Sun 16 May 1999
Today, Carissa Teodora Atherton joined our family.
While her birth went pretty well, they have taken her to the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) because they detected meconium in the amniotic fluid. We don’t know what to think about this. If the meconium has gotten into her lungs, it could make her sick, but there is no way to tell if that’s happened.
The doctor is going to put her on a course of antibiotics and observe her for a few days to check her progress.
Sun 16 May 1999
We had a birthday party for Carissa, even thought she couldn’t be with us. 
Everyone in our family who can show up, has shown up now, and it seemed to be a good time to celebrate the big change in our life! Grandma and Papaw Atherton, Nana and Papaw Cotton, Uncle Tim, Uncle Kevin, Aunt Kristen, and even Great-grandma Cotton are all here.
We got a birthday cake for Carissa, some celebratory drinks (including a bottle of Dom Perignon that I was recently awarded at work), and I gave Sandi a ring with Carissa’s birthstones in it. We’ll give the ring to Carissa on her 16th birthday.
Happy, um, 0th birthday!!!
Ooh, fan-cy!
Carissa’s birthstone ring, currently on loan to Sandi (it fits her better right now)
So far, Carissa seems to be doing OK in the NICU. Sandi goes down every 4 hours to nurse her, although right now, Carissa is taking more easily to a bottle.
Local Tags: birthday, carissa, carissa's birth, grandma atherton, ken, nana cotton, nicu, papaw atherton, papaw cotton, sandi
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