2. A Baby’s First Words

Yesterday Deqa, messaged me about her day with Mahad, saying: "For the first time I heard his voice today. He was moaning as I am holding him, talking to him, 'Mommy, we love you,' and his brother and sisters are around him. He's looking around and he is crying. Tears are coming down and he's moaning to

communicate." This breakthrough will now live as a core memory for all.

We all remember that moment when a baby is born, awaiting that initial cry; as you know, this arrives promptly after they fill their lungs for the first time. It isn't just a sound; it is, for most, the ultimate confirmation that our baby is well.

Sometimes they cry instantly; sometimes, if their cord is still intact, they take a moment to adjust to the world outside of what was home. They look around and move their arms, blinking, having embarked upon the odyssey from the serene, dark, warmth of their mother’s womb: the soft, fluid-filled environment where they moved to the rhythmic beat of their mother’s heart, to the waiting light of the world and the life ahead of them.

Our children's first haler is one we certainly remember, as can everyone present at that time, because at precisely that moment all who have waited to exhale for however long can finally breathe a sigh of relief.

I have had the privilege of experiencing this with my own children and being present with others, observing the smiles on people’s faces, the tender kiss on a forehead; either the baby’s by the mother, or the father’s gently upon the mother’s damp brow, full of tenderness, awe, and peace of mind.

Sometimes I have seen mothers, in this moment, finally, slowly close their eyes while their heads fall serenely backwards upon the pillow, or to balance somewhere or on someone knowing the journey to safety is complete and now they can relax.

Deqa describes her baby Mahad’s first cry in an altogether different way, saying: "I was eagerly waiting for my babies to cry; two healthy babies." She goes on to say: "As soon as they cut me open and they pulled the first baby out, which was Mahad, right away the air in the room was very, very tight. The doctors and the nurses were looking at each other." As she was able to see above the drape during her C-section, she described that she could "see people’s facial reactions" and that "as soon as they looked at each other, her child cried a very very high-pitched cry as if someone pinched the baby, and he’s never cried again."

You see, there were various invasive treatments Mahad is reported to have endured unnecessarily. Aside from the sedatives and various medications, he had repeated failed intubation attempts due to residents being afforded the learning opportunity, while Deqa, his mother, a registered nurse, had no choice but to behold the scene, completely and utterly helpless.

I remember my children's first words and still hold the fact that "duck" was one of my twins' first words against her, because I am petty that way. I jest, but it does make us all giggle. Those "That's Not My..." books have a lot to answer for!

Here is a video of Deqa sharing a moment of her boy communicating with her in the only way he could. You can tell this is almost exactly how most parents react when their child says their first word. However the glee within her is on another level. She is beautiful, thrilled, and full of hope: hope for more milestones to come. Milestones that, if we don't support her, she may not witness for herself.

https://video.wixstatic.com/video/8930cf_ee88567116ef4df3a6fa99dabd791682/480p/mp4/file.mp4

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