Gabriel is 5!

I meant to post this yesterday on Gabriel’s actual birthday but I just didn’t get to it.

My baby is 5! I can hardly believe it, he isn’t a baby anymore he is a little boy and I wanted to take some time today to remember some of the things that are so special about our amazing, youngest son.

When I was pregnant with Gabriel I really thought he was going to be a girl. We didn’t find out what we were having at our 20 week ultrasound. I really wanted to know but Dominic didn’t and as much as I hate to admit it – that was the one surprise we had at the end! So husband you were right about waiting, it was worth it!

Apparently it was clear on my ultrasound that we were having a boy – my parents took one look and knew but they didn’t let on. Although looking back they did encourage us to make sure that we had boy names picked out too! I never figured it out! Blonde moment!!

My labor was pretty quick, we were rushing to get to the hospital that Wednesday night. Isaac was only 7 so we called my parents to meet us at the hospital and take him. I was in so much pain and I didn’t want Isaac to see me that way. I think we checked into the hospital around 10pm and Gabriel was born at 12:10am.

His heart rate kept dropping with every contraction I had and they were getting concerned. I remember the doctor telling us that if I couldn’t push him out with the next contraction that they were going to have to take me into the OR for an emergency C-section and because we were out of time they wouldn’t have time to give me a block so I would be put totally under. There was no way that I was going to miss the birth of my child so one more push and he was out. The cord was wrapped around his neck, thus the reason for his distress. But he started crying a minute later and we knew he was going to be ok.

7lbs 5oz. Ten fingers, ten toes and lots of dark hair. And he looked exactly like Isaac did when he was first born. He was perfect and beautiful.

When Gabriel was just a few months old he got RSV and was very sick. Dominic and I didn’t realize how serious it had gotten and my parents happened to come down to our house for my birthday one of the nights we had been home with him. My mom took one look at him and could see the distress he was having breathing and my dad called the ER and let them know we were on the way.

That was a terrifying moment. I remember my dad sat in the back seat next to his car seat and kept shining a light on him to make sure he was ok on the drive up. Our doctor said he wouldn’t have lasted for too many more hours in the condition he was in. His little heart wouldn’t have handled the stress because every breath was difficult for him. We spent 9 long days in the hospital with him. I left once in that time for about a ½ hour. I was lucky to have a job to go back to when it was over! And Thank God that my parents came when they did, they helped save his life.

He scared us again when he got a little older. I got a call at work one afternoon from our daycare. One of the women had been showing the young kids these flashcards with animals on them. She held up a lion and said “the lion says roar”. This scared Gabriel and he turned to crawl away and passed out on the floor. He looked like he might be having a seizure and turned a bluish/grey color. The called they ambulance and then me as he was being brought up to Sioux Falls.

More time in the hospital, and this time lots and lots of tests. We met neurologists, cardiologists, had MRI’s and heart echo’s and probably every blood test they could run. He didn’t have any of the signs that he actually had a seizure and after every test was run they decided that he had a pallid breath holding disorder.

Gabriel continued to have these “episodes” over the next several years. They told us that they eventually would end around the age of 5 – we haven’t seen one in probably a year or longer so I think we are in the clear. But boy at the time he sure gave me some grey hairs!

Now Gabriel is a healthy, strong and happy young boy. He got his first bike with training wheels and a new helmet for his birthday and he loves it. It was so cute the day we gave it to him he just hopped right on and went off riding. I am so proud of the boy he is growing up to be. He has been such a blessing to our family and I wouldn’t trade even a moment of it.

Gabriel you are a gift from God and I am so grateful for every day God allows me to be your mommy. Happy Birthday little man! I love you.

Mom