My 2nd Miracle is 8!

We all know that today is the first day of winter, but did you also know that this is Lauren's 8th birthday? Yeah Lauren!

Eight years ago today I went in for a scheduled c-section. Schedule the birth of a baby all you want but it never goes the way you want it to!

Let us rewind to nine years ago...October 1999. I was 12 weeks pregnant and began to have a miscarriage. I had been through this twice before, so I knew what was happening. I was getting ready to go to the ER when I started bleeding at a really fast pace. I wasn't sure what was happening. I had miscarried before but it wasn't like this. Len called 911. The neighbor across the street was an EMT. He came running! I told him I knew what was happening but this just seemed different. By the time they got me to the hospital my blood pressure was 60/30....I was hemmoraghing and I was losing blood at a very fast rate. I remember looking at Len and all I could manage to say was "Help me." He yelled at the nurse and when they checked me it was far worse than anyone had anticipated. I was taken to the operating room to stop the bleeding. Once again, just like when I carried Emily, there were tumors except this time they had separated and taken the baby with them. They wanted to do a transfusion, but with all the talk of diseased blood I was scared. I refused. So the Dr. told me that it could take as long as 18 months to re-coop the blood. I had strict orders to not get pregnant again for at least 2 years.

Fast forward, 6 months later. Guess what? You got it....I got pregnant. This baby was due on Christmas Day 2000. Needless to say Doc was not thrilled! Three miscarriages, an emergency c-section, hemmoraghing, not to mention the fact it was hard for me to even concieve without meds. Oh yea and I was pushing 40!

The Dr. scheduled me for December 21, 2000, so we could be home for Christmas. We went to the operating room so I could get my spinal started.....the trouble begins. The anesthesiologist could not get it in. She just kept shoving and pushing...I wanted to slug her! As soon as the medicine began to take effect it felt odd. Once again, I turned to my DH and all I could do was spit, I couldn't even speak! I felt hot and cold at the same time. I was in heart failure! The meds as far as they could figure out had done this. I was the first woman that they had ever had in the cardiac care unit with a newborn. They had to take care of me and Lauren. Also they found that Lauren had 2 little holes in her heart, Thankfully, they closed up within 6 months without any further complications. Anyway, after all of that, here is how it ends up........my sweet little Lauren!
This is my Dad holding Lauren right after she was born. He had just finished up his last round of chemo that morning and he and mom came to see us. He was battling cancer for the second time. Lauren loves this picture.

Here we are at a get together when she was about 3 or 4 months old.

We call this one "The spaghetti face picture." I love it!


I love this picture of Lauren. My sister Sheila took it at the last birthday party we ever had for Dad.


We were at a school picnic together, here.


And,this is her Kindergarten graduation.


Here she is on the first day of school this year.


And here's my baby now! I love you Lauren! You are a wonderful little girl! Happy Birthday!