settling in Boston

(as emailed July 14th)

"Before I turn in for the night, I want you to know we had a very encouraging day with Moriah today. I was transferred to Boston via ambulance this morning, arriving here about 11 am. When the Brigham had not yet admitted me to a room after a 2-hour wait, the anxiety of sitting in a room surrounded by new moms with crying babies was more than I could bear, and I walked out of the Brigham (well, actually, Jason wheeled me out) and crossed the foot bridge to Children's Hospital to be with our daughter. She is doing well--she's off oxygen, which meant I was able to pick her up. It's very hard to explain the relief it brought to hold Moriah after 24 hours of being unable to do so. She remains in the Cardiac ICU, but is stable and we are hopeful.

Today was full of grace-surprises. A friend's brother who works as a doctor at Children's texted to say he had been with her and prayed for her before we reached her today. A lactation consultant I loved came while we were with Moriah to teach me to breastfeed, and to advocate to allow me to be the primary source of food for Moriah in the coming days. There were nurses who let me cry, and kept me from crying, and friends who've walked this road and who could offer perspective, love, and the name of a top-notch cardiologist. All of these were suprising encounters with grace, showing us again that where sadness lingers, love grows, too."