Alex the Miracle Preemie!

This is the story of my son's birth!

Alexander's Birth Story
As told by his Mother: Martha
August 1, 2005

It was on Mother's Day 2002, Rick and I found out we were going to be parents. We glowed with excitement dreaming of our perfect birth while living in ignorant bliss of what was ahead. The next several months went along smoothly, with my belly and our anticipation growing. I had only gained 13 pounds and was feeling great when I woke up in my 28th week of pregnancy and noticed how swollen my feet had become. I showed my mother who was visiting from out of town and she assured me it was from being on my feet too much the day before and heading into my third trimester. As the week progressed so did the swelling moving up my legs and face. A severe headache crept in along with extreme fatigue. I was suddenly feeling quite pregnant.

On November 8th, I was diagnosed with a severe onset of preeclampsia (AKA: toxemia and pregnancy-induced hypertension (PIH), my blood pressure was 150/100. Preeclampsia most commonly occurs during first pregnancies. This disease is characterized by swelling, high blood pressure, and the presence of protein in the urine. Preeclampsia occurs in 5 to 10 percent of all pregnancies. No matter how ill you become with this disease, whether it's sudden or gradual, the only cure is delivery of the baby. I was put on bed rest and told I was only allowed to leave my bed to go to the bathroom. The swelling continued to get worse as did the headaches and my vision started to blur. Rick and I were going daily to the doctor's office enduring more and more tests. We suddenly went from thinking we were going to have a mid January baby to praying we would get past Thanksgiving.

Rick arrived home from work on November 18th to find me lying in bed, very pale, swollen and disoriented. I had no energy and could barely lift my head off the pillow. The fear in his eyes brought my fears to life. I must have looked as bad as I felt. He rushed me to the doctors and then to the hospital where I was admitted with severe preeclampsia and HELLP syndrome (Hemolytic anemia, Elevated Liver enzymes and Low Platelet count). HELLP syndrome occurs in about 10% of patients with severe preeclampsia. I began throwing up violently and my liver started shutting down causing severe pain in my back. My lungs began to fill with fluid and each breath was harder to take. I was put on oxygen as my team of doctors tried to decide what the best form of action was and create a plan. This began a world wind of events, starting with shots of betamethasone, a corticosteroid given in 2 injections, 24 hours apart before birth to speed up a preterm fetus's lung development. Rick and I received a tour of the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU). I cried all the way through just staring at the babies with tubes, wires and bright lights. My husband and I were paralyzed with fear as to what lied ahead of us. Phone calls went out to family across the country. Our parents jumped onto airplanes to come lend their support. Prayers rang out across the world for our future son and my health.

Forty eight hours later my body could no longer handle being pregnant and my vital organs went into failure. My blood pressure soared up to 188/132. The doctors came in and said it was time to get delivery rolling or they may loose me and the baby. Due to my HELLP syndrome a c-section was no longer an option in fear of loosing too much blood, having a stroke or possible death. That evening, November 20th, the doctor placed cervidil onto my cervix to soften it and prepare my body for labor. We were then told to go to sleep and get as much rest as possible. We thought this was kind of funny as didn't they realize I was only 31 weeks pregnant and mentally we were not at all ready for what was about to take place. Rick and I tried to sleep that night with the sounds of my blood pressure machine beeping and nurses coming and going. Rick lay in a cot next to my hospital bed, holding hands we prayed like we have never prayed before. This was just not how we pictured all of this happening!

At 4 A.M. on Thursday, November 21st, I felt something that was like the baby flinching and my stomach jumped. Minutes later I began to feel water leaking down my thighs. I started laughing and Rick asked what was going on. I told him that I thought my water had just broken. I pushed the nurse?s call button and waited. Finally a voice came over the speaker asking me what I needed. I replied that either my had water just broke or I was peeing the bed, with that we heard fits of giggling nurses as she replied I doubt your water just broke but I'll be right down. She came in and sure enough I was right, my baby broke his own bag of water and I was now officially in labor. I was moved to the labor and delivery floor, with a huge room directly across from the nurse?s station. I also got my own nurse who was ordered not to leave my room without a replacement, as I was labeled a high risk patient. They started a pitocin drip, and Rick and I watched in awe as people came in and out of our room preparing for our preemie son's awaited birth. At this point I had several IV's with antibiotics, fluids, pitocin and magnesium sulfate flowing through them. Along with the blood pressure machine, catheter and an external monitor for the baby, I felt like an alien!

At 2:00 P.M. as the contractions began to increase I asked for an epidural. I was now just shy of being 4cm dilated. I was able to rest and close my eyes for an hour before the contractions came back with a vengeance. I had to really concentrate on breathing and focusing to remain calm. The doctor came back and ordered me a second push of meds into my epidural. She also inserted an internal monitor on the baby?s head in order to get a better read of the contractions and the baby's heart beat. After that she left to do a c-section and said she would be back in about an hour to check on me. The pain was intense now and Rick was working to keep me comfortable and cool. My nurse and Rick were watching the monitors and talking me through each contraction. After 20 minutes the nurse suggested she check me again, as she rolled me onto my back I felt the baby suddenly drop. At that point I got the undeniable urge to push and push now! The nurse said okay your ready, and grabbed Ricks hand and had him push my legs to the side and said don't push, I will be right back! We heard all kinds of commotion as they raced to get my OB, the Neonatologist, and the NICU birthing team. Everyone was called back to my room STAT. Rick and I looked at each other and a wave of emotions rushed over us, we both began to cry. We were moments away from being parents and entering into a world of the NICU.

