Inen John Buerkle

Okay! Now that my wife and I have grasped some sort of routine, I can finally blog about our now 9-day-old miracle. Korie went in on Wednesday, August 27, to be induced. The previous Friday she had an appointment in which one of the routine checks had found that, as usual, her blood pressure was looking very healthy indeed. When we went in the next Wednesday, her blood pressure was frighteningly high. The doctor said that if she had come in on her due date for a regular appointment with blood pressure that high, he would have induced right away, so it was a good thing we were there.

After 14 hours of labor, that last 4 of which Korie was stuck dilated at 5 cm and the baby's heart rate began to drop, they deemed it necessary to have a birth by cesarean section. So, at 9:58 pm on Wednesday, August 27, our boy, Inen John Buerkle, was born. He weighed a healthy 8 lb 6 oz, and measured 20.25 inches long. Praise God.



While they were in there for the cesarean, the doctor also removed a cyst from Korie's uterus. Two for the price of one! Yay! She was a real trooper, so strong, and I am so proud of her. The narcotics didn't go to her head, so she was lucid the entire time, which is a blessing.



Like any parents, we've had a rough start. Inen lost 10% of his body weight before leaving the hospital, and issues with Korie's milk coming in, her blood pressure, and Inen's sleeping so often (a blessing at times, a curse when trying to feed) made feeding him a challenge. This challenge has been overcome in recent days; the blood pressure medication Korie was put on after a couple of scary nights is having a positive effect, and Inen is gaining weight back at a good pace.

We love our little boy so much! He is the greatest blessing I have ever received. And I can't say enough how amazed I am at my wife's strength, her love for our child, her endurance, and how thankful I am for all that she does for me and Inen. I thank God for them both every day. This is the greatest adventure I've ever begun, and I can't stop smiling.