My Little Man...

There's a tear in my eye today...my little man has turned the big "9". If you will indulge me a little, I would like to briefly tell you his story.

We were so excited to be pregnant again - I new it would be a boy just like I knew we would have our precious little girl first. I could feel it in my very bones. I began to converse with this little boy and pray for him just like I did his sister. The usual routine began again - me puking my guts out. I attempted to make appointments for prenatal care with my obgyn, but because we were planning to move out of state in the next 3 months, nobody would take me on as a patient. I made the trip to the hospital to treat dehydration from the vomiting, simply seeing the ER doc. We packed and made the move to Potter, Kansas. We searched for doctors in the area that would take me on as a patient. There was only one new doctor taking new patients - Dr. Sonthiemer. I would later know that he was ordained by God to treat me. I was 4 months pregnant before I had any prenatal care. My blood pressure was high and so were my sugars - just like with Kelsey. He immediately insisted that I see a high-risk specialist at KU Medical Center. These were his exact words (which we scoffed at ignorantly...) "I don't want you coming in here at 7 months delivering a premature baby at this hospital (in Atchison) - we're not prepared or equipped for that kind of thing." Little did we know that this would be the case.

When I went in for my appointment the last few days of my 6th month, my urine was high in protien and my blood pressure was high. He sent me to KU Med to see my doctor there. We made arrangements for Kelsey, packed a little bag in case I had to spend the night, and drove the 70 miles to KU Med. They admitted me and scolded me for being late. The nurse tried to start an IV and my veins blew due to my extremely high blood pressure. Things were going so fast and I was given so much medication to lower my blood pressure that I am a little sketchy on what actually happened. Over the next 24 hours, Darrel's brother and sister came from Liberal, MO and I had two major ultrasounds that lasted 30 minutes each. Our beautiful boy was not moving or breathing at all. My amniotic fluid was gone - absorbed by my toxic system. I had toxemia - and the only cure was to deliver the baby. No time for vaginal birth, they rushed me to surgery and delivered the smallest child I had ever seen. He was 3lbs 3oz. He fit in Darrel's hand (head to butt). Over the next 4 weeks we were told daily that he would have problems - both mental and physical. But we clung to the promise God had given Darrel as we rushed to the surgery room that day - "everything will be all right." We were able to take our precious Jonah home after 4 weeks - a miracle in the NICU. Most babies were there for months and months. He has been a walking miracle ever since. Seeing him now, you would never think that he EVER weighed 3 lbs. - ha!

Today my calendar said, "He surrounds me with lovingkindness and tender mercies. He fills my life with good things!" Psalm 103:4-5 TLB What truth that is! Jonah is definitely one of those good things as is Kelsey.

We are going to Noah's House Pizza today with 5 of his buddies to play and have pizza and cupcakes. We are having a Superman birthday. Jonah is and always will be our SuperMan.