After three pushes my OB allowed Rick and I both to rub our sons head before he was completely born. This was a moment we will never forget; it was the calm before the storm. After my next push our lives were going to be changed forever. As I felt my son's hair I began to cry tears of joy. With my next contraction Alexander was born at 4:11 P.M. He weighed 3 pounds 3 ounces and was 16 3/4" inches long. His body was covered in soft blond almost white hair, the same color as the hair on his head. Tiny does not even begin to describe him. He looked like a puppy first born. The doctor allowed us to quickly kiss him before he was taken over to where the NICU team began to work on him. I watched from my bed and could occasionally see his tiny feet kicking under the bright white light. I could see that my son had his father's feet, with the second toe being larger than the first. I kept crying and crying. I had tears of joy, tears of fear, and tears of exhaustion. Just then my tiny little son proceeded to pee all over the doctor, not once but twice. I couldn't help but laugh. Rick and I along with over 25 staff members in the room quietly sang Happy Birthday to Alex. The NICU team realized my son was in distress and whisked him away to the NICU. After numerous spells of apnea he was intubated. The team also placed an umbilical venous line in order to begin medication. Once he was stable he was prepared for transport to Children's Hospital San Diego, CA (CHSD) a 30 minute commute from Scripps Memorial Hospital in La Jolla, CA where he was delivered and I would continue to stay. My husband and I were allowed a quick visit with him before transport where the team answered a few questions and took some pictures for us. I do not recall much of this time as I was exhausted and my tears were truly all I could see. It was gut wrenching knowing my son was being taken from me and I was having to give up all control, although I had faith knowing he would be in fantastic care.

Upon arriving at CHSD he was quickly diagnosed with respiratory distress syndrome, given a dose of surfactant and remained on the ventilator. He continued to have spells of apnea and bradycardia. The doctors began giving him caffeine to help with his breathing problems. The first thing they needed to maintain was his breathing and heart beat. Alex was jaundice and needed phototherapy for 3 days. Within the first 24 hours we felt like he was starting to improve, then they started more tests.

The doctors had several problems with his umbilical venous line and ended up removing it opting for a central venous catheter (AKA: picc line). The catheter was inserted through the skin into a vein in his chest. It was threaded through the vein until it reached a large vein near the heart called the superior vena cava.

Alex had a common preemie problem his patent ductus arteriosus (PDA) valve was not closing on its own. The patent ductus arteriosus (PDA) is a special blood vessel that we all have as babies in our mother's uterus. The ductus is responsible for transporting blood from the right side of the heart, bypassing the nonfunctioning lungs of the baby, and putting it directly into the aorta for circulation to the baby's tissues and organs. Shortly after birth, it is important for the ductus to close, which then directs blood to the now functioning lungs for oxygenation. If this closure doesn't occur, some unoxygenated blood gets sent to the lungs like it's supposed to, and some unoxygenated blood gets pumped directly into the aorta. To try and get the ductus to close they gave Alex a dose of indocin. An infant can have up to three doses of indocin before needing heart surgery to manually close the duct. However, after a head ultrasound it was found that Alex had a grade 2 intraventricular hemorrhage in his brain that the doctors believed occurred before birth. They feared this could cause mild to severe mental retardation or learning disabilities. The true lasting effects of this bleed would not be known until Alex was older. Due to the bleed he was no longer able to have the indocin his PDA valve needed. Rick and I were paralyzed with fear as they were now discussing heart and brain surgery on my four day old baby boy. A baby I couldn't see, touch, hear, hold, sooth or stare lovingly at. All I could do was pray and ask God to guide those doctor's hearts and minds. The next day while prepping for heart surgery it was found that the PDA valve had closed on its own and no surgery was needed. This was very exciting as it was the first time in 4 days we were getting positive news.

