10 Years Ago Today

May 31, 1999 (Memorial Day)

7:30 am the alarm sounds and I hit snooze. I wake up but don't get up. I lay there exhausted and thankful....eyes still closed but brain awake. 2 days into summer and oh how I am glad the 98-99 school year is over. 9 weeks of rest and organizing before Chandler's arrival. My thoughts shift to the days events....Memorial Day... Dr apt....family shower. Alarm. I sit up and my thoughts move to the dream...ugh....the dream. These thoughts are interrupted by Breece's voice. "Isn't your Dr apt at 9:30?" I stand up and immediately move into verbalizing my dream to Breece. "I had the worst dream last night. Something was wrong with Chandler and I couldn't help. I had him and they took him away. It made me feel horrible". Breece kindly responded with "I am sure that you are just anxious about the Dr apt." I was thankful for the apt. My wonderful OB had taken all precautions when I failed my triple screen at 17 weeks. We had to complete the test due to Breece's Arnold Chiari but we were more than shocked when it came back indicating Down Syndrome not Spina Bifida. Following an amnio we were told it was most likely a false positive. My OB decided as a precaution he would begin screening me at 31 weeks to make sure that the abnormality in the test was not a possible indicator of preterm labor. So here it was the first monitoring session. I as was getting ready to leave the house with my sister to go to the apt (she was in town for Memorial Day/family shower) and I told her about my dream and asked her to take a picture of me since I had not taken one in awhile (how thankful I am for that picture which I would post if it were not packed away due to the move). So off we go to the appointment of course picking up breakfast. I was so enjoying my breakfast that I did not realize that I was speeding on Hwy 183 until I saw the police lights. Yes, I received a speeding ticket regardless of the explanation that I was heading to the hospital with my big belly very obvious. We arrived at the hospital and headed to the L&D floor. The nurses greeted me explaining that my appointment was suppose to have been canceled and rescheduled for Tuesday due to the holiday, but for some reason mine was the only appointment that did not get canceled....a complete God thing. I was attached to the monitors as my sister and I chatted away catching up. Several nurses came in checking me with increased intensity. I begin to feel nervous as did my sister as it was evident on her face. My nerves proved accurate as the nurse came in and began to explain that there was a problem. I was 100% effaced and dilated to a 3. As I felt my heart rate speed up and the tears begin to sting, her voice trailed off into the sounds of Charlie Brown's teacher. I searched my sister's face only to find confirmation of what was happening. As the nurses took over she began the calls.....first to Breece and then to our parents. Breece was at work 10 minutes away and was there before I knew it. My mom left her full grocery basket at the guest service counter of Tom Thumb and was right behind Breece in arriving. My dad and Breece's dad followed shortly after. As the tears begin to flow and the medicine administered, arrangements were quickly being made. The on call OB arrived in the midst of the chaos in his Hawaiian shirt and flip flops to examine me and verbalized the unwanted statement...."he will be here in the next 24 hrs!" "What???....That is impossible....I have 9 more weeks....he is not ready...will he live.....will there be anything wrong with him...we have only been to 1 childbirth class...i don't know how to do this....what about all the showers in the next couple of weeks...." Before I could even speak the concerns I was whisked off into the ambulance to be transported to a hospital with a level 3 NICU. As the tears continued to run down my face....there were no words.....just thoughts.....lots and lots of thoughts....prayers.....lots and lots of prayers. I arrived at the new hospital and was greeted by a new team of nurses and quickly met the Dr who would end up delivering him. She did a 3o minute ultrasound to check his development. The main objective was spoken....keep him in as long as possible whatever it takes. We all bought in to the mission and many words of love, comfort, encouragement, and prayers were given. Seconds turned into minutes...minutes into hours and we were hanging in there. Medication continued to accelerate lung development and stop the contractions. We were finding some comfort in the holding pattern we were maintaining. At 10:30 our families headed home as it appeared the mission was on track. Monday, May 31, 1999 11:00 pm while Breece was feeding me ice chips my water broke. It appeared the on call OB doctor was correct.....he would be here within 24 hrs..............

May 31, 2009

The alarm sounds and I hit snooze. I wake up but don't get up. I lay there exhausted and thankful....eyes still closed but brain awake. 5 days until summer and oh how I am glad the 08-09 school year will be over. My thoughts shift to the days events. These thoughts are interrupted by Chandler's voice. "Mom, did you know that tomorrow is a very special day?" My heart melts with his words. I love that in 10 years we have made the day that was so special to us so special for him. He truly feels that it is HIS day and I love that. As we did 10 years ago we did today....we spent hours talking about what the next 24 hrs will hold. Breece and I found ourselves talking through a play by play of May 31, 1999. We commented how it seems like so long ago, yet we remember every single detail. It is amazing. I found myself looking at the time and reflecting back to what I was doing at that time 10 years ago. My sister even got a call and when she answered I asked her "Do you remember what you were doing 10 years ago today?" Her answer "Had you gotten the ticket by now:)?" What a day.....I will always remember those 24 hrs....May 31, 1999 7:30 a.m. to June 1, 1999 6:04 a.m.