18 years ago tonight, my water broke while my hubby and I were in bed. It gushed while I rolled over. I wasnt contracting and it stopped when I stood up. So my mom thought Id peed the bed! Lol No, just Jeremys little bum was blocking the way for more to come out while I stood up. (He was stubborn, even then, being breach! Lol) It happened two more times before we decided it was the real thing and we needed to go to the hospital! And wed run out of clean sheets! We reached the hospital around 6:30am and I said I thought my water broke, so we sat in the waiting room for a long while of the UofU hospital. They finally came out and asked whos water broke and 2 of us raised our hands. Then when they came into our little room, they actually had the wrong chart! Really? But finally straightened things out and determined my water HAD broken and called my doctor in, whos received special permission to delivery at that hospital. As Matt rode down in the elevator to go get our camcorder, he heard doctors, or doctors in training, asking if theyd be at the gastroschisis birth. As they were getting off the elevator and Matt stayed on, he said he wanted to yell Hey! Thats my wife and son youre talking about! Not a side show! Jeremy was born at 9:45am on July 8th, full term, 4 1/2lbs, 19 1/2 inches long, squealing and unhappy. With his gastroschisis, his stomach, large and small intestines were all outside of his abdomen. And his waist was so tiny all around, since there hadnt been anything in there to grow around, besides his pelvis and ribs. Life Flight came and packed him up nicely into a warm incubator. Wheeled him into my recovery room to see him. So tiny! With red hair and looking just like his daddy, Matt Garrett. My momexclaimed Oh, Matt! He looksjust like you! Life Flight then wheeled him out and over the bridge to Primary Childrens Hospital and left him with two onesies and a t-shirt that all had a picture of the life flight helicopter on it and read My first flight was with Life Flight! And we still have them! One we let him wear, the other we kept perfectly clean as a keepsake. And he wore the t-shirt when he was older, so its a little stained and worn out. But still oh, so cute! They created a silo, his first surgery. A sturdy piece of fabric that was surgically attached to the natural hole just above his belly button, and over the course of the weeks, theyd do beside surgical procedures, where theyd slowly squeeze down a little more of his organs in. Then allow the skin to stretch over them. Then repeat again. It was so very difficult to watch. Hed try to scream over his intubation tube. I almost passed out at one point when they tried to insert an IV into his head. I was forced to return back to my hospital room. After my release and I could drive again, Id drop off Matt at work, then drove up to the hospital and just stay there by his side. Reading to him, talking, or just watching him sleep. Leave to pick up Matt, wed go up together, eat dinner there, then take Matt home to sleep and Id head back up until may needed to go to work. I did this until the nurses scolded me to go home and rest. I fell asleep in the pumping room a few times. Finally, he had his last surgery. That day a rainbow crossed the sky. It seemed to actually touch the Childrens Hospital! When his surgeon came into the waiting room, she said that was the largest defect Ive ever seen, we all sighed that he was all closed up, finally and the silo was gone. Plus he got to keep his own belly button! Usually they have to create a new one. And I, for the first time, at 17 years old, broke down in front of my family. Some Id only cried alone. Not even in front of Matt. I covered my face and started to cry and then just absolutely sobbed, a hiccupy sob. My mom pulled my head into her lap and just stroked my hair and said Let it all out, Ari. Let it all go. You dont need to put on a brave face for us. Youre safe, Jeremy is safe. Its okay. Let it out. Then, a day or two layer, I developed a fever of 105.3. Matt took me to the doctors on a Sunday. And I was diagnosed with mastitis. So Id have to pump and throw out the milk. Thankfully, wed frozen enough that we didnt have to worry about Jeremys food supply. The nurses always joked that I could feed the entire NICU! XD But I was horribly sick. Matt had to drive me to my moms house, since they had a tub and we only had a shower. Mom and Matt put me in an ice bath! Oh, yay was awful! But better than seizures and brain damage. I was literally frying my brain! The next day, Jeremys NICU nurse called to say to hurry and come down, that we could FINALLY hold our baby for the first time! But I mentioned how sick I was. She said I wasnt contagious, to put ice packs in my bra and get down there! Thats exactly what we did! So, with a 105 fever, ice packs in my bra, I held my baby boy, Jeremy, for the first time! Matt standing behind me, his arm wrapped around me, holding an oxygen mask to Jeremys face. Cathy, Jeremys nurse, took a picture of the moment for us, and I still have that picture up, next to one of Pacian, when he was just starting to learn to walk and he had my finger in his hand, his head resting on both. I adore both pictures! For Jeremy our next milestones were us changing his diapers and me breastfeeding him rather than them using my frozen milk. Finally, on August 23rd, 1996, he wad able to go home with us. Dressed in baby Looney Tunes outfit, overall sorts with a baby Sylvester the cat in the front apron part. I adored baby Looney Tunes and had resticksble wall stickers of most of the Looney Tunes as babies. Sylvester and Taz are probably my favorite. When we got home, our cat, Pumbaa, immediately fell in love! He was Jeremys buddy until the day he passed away. Hed snuggle up to Jeremy during naps on the floor. Also, even though I was awake, if Jeremy so much as whimpered, Pumbaa wouldnt even look at me. Hed just jump into Jeremys crib, snuggle up against him and usually Jeremy would immediately fall asleep again. We could lay Jeremys head on Pumbaas belly and hed just purr away. And would always give me a scathing look if I let him cry too long. And he was there when Jeremy learned how to walk. Pumbaa was just the right height to reach out for, for balance. There were rare moments that we didnt have Pumbaa in the same picture as Jeremy. Those two were meant for each other! No ifs ands or buts about it! Kitty and baby/toddler soul mates! So 18 years ago today, my firstborn came into this world in a unique and frightening fashion. Yet now, hes graduated, a brilliant young man, so kind and caring in so many ways! Especially to me. He and Pacian have been incredibly helpful to me. Whether its mundane chores like cooking, cleaning or shopping for groceries. To just being kind and sweet to give up a seat on the couch and one of them takes the floor or the computer chair out of my bedroom. Without asking or prompting by me! Though I tell them not to, they are concerned about my finances since Im on long term disability through my work (old job). Jeremy even drove me to a CT scan last fall! Im the luckiest mom in the world. Ive always wanted loving, caring, open minded young men for sons. Sons who were taller than I was and who loved their momma. Though they now call me mom, everything else has come true! (Maybe one day, theyll call me Momma again! Lol) I couldnt have asked for more! Im so grateful! And also so very grateful that Jeremys gastroschisis hasnt held him back any. He may not wish to show off his scar, and thats just fine. That is his own personal choice who to tell and who to show it to. I couldnt be more proud of the young man hes become. Happy Birthday, my beloved son! I hope this is the start to the beginning of a very happy, fun-filled life for you, that brings you plenty of happiness. And Ill always be here for you to tell me of the joys as well as the sorrows! I love you! Keep up the incredible work and the great path youre currently on. You have the world ahead of you! Ill support you as long as its not illegal, a cult, it betters your life and, of course, makes you happy. With much love and pride, Love, your mom!
Posted on: Tue, 08 Jul 2014 09:26:26 +0000