Five days after Alexander's birth I was finally allowed a four hour pass out of my hospital to go and visit Alex. I had to promise to sit and stay in a wheelchair. My husband arrived so excited for me to get to spend time with our son. He tried to prepare me for the things I would see in the NICU. I don?t think anything could have honestly prepared me. As he rolled me into the massive NICU the bright lights stung my eyes as my ears filled with the sounds of beeping from the many machines. As we rounded the corner to see our Baby Alex, I had to resist the urge of crying as I saw all the tiny babies fighting for their lives with their parents standing nearby offering all of their support and love. Finally I see an isolette with a gorgeous hand colored sun with my son's name written across the front in large letters. The tears started to spill as I thought about someone putting in that love to personalize his isolette. Rick asked me if I was ready as several nurses came over to greet us and offer me support. As he lifted the blanket I stood up from my wheel chair and caught my breath. There beneath this huge machine, covered with IV's, tubes, tape, a mask and the ventilator was my heart and soul. This child, this boy, our son, weighing just 2.8 pounds lay on his belly, peaceful in a world of chaos. His quiet isolette shutting out all of the suffering going on around him. I stood there in total anguish, tears spilling onto the floor beneath my feet. I wanted so badly to grab my baby and run from this world I knew nothing about. Yet in my heart I knew these people were the key to saving my son. They lifted the door and allowed me my first true skin to skin contact. He was warm and smelled so good. I could see he had my small lips and my husband's eyes. He was gorgeous and looked like such a little old man. A friend sent us a beanie baby and my husband laid it on top of him and I was shocked seeing my son was nearly the exact same size as this tiny stuffed animal. I began calling him Boo Bear, a name we still use today. It was at this first of many visits that we received our second good report. Alex had stopped loosing weight and was beginning to finally gain. We learned the bleed in his brain had stopped. Alex would not be needing brain surgery or a shunt. We were nervously excited. Alex did however need a blood transfusion as he was anemic. Rick quickly chose to donate his own blood for the procedure. There we stood this new family of three with the sounds, lights and people in the NICU surrounding us. Rick and I sang quietly to Alex, encouraging him to fight with everything he had. We told him of our love and of all the prayers for him. I started to feel extremely light headed and knew I had been standing too long, I saw I was bleeding heavily and needed to get back to my hospital quickly. I knew that Alex was right where he needed to be, and that the doctors and nurses would provide him with excellent care. Yet it was still very difficult to leave.

Two days later I was released from the hospital in time for Thanksgiving. My mother made us a traditional turkey dinner, but I had such a hard time feeling festive. I felt like a piece of my heart was left behind. How could I sit here and eat while my baby struggled for every breath he took. Before dinner Grace was said as we had so much to be thankful for. God granted us life, strength, and faith. We received a phone call from the hospital that afternoon letting us know the ventilator had been removed, and I would be allowed to hold Alex for the first time later that evening. I could not scramble out of the house fast enough. This truly was an incredible Thanksgiving.

As they laid Alex into my arms we began our first of many sessions of kangaroo care. Alex mewed like a kitten, with no real ability to cry. He stared back at me with my own blue eyes, learning my face while I learned his. A nurse took our first family photo. Alex had a gavage feeding tube that ran through his nose into his stomach, this is how he ate every 3hrs having only a few cc's of breast milk at a time. He still had various wires and tubes attached to him watching his breathing, pulse, heartbeat, and pumping numerous drugs into his little body along with an oxygen cannula. It was at this moment that I knew we truly were going to be survivors. I made certain to tell my son what a miracle, fighter and survivor he was.

On November 30th, Alex was declared well enough to be transported back to the hospital he was born at. This was a huge break through. We still had numerous obstacles in front of us and many ounces to gain but this was the beginning of the rest of Alex's life. We were now considered a feeder and grower preemie. I spent 8 to 12 hours a day by Alex's isolette, being his voice when he had none, doing as many procedures as the nurses allowed me. I wanted to plant my Mommy feet firmly, and I wanted all to know I was here for no one but my son. I was pumping breast milk every 3 hours 24 hours a day. People often asked me how I could do this and I always explained that if my son was at home I would be doing the same thing. If my son can fight to survive the least I could do was supply him with my physical nourishment as an aid.

Over the next several weeks we watched Alexander's daily weight gain and celebrated with a huge sign over his incubator when we finally reached 4 pounds. We cheered as he began to loose tubes, wires, and IV's. We cried when we had minor set backs like finding he was allergic to the weight gainer drug, and with each apnea, bradycardia, or tachycardia spell. We bonded and found strength from the other families who were struggling having to leave their babies each night as well. Alex had his first sponge bath in a hospital sink with a warm bright light over him. While nurses stood over Rick's and my shoulder helping to guide and wash our tiny baby. He was moved out of an isolette and into his first set of clothing and a bassinet where he learned to maintain his own body heat. Soon Alex was learning to suck, swallow and breathe all at the same time, allowing us to try breast feeding for the first time.


After 32 days in the NICU, on December 23rd Rick and I were able to bring our infant son Alexander home! Weighing just 4 pounds 4 ounces he appeared lost in his car seat. He came home on a heart monitor which remained for the next 4 months. Over the next several months we continued to visit many different specialists. We also went in weekly for weight checks. Alex had shown his fighting spirit. Alex has beaten the odds. Rick and I thank God daily for blessing us with our little miracle baby. God chose us as Alexander's parents. God knew that even through all our periods of self doubt that we were the ones who would provide a wonderful future for this miracle child. To know Alex is to love him. His smile, humor, and love will light up the room. Alexander will always be a preemie but he has also proven himself to be a survivor.

What kind are you?

