Thursday, February 12, 2009

Introducing Alexava Nicole Miller!


Hi Guys...

Very sorry to have been absent for nearly the past three weeks, but as you may or may not have known, my wife Tanya and I were expecting our first baby on Feb 12 (today), and without warning on Jan 28, Tanya's water broke. So Alexava was born on Friday, Jan 30th at 1:36am.

Alexava's birth was not without some complications. Firstly, her growth slowed from week 30 on. She was born at 38 weeks, so she is full term, but with Intra-Uterine growth retardation (which is what they call it when the baby's growth slows), she was much smaller, similar to a premie. Tanya's labour was 18 hours long including two full hours of pushing to bring our little darling into this world.

Alexava was born with hypotonia (low muscle tone). Tanya had a high fever during her labour, so Alexava was kept in the Special Care unit at the Civic for 5 days on antibiotics and then transferred to CHEO for further investigations into her low muscle tone. Another 8 days later after an ultrasound, EEG, MRI, blood work, metabolic work-ups, genetics and neurological testing, the doctors found no underling pathology for her condition and have sent her home with us today! They presume at this point that her slowed growth is the cause for her low muscle tone and that with time it will improve and that there's no reason it shouldn't completely resolve itself.

So Tanya, Alexava, and I are all at home now relaxing and just enjoying spending some quiet time together.

Interesting that as a strength and conditioning coach, my daughter's condition is low muscle tone! Who better equipped to help her with whatever challenges she faces!

Thanks to all my readers for your support and some very kind wishes we received.

:)
Shane