Happy 6th Birthday Chris!!

My little guy turns six years old today. Time is flying by! Seems like just yesterday I unexpectedly had a c-section the day after Christmas! Well.. I knew I would need to have a c-section because Chris was breech and I had developed high blood pressure the week before Christmas, but we had a planned c-section scheduled for New Years Eve. The doctor was monitoring my blood pressure closely... of course it was high... it WAS the week before Christmas... I worked (from home) up until Christmas Eve, we had a house full of people both Christmas Eve and Christmas Day and I was giving birth for the first time... yes... I was stressed and had high blood pressure... go figure.

So, after coming back from dropping off my Oma Nettie at her house in South Jersey, and enjoying 3 delicious slices of Sicilian pizza from my favorite pizza place down there, Steve & I drove home. The doctor told me that I should go to a drug store to use one of those devices to check my blood pressure that day since their office would still be closed. So, we went to the first store and the reading was high... went to another and it gave us a totally different number.. went to a third and still another bizzarre reading. So, we looked at each other and said, "Well.. we have 2 choices. Go home and see the doctor tomorrow, or go to the hospital and have them give us an accurate reading." I honestly didn't think I would be able to sleep that night worried about it, so we went to the hospital.

The place was empty as you would expect the day after Christmas and they took me in, checked my blood pressure and quickly told me that it was way too high and that I would be having my c-section that night. I felt comfortable because I knew my doctors were great and that everything would be ok... that was until they told me that NONE of the OB/GYNs I had spent the last 9 months visiting were "On call" that day and that a complete stranger would be performing my c-section! Excuse me!?!? A complete stranger... not comfortable with that... but the baby had to come.

Then they asked me if I had anything to eat in the last few hours... hello! OF course... I'm a very pregnant lady who has been under STRESS.. yes... 3 slices of the most mouth watering pizza had been consumed a few hours ago... thus, they had to put off the surgery for a few hours until I fully digested my dinner.

Finally, the time had come and they wheeled me to that FREEZING operating room... a room full of strangers, except for my hubby who held my hand and stroked my forehead for what seemed like HOURS in the O/R. It really didn't last that long, but for those of you who have never experienced the joy of having someone slice you open while you are awake and talking and joking about their Christmas' while operating on you... take it from me... it was nerve wracking. They even give you the option of whether you would like a mirror to watch the surgery... WHAT!??! Are you nuts?? I can't stand the slice of blood... and you think I want to watch you slice me open?? Didn't you hear me say I had pizza not long ago.. .I don't want to lose my dinner so to speak while giving birth. Thanks, but no thanks... Can't you just put me to sleep and wake me up when it's over?!?!

At last, they pulled little Christopher out and I heard his sweet cry. Daddy got to hold him first because of the c-section and the rest is history. Our beautiful, very loved baby had finally arrived the day after Christmas.

I wanted to write this all down for Chris someday, although I feel like I'm rambling. Chris, know that Mommy & Daddy love you so much and we thank God for you! You are our little miracle baby!!

Happy Birthday big boy. His only request for today is to be home... to have mommy bake him a cake and to have lunch at the Chatterbox, a 50s style burger joint. Good times, my friends!