Your Blogging Type is Kind and Harmonious

You're an approachable blogger who tends to have many online friends. People new to your blogging circle know they can count on you for support. You tend to mediate fighting and drama. You set a cooperative tone. You have a great eye for design - and your blog tends to be the best looking on the block!

What's Your Blogging Personality?

Fasting?

As a fairly new Christian I am still learning and questioning so much. Right now in my Church and in my MOPS group there are a lot of people who are under attack. They are carrying many burdens, and finding it difficult to take that next step as their load is heavy. It has been suggested in my Woman's Group that we will have a group Fast. I was told basically you could choose to give up food as a whole or a particular vise for you (for example: caffeine, the computer, chocolate).

Now I have heard about fasting but honestly I have never done it. I have been thinking a lot about it and came across my problem. I'm ignorant. I don't want to do it if I truly don't understand WHY I am doing it and HOW to do it. Hopefully this is making sense.

I know a lot of my readers believe in Jesus, and so it is you I come to with all of my questions and my plea for help!!!! I have done research on the web and will post the sites I have found at the bottom.

1. Why fast?

2. How does fasting change my daily prayers?

3. What is your experience with fasting, if you can share why you fasted that would be great!

Thank you for all of your help in advance!!! I want to have this choice be mine and mine alone and for the right reasons.

http://www.billbright.com/howtofast/

Eye Color??

What color eyes could your Children have??? Click here and find out!!!


http://museum.thetech.org/ugenetics/eyeCalc/eyecalculator.html

The cool thing is Rick and I beat the odds! He has Brown eyes with both of his parents having brown eyes and he has no siblings! Both my parents have Blue eyes, My oldest brother and I have blue eyes, and my other brother and sister have green eyes!!

we only had a 13.6% chance of having a child with blue eyes! YEAH Alex!!!!!!!!

My parents had a 0% chance of having a child with green eyes and they had 2!

Africa

A group from our church just made a Mission trip to Africa. On Sunday our entire service was based on their trip and all that they learned, felt, and loads of pictures. I cannot even begin to express how touched I was by the pictures and everything they said. I was in tears listening to how blessed these people feel. We might pray and ask God to help us pay the cable bill this month, these people pray daily asking for God to help them get one meal that day. Some woman have to choose which one of their children will eat that day and which ones will go hungry. 50% or more suffer from AIDS. I feel so humbled... How can I complain about my rental house with no central a/c, or the sugar ants, or the 1978 Buick regal my husband must drive, or whining about not having any food in the house when my cupboards are full? How dare I complain about such petty things when there are children out there suffering? Yet, they are so happy! They are so faithful in their love of Christ. They have faith that God will provide for them the most basic daily needs. We all could learn so much from these people. The people from our Church went over there to give to the people, to teach them, and in all honestly it appears it is they who were taught. And in turn I was taught...

Someday, I would love to go on a Mission like this with Alex and Rick. I can only imagine what an impact such a trip would have on a young child. I think it would be such an incredible bonding experience for us as a family. Not to mention the work for God we would be doing.. Awesome!! I have added it to my list of things I want to do with Alex before he turns 18.

I was so touched by this story that I was really aching to do something. Our small group has decided we are going to reach out in some way to a group of children in need. During the next week we each have assignments to research and find contact information of different orphanages, or shelters, or whole communities who need to be blessed with God's Love. We would like to help be a vessel for that. If you have any suggestions, I would certainly love to hear them.

May God be with each of you today and fill your most basic human needs and prayers!

Get to know Martha...

1. First name? Martha

2. Were you named after anyone? Yes, my Godmother / Aunt

3. Do you wish on stars? Yes, because wishes do come true

4. When did you last cry? Hmm... within the last week for sure!

5. Do you like your handwriting? NO, not at all! Looks like a 3 year old wrote it.

6. What is your favorite lunch meat? Ham

7. What is your birth date? 11-16-1974

8. What is your most embarrassing CD? Ohh, I have a lot that some might think I should be embarresed about... but lets pick one and say "Spice Girls".

9. If you were another person, would YOU be friends with you? Yes, I think so! I can be overly emotional at times but I am a faithful friend who will stand by you in thick or thin. I am a scorpio and have a scorpio's stinger as well.

10. Do you have a journal? well, durr.. your reading it.

11. Do you use sarcasm a lot? Yeah like sarcasim is my middle name!

12. What are your nicknames? Hmm.. I don't think I have any, although Rick calls my Sunshine, Alex calls me Mama, and my sister calls me Marth.

13. Would you bungee jump? Well, actually no! I am terrified of falling face first into the earth and with my luck I would dislocate something.

14. Do you untie your shoes when you take them off? well, I usually have sandals on BUT, when I wear my sneakers I don't. Bad I know!

15. Do you think that you are strong? Yes, and no! I feel like I am so weak at times, but then I look back upon my life and realize I don't give myself nearly enough credit!

16. What is your favorite ice cream flavor? TCBY - Peanut Butter Cup

17. Shoe Size? 7.5

18. Red or pink? Red only NO PINK!

19. What is your least favorite thing about yourself? Gosh, my fat rolls, zits, big nose, my love of food, my lack of ability to engage my filter (Lori, stop laughing), my temper, my jealousy, Should I keep going?

