Chasing Baby: Tales of an Unfit Mother: They don't prepare you for Kindergarten Graduation in the NICU!

WOW!! Ok, so I am not ok. Picking Bit up from school today, he just informed me that he had two....TWO days left of Kindergarten! Where have I been??? I mean, I knew that this was coming. I thought that I would have time to ask the doctor for a Xanax prescription just so I could make it through...just kidding. Well, maybe not... I don't know.

I mean, HOW do people do this??? Let their kids grow up and stuff. I think it is no secret, I adore my children. I really do! The Bit is a VERY wanted human being. I begged his father for him. I had to check every little detail off the list: College degree...CHECK, Marriage.... CHECK, House....CHECK. I finally, stopped his little check list when he decided that we needed a storage barn BEFORE we had a baby! That is a man that likes to draaagggg his feet.

Here I was pregnant and SOOOO happy!!! Until I got SOOO sick!! I remember laying in a hospital bed and the doctor said these words to me, "Tonya, I am not sure that you should continue with this pregnancy." I was on a lot of drugs (prescribed ones) in the hospital and at first I really didn't get what he was saying, so my initial response was, "huh?" Again he said, "Tonya, I am not sure that your body can make it through this pregnancy. You need to consider not having this baby." I looked at him, still fuzzy...I said, " Wait a minute... you want me to TERMINATE my pregnancy???" The next part of what I said to him could have been said a million other ways but remember, I lost 30 pounds in 9 weeks. I was on so much medication I had lost control of my arms and my legs. I couldn't keep anything down, and I had not had food or liquid by mouth in over a week. Let's just assume that I was a sick little monkey! I looked at that doctor and said, "Whoa buddy, I knew what I was doing when I put this baby in here and if you can't get the TWO of us to term, you need to find me someone that can." And that is exactly what he did. He found me a team of high risk OBGYNs and they worked miracles. Some days were better than others. Bed rest.... well, it stinks! I remember when my goal was to be able to walk to my bathroom from my bedroom (they are connected). It was a hard 33 weeks. But worth each and every minute of pure hell that it was!

They finally had to induce labor and he was born 33 minutes into my 34th week. He was huge, for a preemie. Born at a whopping 6 pounds and 13 ounces he was truly the biggest baby in the NICU with the crappiest lungs. You know, a wise man once told me, "it doesn't matter how big your baby is, if they can't breathe, you are still a scared Mommy." I was just that.

Finally, the Itty Bitty (now just Bit) got to come home- on MY birthday. I was so happy!! I was so ready!! Finally, I got to feel like a real Mommy! It was GREAT. That day the phone rang off the wall...people were checking on Bit and making sure he was doing well. No one said, "Happy Birthday" to me. I didn't care! God gave me the only Birthday gift I could ever ask for!

There have been a few bumps in the road with his health- because he was born early, but nothing we couldn't handle. I like to think that Bit was born just to prepare us for Biscuit. WOW! That is a WHOLE different story!

Seems like just yesterday my little man was in my arms. I can't wait to see what the future holds for my biggest, little man. He has taught me so much already. The first one being to "Believe in miracles, because the happen every day!" So, enjoy the pictures of him growing up. Personally, they break my heart! Mommy loves you my ALMOST first grader!!