Deployment, Part IV

Soon after the unit arrived in Iraq, the scheduling to take leave started, they were told, "if someone had a special request on when they would prefer to take their 2 week leave, to feel free to do so, and they were going to try their best to grant it." And of course, my husband raised his hand right away to put in his request (his first son was due to be born 4 days before Christmas) for the middle of December.

One morning he called me and gave me the great news "he was scheduled to come home on Dec 8." Best news I have heard in a long time, we felt so blessed!

Due to my diabetes not getting under control, following a diet, 3 insulin shots daily with weekly dosage increasment, weekly ultrasounds, by-weekly fetal monitoring at the hospital, weekly appts. with my ob/gyn, neonatal care specialist, diabetic nutricionist, and weight loss at the end of the pregnancy.

My Doctor decided to induced the labor (sugar levels were dangerously high for the unborn baby) at 37 weeks. That was another tough moment for me, as much as I wanted my husband to hold my hand during labor and delivery, I wanted our son to be healthy. One of Maxwell's fatherhood dreams was, to attend child bith classes and help with his son delivery. I thought that was the cutest thing I ever heard this 6"1 man say.

On Dec 5th, I was 1 cm dialated, the 8th, came by and he was not home yet. Maxwell finally got home on the 13th and to his surprise, I was sitting at the airport waiting for him "I still remember that beatiful smile," he couldn't believe that: Yeah! I was still pregnant!

Two days after and at 39 weeks, he was holding my hand as our son entered the world! Shawn Maxwell Chappell 7lbs 3oz was born on Dec 15, 2005....

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Shawn then:





Shawn at 3 mo:



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Need to catch up on Natalia's Corner?
Deployment, Part I
Deployment, Part II
Deployment, Part III

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Additional NOTES from Pam:
* Certain details will be edited to protect security concerns or family privacy. My edits appear in brackets [ ]. Any personal details that appear in these posts have been approved by Natalia and/or Maxwell.

* Maxwell's status as the blog's "adopted" Hero, and Natalia's posts about her experiences, should NOT be construed as their endorsement of any opinion I post on this blog, or representative of any policy or position of the U.S. Army, the Department of Defense, or any other government entity. This is merely a way to allow readers to learn more about what military families experience, and to offer an opportunity to support a deployed Hero and his family.

* To learn what you can do to help, click on Maxwell's picture over on the left, or go here.
To adopt "your own" Hero, visit Soldiers' Angels.