20. Who do you miss most? My Mom.. I really wish she was a more central person in my son's life.

21. Do you want everyone you send this to send it back? no... add it to your own blog

22. What color pants and shoes are you wearing? blue shorts

23. What are you listening to right now? the fans blowing....

24. Last thing you ate? 10 seconds ago a pretzel rod

25. If you were a crayon, what color would you be? Purple

26. What is the weather like right now? HOT.. HOT.. HOT currently 94, feels like 111.

27. Last person you talked to on the phone? Uhh... Stacy

28. The first thing you notice about the opposite sex? From the back.. ohhh nothing beats a great ass in a nice pair of jeans! From the front.. a smile with gorgeous teeth and nice eyes.

29. Do you like the person that sent this to you? well, technically I stole if from Michelle because I didn't have anything overly entertaining to write about.

30. Favorite drink? Non-alcoholic: Sweet tea and Coke, Alcoholic: A Birthday Cake Martini! OMG.. it is soooo smooth and yummy!

31. FAVORITE SPORT to play? uhhhh softball when I am not sucking wind

32. Hair Color? Currently, Strawberry Blonde with blonde highlights

33. Eye Color? Bright Blue

34. Do you wear contacts? nope 20/20 baby!

35. Favorite Food? LOBSTER!!!! After that Mexican!

36. Last Movie You Watched? I seriously have no clue!

37. Favorite day of the year? November 21, because my son beat the odds!

38. Scary Movies or Happy Endings? Happy Endings - hate scary movies!

39. Summer or winter? Fall!

40. Hugs OR Kisses? Ohh depends who the kisses are from.. (wink wink)

41. What Is Your Favorite Dessert? mmmmmm... a peanut butter cup sundae from Friendly's!

42. Who Is Most Likely To Respond? maybe Lillie?

43. Who Is Least Likely To Respond? Alyssa, she'll tell me she just did this and I already know all the answers!

44. Living Arrangements? In a rented house, with an almost 32 year old husband, a 2.5 year old wild monkey of a son, a loving but sometimes rambunctious male dog named Miller, and a self obsorbed, demanding, female cat named Zoe.

45. What Books Are You Reading? Just finished "Must Love Dogs", and now am reading "Small Town Girl".

46. What's On Your Mouse Pad? What mouse pad? But I have a great coaster with my son's picture on it.

47. What Did You Watch Last night on TV? Real Life - I want the perfect body on MTV!

48. Favorite Smells? Ohhh my son's sweet skin after a bath!

49. Favorite Sounds? Alex laughing hysterically

50. Rolling Stones or Beatles? neither???

51. What's the farthest you've been from home? Ireland... love it and cannot wait to go back!

52. Traditional or Nontraditional Wedding? Hmm.. mine was untraditional in some ways but traditional in others!

I'm Finally back from Texas to 3 fried computers!!

We arrived home on Monday safe and sound! The drive didn't seem nearly as bad as I expected it too. Alex was an angel! I was exhausted when I arrived home and literally fell asleep on the floor. I had been up since 4:30am, and my butt was numb. LOL. I have no clue how truck drivers do it on a regular basis. My back and shoulders are still sore.

Rick arrived home the week before to 3 fried computers. We had unplugged them all before we left and shut everything down but when he tried to turn them back on each on did something different! Mine kept beeping at him, and refused to do anything beyond that. The laptop, wouldn't do anything or make any sound, and his would boot up to the black screen where you can go into safe mode, and then nothing. So it was bizarre! He ended up taking his to the IT guy at his work where they had to dump everything and re-format the entire hard drive. Ugh.. we lost everything on both systems!

I was exhausted Tuesday and Wednesday. It took everything I had just to get out of bed. I didn't realize how tired I was from our trip. I was pretty grouchy and depressed too. But, I am feeling great today and falling nicely back into my routine.

Ohhh.. Alison... I have caught the last 2 Big Brother's! Finally! LOL.. I am actually getting into it now. I liked Michael and was bummed he got the boot. Did you see the updates on last years people... Totally cracked me up. Survivor starts in August!!!!!

God Bless the U.S.A.F!

I am certain this is an e-mail that is floating around.. I got it from my Mom, and living in a Air Force town loved it and had to share!!

This just happened here in Phoenix.
The first letter is a complaint to Luke AFB and the second
is the response from the senior officer. 

Complaint:
Quote: A wake-up call from Luke's jets
Jun. 23, 2005 12:00 AM 
 
"Question of the day for Luke Air Force Base: Whom do we thank for
the morning air show? Last Wednesday, at precisely 9:11 a.m., a tight
formation of four F-16 jets made a low pass over Arrowhead Mall,continuing
west over Bell Road at approximately 500 feet. Imagine our good fortune!
Do the Tom Cruise-wannabes feel we need this wake-upcall, or were they
trying to impress the cashiers at Mervyns' early-bird special? Any response
would be appreciated."

