A non snark-worthy post from the Maxwells

[deborahlynn1979]

I thought today's post on Susannah was lovely. Absolutely heart-breaking and it is only by reading about the Maxwells' grief over losing this little one that they ever seem even remotely human to me. I give Sarah major kudos for her post today.

[sparkles]

Sweet little one. I can't imagine that anyone could have an unkind word to say about the loss of a much loved and anticipated child. :(

[kpmom]

Yes, that was a nice post. I didn't realize Melanie became pregnant with Abigail so soon afterward.

I remember breathing a sigh of relief when they finally let Abigail go home.

[slickcat79]

Did they ever say what was wrong with Susannah? Was she injured by the birth, or was it a birth defect?

I'm glad they still remember her, but in a healthy way. I can't imagine how awful that experience must have been for everyone :(

[dora]

That was beautiful. I guess she was premature because they age her the steroids,which they do for babies born before 34-35 weeks, but she wasn't a micopreemie. How incredibly sad. Nicely written by Sarah.

But their website crashed my iPad.

[NurseNell]

Did they ever say what was wrong with Susannah? Was she injured by the birth, or was it a birth defect?

I'm glad they still remember her, but in a healthy way. I can't imagine how awful that experience must have been for everyone :(

She was a normal baby in utero, then something happened during labor. Steve told me it was a possible stroke, which isn't as uncommon as you would think. I had several kids in my school nurse practice who had strokes before or just after birth.

[sewingmom2]

I believe a brain anomaly had been dx prior to birth, but it seemed to have resolved via diagnostic ultrasounds. Then, after birth, she never recovered.

[LilMissMetaphor]

That wasn't beautiful. Stop writing in fucking passive voice, Sarah! Sentences were constructed by a moron. Cliches were used while precious countenances were described. Mistakes were made.

[Savoring Samsara]

Losing a child is a grief that no one should have to endure. I will, for what I hope will be the only time in my life, take advice from Steve Maxwell and hug my kid a little longer tonight.

[Dru]

I believe a brain anomaly had been dx prior to birth, but it seemed to have resolved via diagnostic ultrasounds. Then, after birth, she never recovered.

There were also other medical issues. Something that was going to require surgery after birth. Regardless, she was moving around in utero but still once she was born, so something seems to have happened during labor.

[sparkles]

That wasn't beautiful. Stop writing in fucking passive voice, Sarah! Sentences were constructed by a moron. Cliches were used while precious countenances were described. Mistakes were made.

In this particular case it's about the message, not the method of delivery. Eloquence is in the intent.

[AVENues]

In this particular case it's about the message, not the method of delivery. Eloquence is in the intent.

All I could focus... was your avatar and that did not help me remain serious : ) :oops:

[Loveday]

In this particular case it's about the message, not the method of delivery. Eloquence is in the intent.

This. While normally I can't stand Sarah's writing style, I can overlook it this once.

[gardenvarietycitizen]

That was beautiful. I guess she was premature because they age her the steroids,which they do for babies born before 34-35 weeks, but she wasn't a micopreemie. How incredibly sad. Nicely written by Sarah.

But their website crashed my iPad.

I was wondering about the baby's gestational age myself. It's a very tragic happening :(

The Maxwell blog has seemed quite a bit "heavier" to me since their redesign. Something about how the pictures are handled, maybe? It's just sluggish. (I use Chrome on a Mac, for the record.)

[Justme]

She was a normal baby in utero, then something happened during labor. Steve told me it was a possible stroke, which isn't as uncommon as you would think. I had several kids in my school nurse practice who had strokes before or just after birth.

Steve TOLD you? Do you know him?

[Guest Anonymous]

Steve TOLD you? Do you know him?

I don't know what Steve told Nurse Nell, but Nathan appears to have set up a website which includes all his posts on Susannah. It seems that there were abnormalities diagnosed early on, but the doctor told them "not to worry but to pray". They delayed the ultrasounds but when they did have them, Melanie's pregnancy was categorised as 'high risk'. It looks like the whole pregnancy was fraught with worry for them. :(

susannahjoymaxwell.com/

[WonderingInWA]

Yes, as I recall, they knew something was wrong with her heart while in utero and that it would likely require surgery just after birth. But then when she was born and didn't respond, they obviously didn't go through with the surgery because they were waiting to see if she would even open her eyes. I had just found their blog right around that time and it was very VERY hard to watch as it all unfolded over the course of several weeks, and then just several days after birth. So, so sad.

And Steve did post something on the blog some time afterward that said something to the effect that her death was inconclusive (so that meant to me there was no autopsy done). I just wonder if she wasn't a trisomy baby. The trisomy babies that are born alive often have detectable issues in the womb yet move quite normally before they are born, then inevitably die due to their physical issues birth occurs. So very sad.

As much as the Maxwells are awful in so many ways, they really rallied when that happened. They were willing to share it with the world -- photos and updates that would have been heartbreaking for them. I wouldn't wish that situation on anyone.

ETA: I was wrong, the issue they knew about was something in the digestive tract. Some kind of blockage. So, so sad.

[Mela99]

Boy did this confuse me... I didn't realize they were talking about a past lost child, I thought someone was pregnant again :oops:

Sad though

[Dysfundamental]

That's very sad, and they have my sympathies on their loss.

[Justme]

I've always wondered why it took 4.5 years for them to get pregnant the first time. They seem to be doing "ok" now, 3 babies and 2 miscarriages. They never posted about seeing to doctor for fertility issues. I know lots of couples who had issues such as a blocked tube that was fairly easily corrected by a doctor.

[already hungover]

I just watched the Susannah slideshow. Who is singing the song that accompanies the photos? His voice is...distinctive?

It's here: titus2.com/susannah/slideshow.html

[WonderingInWA]

I just watched the Susannah slideshow. Who is singing the song that accompanies the photos? His voice is...distinctive?

It's here: titus2.com/susannah/slideshow.html

It's Jesse Maxwell.

[OkToBeTakei]

That wasn't beautiful. Stop writing in fucking passive voice, Sarah! Sentences were constructed by a moron. Cliches were used while precious countenances were described. Mistakes were made.

Snark versus being a twat. It happens.

[slickcat79]

I've always wondered why it took 4.5 years for them to get pregnant the first time. They seem to be doing "ok" now, 3 babies and 2 miscarriages. They never posted about seeing to doctor for fertility issues. I know lots of couples who had issues such as a blocked tube that was fairly easily corrected by a doctor.

I feel like fertility treatments would be outside of their beliefs, and not seen as trusting god. Of course, they may have gone that route and justified it somehow if they had continued to be unable to conceive.

I've wondered before if maybe they aren't carriers for a genetic disorder. It's possible that they have conceived more times than they've shared, but had miscarriages so early that they didn't even notice, or didn't want to share with the world. Melanie's pregnancies have always been high-risk, and they've lost one of their 4 children to a birth injury(?) that wasn't fully explained, but was potentially caused or exacerbated by existing problems. Also curious that their full-term pregnancies have only produced girls. Could be random, of course, but some genetic disorders can only be found in boys, or are more likely to be fatal in boys.

/idle speculation bus

[LilMissMetaphor]

In this particular case it's about the message, not the method of delivery. Eloquence is in the intent.

Yawn, okay, I guess. You're right, it is beautiful, in the same way your two-year-old swipes a paintbrush across the paper and holds it up for approval. In which case, yes, very good, dear.