[Mom2BabyNatalie]

I honestly don't know what made me do it....

We lost my 11 year old son's 10 year old Havanese girl this morning and I suppose I just felt compelled to try and help this little one.

I'm a little hesitant to feel much for her... or rather, I WAS - a couple hours ago, but.... well..... here's the story.

A friend emailed me this evening and directed me to an ad on craigslist.com.

It was a young couple pleading for SOMEONE to take their newborn baby Chihuahua girl - born last night around 10:30 pm.... one of a litter of (actually, now that I think of it, I don't remember how many she said... it was kind of a fleeting few hours!) - - - anyway, the couple (young kids, maybe in their early 20's) - didn't notice until about 5:30 this evening that this little baby girl was born with a facial deformity - - and was unable to suckle.

7:00 pm - - I couldn't tell from the photo they sent if it was a cleft pallet or cleft lip, or both.... or the severity of the defect..... but it didn't really matter....

The first thing they wanted to do, was to take the baby to the vet to "have her killed" (in the words of the young girl) - but they couldn't afford to do that, and they wanted, they said, to at least try to find someone who would be willing to give her a chance....

Well..... (if you know me even a tiny bit) you know that I simply couldn't just "click" and let that go.... regardless of how I may very likely be CRUSHED all over again in just a matter of hours... or days....

Time was ticking away and the baby wouldn't last much longer without eating... (evidently the kids didn't know to at least try a bottle... dropper... squeezing milk from mom and giving it on a fingertip... ANYTHING).

So.... 7:20 pm - knowing that this little girl had already been over 20 hours without a drop of nourishment since her birth - - I got these kids on the phone, hopped in my car and drove 80 mph the 30 miles (midway between them and us) to pick her up!

They brought her to me in a little white washcloth.... a little chilled, but not too bad (never thought I'd be thankful for a 105 degree day!!) - - - so I scooped her up, snuggled her down in the heated bed and blankets I'd brought - - and made a mad dash for home.

8:23 pm - - Home - and warm... I weighed her first off.... 3.4 ounces... good weight!

I wanted to get her a little warmer and for just a little longer before I tried to get her to take some formula.... then, the second I put the dropper to her lips, she was gung ho for her first taste!! - 8:44 pm

She ate pretty well actually... not much, but better than I expected.

I'm still pretty fearful that she'll aspirate but I am THRILLED that she is able to swallow and willing to take formula without my having to tube feed. (that just scares me to death!)

10:24 pm - - Belly full... new Mommy... and snuggly warm - she seems pretty content for the time being.... a couple of licks and few minutes of "rooting" and........... yep.... I'm in love..... <<sigh>>

So, I took the opportunity to take a few pictures and introduce you all.... to baby Emma (meaning - "whole"... "complete" - which I know she may not be just now... but we pray that one day, she will be!)

I can't keep her.... not forever.... but if indeed we are able to help to give her a forever to be had, I pray that there will be a wonderful family out there willing to share it with her!!!

I welcome your experience with this type of deformity... prognosis? Treatment? Surgical procedures? Time frame?

This is something I am quite unfamiliar with....

Please welcome... and say a few prayers for..... our beautiful little baby Chi girl, Emma...