Prematurity Awareness Month.

I can not believe that today is the last day of Prematurity Awareness month and here I am just posting about it.

I want to start by thanking everyone who has ever walked in the spring March for babies event. Thank you for the time and energy you put into raising money for such a wonderful organization. An organization that is the leader in research and advancement for these tiny babies. Every penny counts in helping to ensure that fewer and fewer moms to be have to experience the heartache of having a premature baby. The more we learn, the more we research the better chance these families have for some day bringing their baby home from the NICU or even better ensuring that pregnancies do not end too soon.

Now my story.. In early October of 2003 I learned that I would be having not one but three babies. the more I read and talked to doctors the more I knew that my babies would be brought into this world early. My high risk doctor performed a cerclage at 11 weeks. At which time I went on rest, he never really called it bed rest just rest. My bi-weekly doctors appointments soon became weekly appointments and things were going well. Then out of no where I developed a kidney infection that placed me in the hospital. I was 30 weeks by then. five short days later I was in labor and my babies were born at what was 31 weeks.

From the start everyone looked great, everyone but mommy that is. I had a double transfusion due to loosing too much blood. I was able to see the babies when they were three days old, trust me that was hard. They were so tiny, 3 lbs 4 oz (Keith Douglas) 3 lbs 7 oz (Kalie Rose) and 3 lbs 11 oz (John Michael). When the kids were five days old we had our first "call" from the NICU. The doctors had detected something on Douglas's brain. He had several cyst in his white matter, but I was assured it was not a brain bleed and that he should out grow them.

They had braddies, false alarms, failed car seat test a transfer to a new hospital but overall my experience in the NICU at Lutheran General Hospital and Good Shephard was not a bad time. It was hard. I will never forget the first day I left them in the hospital. I was still so weak and in so much pain. But the pain I felt in my heart for leaving them by far was greater than that of the surgery.

I went to see them every day and every day when I left them I left assured that the doctors and nurses were the best there were around and that my babies were happy, safe and well cared for.

Before I knew it my time in the NICU was over, but the worry and stress never leaves you. The first year is scary, you have to keep them healthy and they were so tiny any cold could put them in the hospital.

Douglas did return soon after coming home he had a bowl obstruction and we learned he was allergic to milk.

It was a scary year at times but it was also one of the most awesome times of my life.

So next time you look at your baby that came at 40 weeks be thankful for the long pregnancy and remember it only takes your time to walk for babies..

Turkey Day is on the way

Turkey day, or should we say Thanksgiving will be here soon. The kids call it Turkey day, which they got from their Aunt Kristel whom called it the same. They are all three very excited as we have company coming in to visit for the week. They can not wait to see their granny, but what they do not know is that their BreBre will be here as well.

We had a great week at school this year, JM had a program and all of us ate lunch together afterwords. We had a picnic on the school grounds. They were all three very excited about us spending the time together.

Life is changing for us, they are at a point in which they want to play with their friends more, they get off the bus and off they go. I spend my afternoons chasing them down and making sure they are not causing trouble. I sometimes can not believe how big they have gotten or that they are now so independent.

We have started decorating for Christmas, everything with the exception of the trees are up. We will do the trees when my mom gets here on Tuesday, or Wednesday. She will enjoy doing that with them and it will be a nice family thing to do together.

Thanksgiving day will be spent with good friends, she is cooking the Turkey and I will handle the Ham and sides. The kids will be playing with their friends and will enjoy the day. I can not wait, it should be a lot of fun this year.

Last year resulted in a broken ankle for me, which was why we had the surgery in September. Lets be hopeful that this year we will not have any visits to the hospital.

All three children did a book this week at school on the things I am thankful for, to see it through their eyes is so amazing. All three said they are thankful for their house and mom and dad..

Have a blessed week all.

So proud of Kalie Rose

Today on the way to the movie I had the following conversation with my precious little girl.

Mommy, a boy in my class said there is no God, I told him there was that you do not see him but you feel him in your heart. He then told me there is no Jesus. I told him there was to that his birthday was at Christmas and we have a big party for him.

She then asked me why he said there was no God or Jesus when there is. I tried to explain to her that some people do not believe in God or Jesus but as Christians we should share his love with them.

She said well I told him that there is a God and Jesus so I am a missary (how she said it) like those people we learn about at mission friends.

You have to love hearing about the love of God from a child.

One step forward, two steps back

It seems like the next shoe is going to drop any minute now so to speak. We have been doing so well, JM has adjusted to school well and loves his teachers and class mates. He even claims to have a girlfriend. Things are going well. He is not getting in trouble and is learning. Our parent teacher conference went great.

Well today was a conference with his OT (private OT) counselor at school, School OT and School ST. I had one shocker. Do not get me wrong I honestly expected one of them to have another diagnosis, I just honestly hoped and prayed that it was not JM. He has so much stacked against him as it is. So now my sweet boy has been diagnosed with Dyslexia, his run down now includes. SPD (sensory avoider and Seeker at times), Aspergers, PPD NOS, and now Dyslexia. We are going to also be doing blood work to test for Fragile X as well.

It is funny, when they were born Douglas had several cyst on his brain, the doctors told me to expect him to have problems in school. That chances were he would be main streamed but he would not be my straight A student and may struggle with some things, spelling, math etc. So far he excels in everything and my sweet little man has a more difficult time. I am at a point that I dread going to the doctor with him as I wonder what they will diagnose him with next.

I love my little man so much and just want him to not have to struggle so much with everything.

I am sure most of you understand that..