"It started off as a very good pregnancy..."

I had the normal morning sickness, but it was nothing like the sickness I had with our first daughter, Delayni, now 2 1/2. I actually lost weight, which the doctors assured me was fine and I would eventually gain weight.

Everything was good up until I was 19 weeks along. We went in for an ultrasound to determine the sex, another girl!! We were so excited. The sonographer asked if I had been bleeding any. I hadn't. She said that the baby had "bright bowels" which is a soft marker for Down Syndrome. We them were reffered to a specialist for a Level 2 Ultrasound.

I was sure that everything was going to be fine and he would send us on our way. As soon as the scan started the Doctor said "Do you see that ascites" to his nurse. Being a Respiratory Therapist I knew what an ascites was and that it was not good. I was on the fence about an amniocentesis. I decided to have one so we could be prepared for whatever was coming. The procedure was not as bad as I had expected. And the amniotic fluid was very bloody, I was actually relieved because the echogenic bowel could have been caused from her swallowing blood.

I hadn't felt much movement since the Amnio, but I didn't think too much about it. On August 25, 2008 during a routine checkup with my new doctor, we discovered that she had no heartbeat. We were crushed.

On August 28, 2008 I was induced. 11 1/2 hours later, Ruth Elyse was born. She was 9 ounces and was 9.5 inches long. At this point we still did not know what had caused her passing. We went on and planned a funeral for her. She is buried very close to our house. We visit her very often.

While I was in the hospital delivering, they drew blood and took a tissue sample from the back of her neck to ananlyze. As it turns out, the Amniocentesis did not grow any chromosones. I didn't even know that could happen. No one told me that.

At my two week checkup, we found out that the cause of death was an "overwhelming acute CMV infection". I find comfort in knowing that I am now immune and this will not ever happen again. Ruth Elyse is happy now in heaven, and I am so grateful that she did not have to suffer or know pain. We will miss her everyday until we meet again.

- Submitted by her mother, Lindsi