The reply is classic, and a testament to the professionalism and heroism of
the folks in the armed services.

The response: 

Regarding "A wake-up call from Luke's jets" (Letters, Thursday):

On June 15, at precisely 9:12 a.m., a perfectly timed four-ship of F-16s from
the 63rd Fighter Squadron at Luke Air Force Base flew over the grave of Capt.
Jeremy Fresques. Capt. Fresques was an Air Force officer who was previously
stationed at Luke Air Force Base and was killed in Iraq on May 30, Memorial Day.
At 9 a.m. on June 15, his family and friends gathered at Sunland Memorial Park
in Sun City to mourn the loss of a husband, son and friend.

Based on the letter writer's recount of the flyby, and because of the jet noise,
I'm sure you didn't hear the 21-gun salute, the playing of taps, or my words to
the widow and parents of Capt. Fresques as I gave them their son's flag on behalf
of the President of the United States and all those veterans and servicemen and
women who understand the sacrifices they have endured.
 
A four-ship flyby is a display of respect the Air Force pays to those who give
their lives in defense of freedom. We are professional aviators and take our jobs
seriously, and on June 15 what the letter writer witnessed was four officers
lining up to pay their ultimate respects. 
 
The letter writer asks, "Whom do we thank for the morning air show?" 

The 56th Fighter Wing will call (for you), and forward your thanks to the widow and
parents of Capt. Fresques, and thank them for you, for it was in their honor that
my pilots flew the most honorable formation of their lives.
 
Lt. Col. Scott Pleus 
CO 63rd Fighter Squadron 
Luke Air Force Base

Trivia of Martha

My Mom sent this silly quiz thing in an e-mail to me so thought I would share my answers here! Feel free to answer as well!

1. IF YOU COULD BUILD A SECOND HOUSE ANYWHERE, WHERE WOULD IT BE? Some where on the gulf of Mexico - the clear blue warm water and incredible snorkeling gets me every time.

2. WHAT'S YOUR FAVORITE ARTICLE OF CLOTHING?
Honestly, I really don't have any clothes I love at the moment.

3. THE LAST CD YOU BOUGHT?
OMG.. I think Michael W. Smith - Worship

4. WHAT TIME DO YOU WAKE UP IN THE MORNING?
When ever my 2.5 year old alarm clock tells me to.

5. WHAT'S YOUR FAVORITE KITCHEN APPLIANCE?
haa.. the microwave!

6. IF YOU COULD PLAY AN INSTRUMENT, WHAT WOULD IT BE?
The drums..

7. WHICH DO YOU PREFER, SPORTS CAR OR SUV?
SUV - love the outdoors and have to be able to tow a boat, jet ski's, a 4-wheeler, a camper, plus all our camping & mountain biking gear.

8. DO YOU BELIEVE IN AFTER LIFE?
I believe in Heaven and hell

9. FAVORITE CHILDREN'S BOOK?
"Just in case You ever wonder" by Max Lucado
and
"What Makes a Rainbow" by: Betty Ann Schwartz

WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE SEASON?
Fall

11. WHAT'S IN THE TRUNK OF YOUR CAR?
At the moment nothing, I don't own a car

12. WHICH DO YOU PREFER, SUSHI OR HAMBURGER?
Cheeseburgers, Ketchup and Pickles only!

FAVORIITE FLOWER?
Sunflowers and Sterling Roses

YOUR FAVORITE ICE CREAM?
TCBY - Peanut Butter Cup

18. BUTTER, PLAIN, OR SALTED POPCORN?
Butter and lots of salt

19. FAVORITE COLOR?
Purple

20. WHAT KIND OF CAR DO YOU DRIVE?
My Husbands 1984 Toyota Pick up when I can

21. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE SANDWICH?
Santa Fe Wrap

23 WHERE WERE YOU BORN?
Nashua, NH

24. FAVORITE SPORT TO WATCH?
Gymnastics

25. FAVORITE LOVE SONG? I don't want to miss a thing - Aerosmith

New Hampshire Girls

Ahh.. I am so proud to be a Yankee!

Three men were sitting together bragging about how they had given their new wives duties. The first man had married a woman from Mississippi and bragged that he had told his wife she was going to do all the dishes and house cleaning. He said it took a couple days but on the third day he came home to a clean house and the dishes were done. The second man had married a woman from Florida. He bragged that he had given his wife orders that she was to do all the cleaning, dishes and the cooking. On the first day he didn't see any results, but the next day it was better. By the third day,his house was clean, the dishes were done and he had a huge dinner on the table. The third man had married a New Hampshire girl. He boasted that he told her that her duties were to keep the house cleaned, dishes washed, lawn mowed,laundry washed and hot meals on the table for every meal.He said the first day he didn't see anything, the second day he didn't see anything, but by the third day most of the swelling had gone down and he could see a little out of his left eye. Enough to fix himself a bite to eat, load the dishwasher and telephone a landscaper. Got to love them New Hampshire Girls.

A game while I am away!

Post your answers in my comment section!! Have fun!

1. Who are you?

2 . When and how did we meet?

