Tuesday, March 17, 2015

Happy 12th Birthday!

I don't know where I was 12 years ago on Saturday, or 12 years ago next Saturday.  I do know that 12 years ago last night, I went to the hospital to have my pregnancy induced because I had too much amniotic fluid.  Who knew there was such a thing?! 

Anyway, I gave birth to my little guy 12 years ago today, well, tonight actually.  He ended up being an emergency c-section.  I was so blessed to have given birth where I did, because there was a NICU right next to the operating room.  I think this saved my little guy's life.  I knew something was wrong immediately, because all the shows I watched, the mother always got to see the baby after birth.  This was very different.  I had never seen them grab the baby and run out of the room.  This is what happened though, in real life, for me. 

I had just had major surgery.  All I kept saying was "Keith, you need to find out what is going on.  You need to find out what is wrong with the baby!"  It seemed like a lifetime and no one told me what was going on.  Perhaps, because they weren't quite sure what was happening or what the outcome would be.  My baby wasn't breathing.  They had some work to do to change that, but they did change that. 

They came out, after that lifetime, and asked Keith if he wanted to go see his baby.  He looked at me, knowing I had just had major surgery, and I said "Yes!"  Off he went!  After they finished getting me stapled up and stabilized, they started wheeling me out of the operating room.  As they were wheeling me out, Keith came out with this little bundle, completely wrapped up from head to toe, except for his face. 

The tears started streaming, and I uttered, "Hi, I am your mommy!  I love you!"  He was so white and so tiny.  I was not permitted to hold him.  I couldn't count his little fingers or toes.  I just remember how white he was.  I blamed it on the fact that Keith and I are both quite pale.  I didn't realize that it was because he hadn't been breathing.  I didn't learn this fact until later. 

He stayed in the NICU for four days.  Thankfully, I was in the hospital the same amount of time.  I was finally allowed to hold him at about 3 AM when I could make the trip to the NICU.  Before that, I had my husband go and take pictures and count his little fingers and toes.  That was how I saw my baby for the first several hours of his life.

I have been blessed everyday since then to have such a wonderful young man for a son!  There hasn't been a day in the past 12 years where he hasn't made me smile.  He is an amazing big brother.  He always has been.  He became a big brother at 13 months and 13 days.  He can not remember his life without being a big brother.

He will get the Aaronic Priesthood in our church on Sunday.  He will be able to start going to the temple to do baptisms after that.  He is very excited about both things.  He is a good helper around the house.  He is sensitive and loving.  He never wants to cause anyone sadness.  I was truly blessed by this fellow choosing me to be his mommy!