friends for several years now, first meeting
during our time together working for the American Cancer Society. Both James
and I have strong bonds with our newborn daughters. Perhaps these daughters
will also one day meet.
Wow! I never imagined that my family of three would soon become
a family of four, especially during the current pandemic. The joys of being present with my wife at
doctor visits, taking one step at a time side-by-side, was taken from me in
early March because of COVID-19. She had to go at it alone. I was temporarily
able to join my wife for the first sonogram to see our daughter, but that would
be the last time I was with my wife until our daughter was born on September 10th.
Even then, at the actual birth, I was not sure I would be in the delivery room
with her due to present restrictions. It was a play-by-ear scenario.
After
experiencing two miscarriages, this father worried every time my wife went to
an appointment, and I wanted to be there for her. I have come to a place
in my faith with confidence that God was with my wife and our daughter in her
womb, no matter what happened. From the middle of the second trimester to
the delivery date, my wife battled gestational diabetes and had to give herself
insulin. My wife was therefore considered a high-risk pregnancy. There
were many times that we would end up going to the emergency room (ER), which
often turned into some false alarms. Because of our history and the high-risk
pregnancy, we would go to the ER just to be cautious if anything appeared to be
out-of-the-ordinary. The pregnancy challenged my wife in many ways. She
experienced extreme nausea during the first trimester. There were times I
felt so bad for her because everything was beyond our control. However, one
must remember that God is always in control!
DELIVERY DAY IS HERE!
We
arrived at the hospital at 5:30am because we were not sure if my wife would need
a C-section or not. She could also potentially deliver
naturally. Throughout the pregnancy, our little girl was a mover, wiggling
in the womb. She would be in the correct position, a diagonal position, or
wiggle into a transverse position. The day before delivery she was in the
correct position, but within 24 hours, she had moved into the diagonal position
(flipping somersaults with force). C-section it is then! They took my wife
back to prep her before surgery. I waited for the nurse to come get me. I
am extremely grateful I experienced the opportunity to be with my wife during
this procedure. I could finally stand by her side and show my spousal support. I
sat up near my wife’s head as I noticed her body move. The doctors pulled and
pushed on her body in every direction, eventually delivering our daughter. Finally,
at 2:53 pm on September 10, Camille Elise Negron was born. When we heard
that first cry, I also cried with butterflies in my stomach and joy in my heart.
After
our daughter delivered, we still faced COVID-19 policies. Due to these restrictions,
I was not able to follow our baby into the nursery area for her first bath and first
initial exams at the hospital. I made my way to our room, where I would
sit alone and wait for my wife to come out of the operating room. Then our baby
girl would also soon come to us. Finally, after one hour, my wife was
brought into our room for rest and recovery. Shortly after my wife’s arrival, our
daughter also joined us.
We
are home and still having to face precautions with present COVID-19 conditions. When
some friends came to drop off presents for the baby, we were actually exposed
to these individuals who tested positive for the virus. Bringing a new life
into the world is definitely scary in the current conditions, and we must make
sure our children stayed protected against this illness. In these moments where
worries arise, I rely on my faith time and time again. I believe and know God
is with us and that He protects us always! Like the birth of every child, my
life changed in the moment I met Camille, my new daughter, for the first time.
- - Manny Negron
No comments:
Post a Comment