It is a time of newness and wonder. And then Mom notices a bold line appearing down the middle of her daughter's face. An icy feeling penetrates Mom's chest. The line continues to spread relentlessly. The baby's body quickly discolors into dark violet and sickly pale portions.
Peace is shattered.
We've all had moments of clenched fear about our children. It might be the moment of panic when our son has disappeared from sight in a busy store, or when we discover a lump that we fear is cancer. Perhaps we feel it when we helplessly watch our toddler stepping naively in front of a car, or hear the sickening thunk when our daughter's head hits the floor. Whatever the source or the degree, these moments of fear shine piercingly to the core of our hearts and illuminate freshly how precious our little ones are to us. Babies' blood vessels start off highly reactive and unstable.