Bringing Home Baby Pitch

Frank and Laurie Mattiussi met at work in April of 1994. Their chance meeting as employees of Wells Fargo Bank helped flourish their friendship into one that evolved into marriage.  Frank, a new employee to the company, was attempting to gain access to the building which required a badge and Laurie, abiding by company policy, questioned him before allowing him to enter.

After a several year courtship, in addition to being in their late twenties, Laurie and Frank decided that an outdoor June wedding would be a perfect beginning to their life together.  And it was.  However, less than a year later, Frank found himself feeling tired, weak and with some visual problems.  After new glasses did not seem to help, he sought further medical investigation. 

Just 13 months after saying "I do" to sickness and health, their vows were challenged as the doctor gave the grim diagnosis that Frank had the incurable disease, Multiple Sclerosis.

At first, some minor adjustments were made, such as making certain that they had air conditioning available at all times, since extreme temperatures, especially heat, could promote an exacerbation.  Fortunately, Laurie is not exactly an outdoor kind of gal anyway, so she did not miss the outdoor sports that they would not get to participate in.

During this time, they enjoyed going to movies, watching movies at home, playing games with friends and venturing on cruises.  They adopted and raised their cat Jinx, who instantly became part of their mini-family.   

Frank and Laurie's employer's at Wells Fargo recognized their situation with great understanding and Frank soon was able to utilize his talent as a system engineer out of their home office.  Laurie continued moving up the corporate ladder as a professional recruiter and her hours away from home, only made their time together more precious.

By their 5th anniversary, they decided to purchase a house.   The one story home proved to be a little easier to walk through than the two-story town house they owned.

Laurie was brought up in Southern California by her mom, a single parent, and her grandparents. Frank was also raised by a single mother. Both of their parents made sacrifices to ensure they grew up as well rounded individuals.

Laurie and Frank plan to rear their child with the same values and ethics that their parents instilled in them.

Having both been raised from a single parent home, it was a scary, yet exciting decision to have a baby.  They knew they wanted to have one, but with Frank's unstable medical condition and dedication to their careers, the timing had not been factored in.  So, when they learned that Laurie was pregnant, they were excited that the opportunity had presented itself.

Laurie has the typical new parent-to-be fears but her biggest concerns circle around Frank’s progressing MS. Frank’s Neurologist has indicated that Frank tends to have more activity then his other patients and none of the medications available have been very effective in controlling his symptoms. Laurie is concerned that the stress of having a new child may exacerbate his condition. She fears for the future and the prospect of having to take care of Frank and a child on her own. Frank’s biggest fear is that because of his MS he might drop his child. Even though his Neurologist assures him that genetics plays a small role in MS, he is still worried since there is no concrete evidence whether or not it is purely genetics or environmental.

Laurie’s mom, Barbara Gilmore, will be staying with Frank, Laurie and their new baby for a week or two to ensure that Frank gets some much needed rest and that Laurie has plenty of help. Because this is the first grandchild there is sure to be plenty of excitement and tears. Frank’s mom, Rosella Gutierrez, and some extended family will drop in to help. Laurie’s best friend, Gina Garcia, will also come to see the baby and to offer her support.

The proud parents-to-be have both been doing very well throughout the past 9 months.  Neither have experienced morning sickness, weird cravings or vast mood swings.  Their only anxiety is the upcoming arrival of their precious new son!