The day my life changed forever...

I'm posting this today even though tomorrow morning, at 6:57am six years ago, I became a mom.

It really all started today six years ago and as I have thought back to that day many times I am filled with thankfulness for the amazingly good outcome we had. Caleb arrived healthy and I survived...it could have been a lot different.

I was hospitalized for toxemia. For a girl whose blood pressure is usually on the unusually low end, my 180/120 blood pressure was not good. I was not allowed to walk, move, take any meds, for fear I would go into seizures. They decided the baby needed to come out so they "started" me with the least powerful thing they had. After 12 hours of mild contractions and terrible back labor I had progressed from a 1cm to 1cm...yes that's right...not a typo.

So, they decided to stop that route. I was given some time to rest, then all heck broke loose. I'd had a placental abruption and after they figured it out things got kinda crazy.

They were shoving forms at poor Clint to sign, shoved a catheter in me (yes, while I was awake, not numb...pleasant), ran me into the OR and put me under general anesthesia. Oddly enough, they allowed Clint to stay in the OR(this rarely happens). There was a neonatal team waiting for the baby and a trauma team waiting for me. They got Caleb out and PRAISE THE LORD he was okay. Small, but healthy.

Now, what they didn't know with all the hub-bub is that I don't do general anesthesia well. Nor do I do any pain medication well. Result=non-stop puking Laura. I was so sick and so messed up from being knocked out. I have no memory of having a baby and no memory (except what I've seen on video my in-laws took) of that whole first day. I think my only recorded words the entire day were "adoption is the only answer". Each day I got a little better, blood pressure was still high though. It took quite a few days, diuretics and a lot of help from the nurses, Clint, & the grandma's to get me back on my feet.

Caleb Luke was a beauty though. He was a tiny little guy, we couldn't keep him warm, and he didn't want to sleep or eat much but we made it through and loved every minute of it.

We're celebrating his 6th birthday on Saturday. Happy Birthday sweetheart. You are delightful, smart, extremely caring, sensitive, living for Jesus and we are SO proud of you!!

Here's some pic's to enjoy... Caleb's first bath, the proud daddy (he did everything the first day for Caleb), sleeping Caleb and lastly...see the result of toxemia on me? lovely huh? :) I gained 10 pounds in less than 1 week..all water..I couldn't even bend my fingers.