3 . What brings you to my blog?

4. Why do you keep coming backto my blog?

5. Give me a nickname and explain why you picked it.

6. Describe me in one word.

7. What was your first impresssion of me?

8. Do you still think that now?

9. What reminds you of me?

10. If you could give me a present, what would it be?

11. Ever wanted to tell me something but couldn't?

Staying at the Farm!

Well, we were suppose to head home tomorrow but have decided to extend our vacation! We will be staying in Texas until Monday. Rick still has not done any work on the car he crashed thus I would return home to no car. So here we will stay in the rental car. The weather is hot here but Alex is having an awesome time "on the farm". Everyday we see horses, goats, chickens, peacocks, and a rooster. Not to mention all the squirrels. Alex is really loving it. We went to the zoo today and had a great time. Alex is such an animal lover and absorbs all the information in. It really surprises me the things he can remember, evenmore when I think he not paying any attention.

So sorry Stacy.. we are not returning yet!! We miss you too.... If Rick calls again tell him to get off the phone and go work on the car! LOL....

Hugs and prayers to everyone!

Baking in Texas!

God Bless all you Texans! It is hotter than SIN here. It has been 99+ everyday and that is without the humidity. I am seriously melting. I don't know how you all do it. I thought Mississippi was hot but at least ours comes in waves. Ugh...

I have gotten sad news while here, a friend at home, sons committed suicide last week. My heart sank into my toes. As a Mother I cannot imagine, as a friend my heart just aches. Thankfully she is a Godly woman and is just so thankful for the time she did have with this wonderful young man. Pleas hug your babies tight, and say a special prayer for Eric who's soul is now at peace.

My time away has been good. We spent the weekend in Shreveport, lounging in the pool. My son is just a fish. He loves to jump and dive in and can even swim under water alone. He has no fear and just loves the pool.

We are now in Fort Worth, TX. Rick's 81 year old Grandmother lives here and Rick's Mom is here visiting. We are truly enjoying our time. Life was just so stressful and crazy before we left. I am hoping some calm has found our home upon our return. Alex is loving all the attention and love he is getting. It's so good to see him smiling and laughing. Potty training is still going really well, although it's still a refusal on #2! Sigh...

Looking forward to getting home and getting back into my daily routine!!!

Safe Travel!

I am off for a week.....

Just to visit family so nothing too exciting.. Not even my family but Rick's!! Pray for safe travels!!

Can I go back to bed?

I started a post this morning, and my internet had some kind of problem and shut down. My day went to H*ll in a hand basket after that!! Here's a scripture verse sent to me today and I thought I would share until I'm ready.

For God, who said, “Let light shine out of darkness,” made his light shine in our hearts to give us the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ. But we have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us. We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed. 2 Corinthians 4:6-9

Food for thought!

"Real heroes are men who fall and fail and are flawed, but win out in the end becauase they've stayed true to their ideals and
beliefs and commitments."

- Actor Kevin Costner

"Just say No To Tom Cruise"

The time has come, my 20 year love affair with Tom Cruise is officially over. What was once a school girl's lust has turned into an Adult Woman's disrespect. I find everything in Mr. Cruise's actions in the last 6 months DISGUSTING! First the so-called love affair with Katie Holmes. It comes off as such a media ploy. I find it oddly interesting that they both have what should have been 2 blockbuster summer hits coming out at the same time. They have never met yet Tom suddenly wants to "meet" her. Katie once tells a magazine she "wants to marry Tom Cruise? " Uhh, Honey the line starts back there (pointing behind me)!!!! Tom in the past has always been so shy and demure about his relationships yet suddenly he is jumping and screaming on Oprah's couch? What the heck is happening here! Where did my studly Top Gun Pilot go??? Ahh the day's when we were young and so ignorant. I grew out of that phase sadly Tom Cruise grew into it.

Now I applaud him for adopting 2 children, who clearly are being given a life many will never see. HOWEVER, with that said how DARE he put down a woman for needing medication to help cure her of Postpartum Depression. Unless you have given birth yourself and have had this illness take hold of you, you can by no means judge ANYONE else! I would like to see Mr. Tom go through what Rick, Alex and I went through during Alex's birth. ALONE! Yes that's right, no nannies, no drivers, no cooks, cleaners, personal accountants, no freebies, no private jets, NOTHING but our hearts, our souls, our Love and God. Tom Cruise you are not worth the gum I scrapped off my shoe this morning. I am ashamed of you! I will NOT be paying to see one single more movie of yours! NOT ONE!!!

My next bumper sticker will say: "Just say no to Tom Cruise"

T.G.I.F

Hooray for Friday and Thank God for Holiday's and 3 day weekend's! Yippee!!!

Alex's head looks 100x better today.. Thank goodness! He was crabby this morning but seems back to his old self this afternoon. The swelling has gone tremendously, and it is mostly just blue, purple and green all across his head. Basically from the hair line to his eye brows. He says it doesn't hurt and for that I am glad.

