Happy Birthday G

9 years ago today, you and I nearly died.

Labor had been going on and on and on, till we realized it was going on about 4 hours longer than your older brothers. Doctors were worried. Incredibly large shiney medical tools were brought out, but none of them could quite cut through the anxious tension in the air.
I remember how loud it was when I heard the Doctor say "get her out of here NOW"
and we were rushed into an elevator, they literally ran us down the hall way......there was not enough time to even wait for me to be in the surgical room before the anisthesiologist plunged a large needle into my IV line, connected to my hand....I can remember watching it balloon up in size as the chemical coctail was forced as quickly as possible into my system. Count back wards from 10 Dana....10...9..........8.........

I'm choking. I can't breathe there is something in my throat. I'm going to die! The stories from my aunt nearly drowing in labor when they put a water tube in her lung instead of her stomach are flashing in my head. I'm coughing choking, a nurse rushes over and pulls the long air tube from my throat, I gasp like a fish out of water.
Incredible splitting pain in my stomach, I can't cough it hurts to bad, I can't stop coughing.......I'm going to be sick and I just know my guts are going to spill out of me from the heaves......

You were dying. The umbilical cord had wrapped around your neck, and with every contraction, you were slowly being choked to death. The nurses had been shoving downward on my belly so hard there were bruises for over a week....their attempt to help push you out only resulted in the cord wrapping tighter around your neck. It was with a sudden jolt when the Doctor realized what was going on and screamed to get me out of that room. Something in my blood pressure and yours had snapped, there was literally only minutes left in our lives. Emergency C-section.

After several hours in recovery, and after who knows how many hours I was knocked out, they finally, blessedly, brought you to me. Oh my Lord you were perfect, and so beautiful. Such a quiet disposition, and such deep deep eyes. You and I stayed awake together all night just looking at each other. I promised you I would always be there for you as best I could, I told you that it was God that made sure you made it all the way here, so I was just going to trust in Him to keep you in these few years of mortal life we have here. You knew what I was talking about, I could see it in those eyes.

Now here we are 9 years later, my Little Drummer Boy. You have your mohawk spiked in purple, and are forever beating on something if you can't be on your drums. You march to your own beat in every describable way. Reading "just was not your thing" until you saw a younger girl doing it, then you were up to a second grade level in under a month. Same with math, and now with science. No one can push you into doing something you don't want to do, your character is strong, and your heart is huge. I have never in my life met a child so genuinely as generous as you Mr G. You are the child that goes to the store with me, and will buy your brothers and sisters chocolate, not caring one bit if there is not enough money left over to get any for yourself. And you do that all the time. Always putting others ahead of yourself, always wanting the best for others, never caring that they don't treat you nearly as well. You stun me my little man, and you teach me so much about what is really important in this world. Its not shoes or new bionicles, its giving the best of yourself to everyone around you, and giving with joy in your heart. No regrets. That is the secret to happiness.
G, there are millions of people who get to ripe old age who never figure that out. But you, little man, I think you have known it from that very first night you were born.

You are Gods gift to the world, and I am thankful, and blessed, to be your Mom.

Happy Birthday Kiddo