I want to thank each and everyone of you for veiwing this site and helping me keep my daughters memory alive.   Thank you so much for letting my share my story with you.  My daughter's name is Alexis Mae Cronk.

I found out I was pregnant on August 26th 2001.  That was one of the greatest days of my life.  We were finally going to have a baby.  I was given the due date of May 3rd.  This was so nice.  I was given the same due date for my son who was born on April 16th 1997.    We told everyone that I was pregnant right away.  I didn't have anything to worry about, my first pregnancy went by nicely and I didn't think that anything would be different with this one.  I had the usual morning sickness with this pregnancy unlike the first one so I knew in my heart it was going to be a little girl.  Well everything went fine until the end of November, when I started cramping and bleeding.  I was terrified.  I went to the ER and they said everything was fine to go home and rest.  So I did.  They told me to follow up with my Doctor on the following Monday.  Well I went in and She told me that I needed to go on light duty no lifting more than 20 pounds.  Well I am a CNA and that is not possible so I was taken off work starting December 6th.  I had my second ultrasound on December 20th with high hopes of finding out if the baby was a boy or girl.  Well the baby had different plans.  The doctors told me that I didn't have the correct amount of amniotic fluid and they couldn't see what sex she was and numerous othr things.  They wanted me to go to the hospital in town the next month and have a level II ultrasound.  Then the next week my doctor called me and told me I would need to go to a better hospital and have the ultrasound done because the hospital in town didn't have good enough machines.  I was terrified.  But they told me there was nothing to worry about.  I am just heavy and sometimes it is hard for the machines to see through the extra fat.  I still was not to sure but I had to believe the doctor.  I had the ultrasound scheduled for Wednesday January 30.  I hadn't felt the baby move like my son had moved so I was worried about that.  The doctor again said that I am just heavy so it may be harder to feel the baby through the extra layers.  I was not to sure about that I never believed him.  I have plenty of heavy friends who have felt their babies just fine.  Well on January 29th I couldn't sleep I was so scared that something was wrong and I remember not wanting to go to the Ultrasound the next day.  We drove to the hospital in a snow storm one of the very few we had this year.  When we got into the room the Tech asked us if we wanted to know the sex of the baby and we of course said yes.  He started the Ultrasound.  He said you are having a girl.  We were so exited we started crying.  But soon our tears would turn from joy to sorrow.  I then asked how my amniotic fluid was because I was concerned due to the last ultrasound.  The tech got very quite and said he would have to find the specialist and get a second opinion.  He said that he doesn't seem to be able to find fluid at all.  Eric and I were a wreck.  We were so scared and we didn't even know the whole story yet.  Well then they got the specialists to come in and try to find fluid.  Well no luck.  Everyone kept asking me if I was leaking and of course I said NO each time.  They then began to look for  numerous parts of the baby.  I was told that there were no kidneys.  I still was in shock and wasn't sure what that meant.  I said well you can just give her a transplant right?  They then informed me that there could be no transplant and that my precious little girl would fly to heaven shortly after birth.  We were devastated.  Our precious little baby was not going to live.  Why us, why her.  We love her so much how can God just take her away from us like that.

The doctors then tried different machines with no luck of finding kidneys or the bladder.  We were told that our daughter had Potter's Syndrome.  We were then asked if we wanted to go ahead with the pregnancy or to induce the following week.  I don't agree with abortion so I didn't want to induce.  But then I was told that my daughter would be suffering while inside because there is no amniotic fluid to protect her and keep the body temperature regulated.  They told me that It would be harder for me if I carried to term and it would be harder for her, so we opted for the early induction. WE were told to come back on Monday February 4th.  I called my mom from the hospital and asked her to come to my house to be with us through the delivery.  She said she could get there Saturday.

That weekend was so long.  Alexis never moved a whole lot but she always did a little.  The night that we found out the she was going to die she moved for 3 hours non stop.  This was the first night that Eric got to feel her move.  I think that she was trying to tell us that she was still here and she loved us.  That whole weekend she moved all the time.  I am so thankful that I got to feel her for that time.  My parents got to my house on Saturday and many more tears were shed.  I am so thankful that they were able to be there for me at this time.  I went back to the hospital on Monday and they inserted seaweed in my cervix to ripen it and was told to come back in the following morning.  I woke up the next day and was in labor.  I got to the hospital and I was dilated to 2cm.  I thought that maybe this was going to be a quick delivery;  boy was i wrong.  I prayed that she would come before the 6th because that is my nephews birthday that was the day that he would be turning 1 year old.  But she had other plans.  On Febrary 6, 2002 at 11:55 a.m. my precious little angel was born.  Alexis weighed 2 pounds 11 ounces and was 14 1/2 inches long.  She had brown hair with a reddish tint and she was so beautiful.  She had large hands and feet and chubby little arms.  She was the most amazing little girl I have ever seen.  She fought for 35 minutes before she flew to heaven.  Alexis taught me more in those 35 minutes than I will ever learn in a lifetime.  I love her so much.  She means the world to me.

We had her funeral on Friday February 8th at 10:00 a.m.  The reverend that was supposed to conduct her funeral got the dates mixed up and was not there.  How awful.  The worst day of your life and the reverend has to mix up the days and make it worse.  Well we got another reverend to do the service.  His Name is Marlo Fritzke.  I don't remember the service but I have been told by all who attended that is was a wonderful service.  She is buried in a beautiful memorial garden in a spot just dedicated to babies.