No big plans for the 4th here! A BBQ at our friends house and maybe shooting off fireworks at the church but I'm not sure!

I think Rick and I are going to rent a few movies for tonight and have some relaxation! After a long week it is needed! I picked up the house and got motivated and organized our bills some what. Both are desks got cleaned off and a lot of stuff got thrown away!!

oh.. I need to wash my truck tomorrow too!!!

Ahhh fun stuff!!

Have a SAFE 4th of July weekend.. And remember Drinking and Driving kills!!

A Blog Coach??

Now I truly have seen everything! A Blog coach actually visited my Blog! Honestly he gave me a great tip to visit another blog that I might like. Paul Chaney, Thanks for the great tip. I am really curious what credentials one has to be a "Blog Coach".

One of those days!

Let me start with yesterday.............

Drove to Birmingham and saw Alex's Neurosurgeon! GREAT Doctor and Children's Hospital there is AMAZING! Love them! Anyway doctor said Alex's head grew a "normal" amount in 6 months. YEAH! Alex did awesome.. And didn't even cry when the doctor measured his head. He decided not to do a CAT scan and said we have to come back in 6 months. Alex has what they call benign hydrocephelus. Basically he has a high amount of fluid on his brain but it is not enough to require a shunt and at this time is not causing any problems. "Normally" he would discharge a patient with this type as it rarely turns more serious. However, due to the fact Alex was a preemie and had a grade 2.5 bleed on his brain at birth, along with other issues, he feels it's best to monitor him. I couldn't agree more! He talked to me about what to watch for in changes and things like that. He also just warned me to watch Alex hitting his head as basically the smallest thing could re start the bleed. BUT.. He was pretty relaxed about it and told me not to worry about it, it was all stuff I already knew!

Alex and I had a fun day driving and talking, we also went to the "big city" mall and ate lunch. I made Alex's day by taking him on the carousel. He also did AWESOME with going potty and had no accidents.

So yesterday although slightly stressful turned out to be great!!!

On to Today...................

Well our morning started off great! We went to the local "Spray Ground" (basically a cement slab that has water spraying out of it) and met several of our friends. Not 10 minutes after hitting the water, my friend Cammie's son Caleb and Alex ran straight into each other. BAM.. Alex bounced off him and went face first into the cement with Caleb crumbling on top of him. Cammie ran over and scooped Alex up.. He was like a limp rag.. No crying. I moved towards them and see a HUGE egg on his head. Alex is now sobbing. I walk over and sit him on the picnic table to take a look at it. I tilt his head back and I turned WHITE, my stomach flip flopped, and I quickly put his head back against my chest as my mind raced. He had 2 GIGANTIC eggs on each side of his forehead. I seriously cannot even begin to describe the horror. Alex continued to cry. I began to shake and told my friend Callie. I think we need to go to the ER, he looks like an alien. I take another look.. OMG.. It's WORSE.. Purple.. Blue.. Red.. And swelling up by the minute. I started breathing really fast and make the decision to move and now. I scoop Alex up and start to gather my stuff when I tell Callie... Just grab my stuff and bring it home. I'm leaving now for the ER. I start for the car and Cammie see's Alex and realizes how bad the situation is. She orders me to put him in her truck, she'll drive me. I start rambling off Rick's work number to Callie. As I climb into Cammie's truck. As we started heading towards the ER, Alex's eyes start to roll into the back of his head. At times he is totally unresponsive and I have to really push and rub his sternum to get a response. He says his neck and head hurt. My mind was racing to what the Neurosurgeon told me. I was trying to stay as calm as possible and not cry. We got there and they took us right back! We got Alex mostly stable as he SCREAMED while having his temp and blood pressure taken. Cammie was AWESOME, she got us all checked in and took such great care of me and Alex. THANK GOD for blessing me with friends like her. She even did crazy dances and singing trying to keep Alex from falling asleep. We also were blessed with a clam gentle nurse who worked hard to comfort Alex and help him relax. Rick arrived and took over, sending Cammie back to her own children. Callie drove my truck to the hospital while her sister followed in her car. THANK GOD, for blessing me with such amazing friends. They truly made the day so much easier. The only thing I had to focus on was Alex. Next they did a CAT Scan of his head. Alex screamed as we had to hold his head still but they didn't want to put him to sleep since he had a head trauma. Finally that done we waited. Alex pepped up a little bit, and started getting some of his life back. Doctor came in and said no skull fractions just a major concussion. PHEW! She said he would be sore and to watch him closely but that we could go home. Alex was ready. He is refusing to walk, I think because he is dizzy. We got him to eat a little bit of lunch and gave him some motrin. He has been sleeping since about 2:15 or so. He looks pretty beat up but I am just so thankful it was nothing more serious. God blessed us today in so many ways! It was a long tough morning but God was with us from the instant we woke up. He is on a tight watch by Mom and Dad for the next 24 to 36 hours. I am just so thankful for it being nothing more serious, for my incredible friends who quickly jumped into action to help, pray, and be there for me, and for Rick's work allowing him to leave on such a quick notice. God truly was holding our hands today.