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He was already up this morning, waiting for his parents to wake up and present him with goodies. A little after 5:12 a.m., we got up and wished him Happy Birthday! D is now 9 years old! As soon as the coffee was brewing, we brought out his gifts. He had so much fun opening them up and is building Lego things as I type this. I still remember everything about his birth, the days leading up to being admitted, the serious talks with doctors, the plan that kept changing, NICU, etc. He was born the week of Thanksgiving that year back in 2005.

After 5 days in the hospital with steroids, mag, and oxygen, everything moved so quickly! A lot of nurses were in my room doing things that Sunday night. I guess some labs had just come back that spelled doom. One last ultrasound to check position of the baby, head was down, and going to induce me to let me try to deliver him myself. I was having trouble breathing. Somehow had accumulated water in my lungs and it felt like someone was standing on my chest. How was I going to birth him when I could barely breathe? I didn't get to that chapter in that book. Okay, 8 hours later D was having heart decelerations and my BPs were dangerously high. I was delivering within minutes it seemed. I remember the odd scene of watching NICU doctors waiting around for him to be delivered. It was strange and it got very real very quickly. I remember having the feeling of wanting to run out of there! Fear had kicked in and ready or not, this was happening.

I saw him for just a few brief seconds and he went off to the NICU. I couldn't visit him or hold him on his birthday. That was such an awful feeling. I spent his entire birthday worried, waiting, and wondering if he was going to be okay. We ate our Thanksgiving meal at the hospital that year. We didn't want him to be alone. It was as together as we could be. The day after turkey, we received a call from the hospital. D needed platelet transfusions. This is super common with preemies, but we were new at this journey and it was scary! My husband raced down there to become a direct donor. Interestingly enough, we all have the same blood type. Three weeks later, D met his goals and came home just in time for the holidays. He was supposed to be a belated b-day gift for my husband in January, but he was mine instead.

My husband still donates religiously several times a year. We have grown a relationship with United Blood Services. Next year in January, D and I will be featured on riders bibs for the Tour de Hero in Scottsdale. It's the first time they've featured 2 in one family, a mother and son, who are both blood recipients. I had life-saving transfusions with their angel brother 3 1/2 years later. It will be a very special day as well.

So, nine years later and D is doing amazing! He is smart, funny, caring, patient, and such a good big brother. Online school does have its challenges, but he's doing great! I do wish he'd know his multiplication facts a bit faster the way he rattles off the names of Skylanders, but it's coming. He has opened all of his gifts except one. The rest of the order is in thanks to the email at 1:42 a.m. this morning. I can pick that up in another hour. It's new bedding, Star Wars Rebels. I think it's more for hubby, but whatever. I won't have to hand him a receipt after all. After ST, we are headed to Pump It Up for open jump, then T's piano lesson, lunch out, and then maybe hit a few stores where D can unload some of his gift cards. He's itching to go to Game Stop. A play date later on tonight with dinner and cake, then it's off to bed for a long Saturday with horses and fun!