Year in Review:
2002

It was just over a yr ago that we moved here from Victoria...I was great with child! lol! We moved after my dh lost his job - we didn't have a job here but a cheap place to live as we couldn't afford to stay where we were. It was a real time of upheaval for us. Jerad had some classes to finish in Vancouver before he joined us here, so Mattie and I spent our first few weeks here alone.

Although the time was scary I can say that I knew we were doing the right thing - it didn't take long for Kamloops to feel like home again. By Dec. 15th Jed had a job offer and it looked great - then it fell through, terribly disappointing. Eventually he went back to teaching MCSE for a local private college.

Lets see, what happened next? Let's move along a few months. My Mom and Dad and Jed's Mom arrived for the big day. I asked them to come a little early as I was *sure* that this baby would be early! He was due on the 20th they arrived on the 17th - a mistake I will not make again! They waited and waited, no baby! My Dad ended up having to go home, back to work :(

Finally, April 25th, I went to pick up Jed from work along with Mom MIL and Mattie. Just as I was about to lock the door, I felt a gush! Oh my! My water had broken but I decided to keep my mouth shut as I didn't want a car full of nervous mothers! Dh's work was right next to the Dr office so I went in to get checked out. Of course my Dr was out of town for the wknd (isn't that the way it always goes). Yes, my water HAD broken and I was to go to the hospital to get an IV put in as I was Strep B positive.

So then I told the mothers and Jed and I headed to the hospital after dropping them at home. On the way, my water REALLY began to leak and leak! Ack! They gave me the stuff and sent me home with instructions to return at 11. Back at 11, still leaking buckets, my dh's poor coat saved the car seat! lol! They said to come back at6 a.m. But, not long after I got home I started contracting...I was SO THANKFUL that I wasn't induced. They started at 12:30 and by 2 a.m. they were about 5 minutes apart already.

I basically was on my own for this, dh was dead asleep and my mom was pacing the floor. I am so thankful I got to have the majority of my labor at home. Finally I woke dh and told him we HAD to get going. He looked at the clock and said, "but it's only 2, we don't have to go until 6!" Totally oblivious to the fact that I was in labor! ha! I am glad now that he got some rest. We got there around 2:45 I think and by 3:15 I was pushing...3:36a.m. Solomon James joined our family, weighing in at 9lbs. It didn't take long to figure out that something was wrong. The nurses had Sol and kept saying that they couldn't suction out his nose. Eventually (seemed like an eternity) they bundled him and gave him to me (for what seemed like seconds).

I remember hearing the Dr say, "I have never seen this before". They took him for an xray as we finished up. That is a story in itself. Anyway, we called family and told them to come and bring Matthew soon as we would be headed to Children's Hospital in the near future. They stuck me in a room by myself, without my baby for some reason nobody was around for a while. I could hear voices outside of my room people headed home with their perfect baby...people coming to see their perfect Grandchild. I sat in my room and wept for the loss of perfection...wept b/c I didn't get to see my baby again.

Then they brought Mattie in he had already gone to the nursery to see Solly. He looked teary eyed I thought it was b/c he was worried about me, being hooked up to an IV and all. I told him Mommy was okay and he could hop up on the bed with me, he said in tears, "No, I just want Solomon!" A brothers bond so quickly forged. Eventually, the Dr came in with a medical text book and gave what Sol had a name, choanal atresia. He said of the 300 or so babies he had delivered, this is the first time he had seen this.

He told me a few of the options they might do but that they would know much more when we got to Children's hospital. I was told we would be flying out at noon and that dh could not come in the plane with me...and that there wasn't a bed for me at that hospital. I was so scared but prayers were answered and my dh found the Infant Transport Team and asked them if he could come...they were very quick to say "yes". What a huge relief for me. So, off we went, my first plane ride in a small jet.

I believe that one of the paramedics was there to discourage me, as an attack during this already frail emotional state I was in. He proceeded to tell dh and me that Sol had a "Simeon Seven" on his hands and that this was considered an anomaly. He said that when you combine that with a 2nd anomaly, Dr's will look for a 3rd. If the find the 3rd, they will look for a disorder like autism or mental retardation (I hadn't realized that term was still used in the medical profession). My heart was breaking and anger was building towards this fellow. How dare he. I already had enough to worry about..and I had just given birth. There was more, including him calling all religion a crock...but I won't go there.

We arrived and chased Sol's little incubator down halls and as soon as I passed under the "Special Care Nursery" sign I lost it. I couldn't do anything but weep, I was so angry, I was so scared. As I am typing this, all of those emotions are returning. Fortunately a nurse saw us and took us into a family room to have some private time. I don't know what I would have done if dh wasn't there. Once again, God knew what I would need. Very quickly, I discovered that Children's Hospital was a good place to be. There is a lot of HOPE within those walls. Sol had his surgery the 2nd day we were there. What a blessing to see him breathing through his nose. They inserted stents that had to stay until he was mths old. One of my primary purposes in being there was to learn how to care for them. The paramedic was correct they would check for other problems BUT not once was the simeon seven mentioned, I even asked a few Drs about it but nobody seemed to think it was anything or that it was a true one anyway.

Two weeks later (an eternity) we were home in Kamloops. We struggled through those mtns and he got his stents out in the middle of October. What a blessing.

Back on that April morning I wept for the loss of the perfect child. Now I weep b/c I know that God had me go through trials to show His perfection to me. He knows what He is doing and doesn't make mistakes. I can look back and say, "God is good, all the time!"

Methinks I got a little sidetracked.

Matthew started Grade 1 in public school in Sept, that was difficult for me as I had homeschooled him for Kindergarten. It was difficult at first but now it is going very well and I believe we made the right choice.

Also in Sept, Jed started a new job. It doesn't pay fabulous BUT it is steady and a large, stable company.

In the summer, we made the decision to change churches. We felt we were nothing but per warmers in our old church and wanted more. I believe God led us to where we are now...He is using us there and we love it. It is considered a "replant" church and exciting things are happening after a dark time. Finally my dh has male friends his age,what a blessing!

Sol is continuing to grow and develop normally...he is such a light in our lives. He was diagnosed with kidney reflux last month and we are dealing with it with a profolactic dose of antibiotics until he is about a yr old.

There is so much more. I can also say that the women of ivillage (especially this board) have been such a blessing to me over this past year. So often I have heard myself saying "I can't wait to tell the girls about this!" You have helped to enlarge my territory! I can't really express to you what a wonderful part of my life you are.