My Micro-Preemie is 10!!

Happy Birthday Dylan!!

I can't believe my baby boy is turning 10. He is just growing up so fast. Dylan has turned into such a great young man. He is super smart, always kind, uber handsome, & I wouldn't change one thing about him!! I am so proud of him!

A little history: I have an incompetent cervix, and had already lost one son. I went into labor with Dylan at 22 weeks....waaay too early. I was rushed to a bigger hospital via ambulance. I have never traveled 90 miles so fast! LOL!! I had to have emergency surgery, and have my cervix sewn shut. I was so far into labor, that the bag of amniotic fluid was protruding. The doctor had to push it back in....ever so carefully. Let's be honest, that was my first miracle right there. I was then placed in a bed with the feet risen up high. Yep, I had to basically be upside down. I couldn't lay on my back either. I had to be on one side or the other....always. I wasn't allowed to get upright, not even for a minute. As you can imagine, going potty was quite fun. I had a catheter most of the time. Eating, that's another story. It's an odd feeling when people have to sponge bathe you. You truly run out of all modesty. I had at least 3 IVs at a time. I had to have my blood taken every 3 hours. When they have to start taking it from the top of your feet...you know its bad. I got pain meds every couple of hours. All in all, I was in full labor for 13 days. I got to where I just stared at the wall for hours at a time. It was started to take it's toll mentally. The doctor was getting concerned that my safety & health was coming into jeopardy. The labor wouldn't stop. That little stinker wasn't giving up. They finally came to the conclusion that my cervical stitches needed to be removed, and nature needed to take it's course. I was 24 weeks along, that's 16 weeks early. It was a huge risk, but there wasn't any other choice. He came into the world at 9:55 on a Friday morning, weighing in at 1lb 15oz. In the first week he lost down to 1lb 6oz!! It's hard to believe that today he is 5ft tall, & weighs over 80lbs!! Holy Cow!! That's a lot of growing!

Every single day of the last 10 years, I have thanked God for my special miracle! He is a miracle in every sense of the word. When he was born, they didn't give me a lot of hope for his future. They told me that IF he lived, he would probably be very physically & mentally challenged. At one point they even discussed blindness and going deaf. Well, thank God that I don't look to man for my hope. We immediately turned it over to prayer. I think we had every church in Southern Oregon praying for my baby. I run in to people all the time that know us from the prayer chains, and can't believe Dylan has come so far. As for all those challenges they mentioned....he is one of top in his class academically...he is one of the tallest, strong & lean...he hears perfectly, & only slightly near-sighted. All in all....my perfect Angel.

I gathered up some pictures that show what he was like for the first 123 days of his life, spent in the hospital. Some of them aren't great, but you will get the idea. :)

I love you buddy!!