Selena's Story My Boyfriend and I found out that I was pregnant in November of 1998. We were very happy and excited. I have always loved kids and couldn't wait for the baby to come. My pregnancy went along very well, except for a little morning sickness right at the start. When I was 5 months along, I had to go in for an ultrasound and they told us we were having a little girl. We couldn't believe that we were going to have a daughter.  We were so happy. We started buying everything that we thought we needed for our little Selena Shaye. You see we already had your name all picked out. I loved shopping for little girls clothes. I remember the first time I heard Selena's heartbeat, I cried. It was the most wonderful sound in the world. On June 28, 1999 I went to my regular doctor appointment. (I remember this as if it was today) the doctor did the normal stuff but made the remark that the baby's heartbeat was slower than usual. I remember telling her that the baby wasn't moving as much as she normally did.  But she didn't check into it further. I wish I would have made her do it. On July 2, 1999 I went into labor. I was 2 weeks early but I thought everything was fine. Me, my boyfriend and my Mom left for the hospital about 10:30pm. After getting all checked in and taken upstairs they got me settled. Then they came in to hook me up to the fetal monitor. They tried to find Selena's heartbeat for quite some time. Then the nurse left the room and came back with a student doctor. She came into the room and broke my water and tried to find the heartbeat with an internal monitor. The student doctor said there was a problem. They had to get a hold of the doctor on call because my regular doctor was gone on a vacation. We were all so scared. I started crying. The doctor on call, who I did not even know said I should get an ultrasound. We had to wait 2 hours before they could get a technician to do the ultrasound. He finally got there. He gave me the ultrasound and said the baby is dead. She has been dead for a couple days. Then we all started crying. We realized that all the plans we had for our baby girl were never going to happen. And we wanted to know "why." I delivered Selena at 3:50am on July 3, 1999. As Selena entered this world I got my answer as to "why" things went wrong. Her umbilical cord was wrapped around her little left ankle 3 times and it had a knot in it. Her blood and oxygen supply had been cut off. The nurse took Selena and cleaned her up, weighed and measured her. (She weighed 4lbs.8ozs and was 18 ½ inches long).Then she brought her back to me. I held her and cried. I thought of all the dreams I had for her and realized that they were never to be. I laid her down and unwrapped her. I checked her over, she was perfect. She had ten little fingers, ten little toes and a full head of dark black curly hair. She was a beautiful little girl. Selena had her daddy's hair and nose. My whole room was full of people who had come to welcome our little girl. I don't believe there was a dry eye in the room. My Mom and Dad took their turn holding Selena and so did my sisters (Shannon and Erin) and brothers (Michael and Patrick). My Aunt Chris was there and her son Eric. (They will never know how much that meant to me.) I went home the same day that I delivered Selena. I couldn't lie in that hospital and listen to all the other babies crying. The hospital where I delivered Selena was a very cold uncaring place.  They gave me nothing to remember my daughter. Not the hat she wore, not the blanket she was wrapped in, not even the little arm band she had on. There was only one nurse who was really nice and cried with us. If it wouldn't have been for Stephanie Klemm and K.C. Schuler I don't know how we would have made it. We buried our little girl on July 7, 1999. That was the hardest thing we have ever had to do. There were many people who came to show their love for her. We released pink and white balloons in Selena's memory. Which we do every year on her birthday at the time she was born. It has been almost 3 years since we lost Selena. It is getting better, but there isn't a day that goes by that I don't think of her. I couldn't have gotten through these last two and a half years without my Mom and boyfriend. We love you Selena Shaye Martinez. Love always, Mommy, Daddy and Grandma

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