6 Years Ago Today...I Was in Labor!

I was 42 weeks pregnant when my doctor finally induced me after a small battle. A story for another time. Our induction was scheduled and when asked what time I wanted to come in my question was this "what's the earliest time I can?" LOL. So I was to be at the hospital at 6:30 am and the induction was to start at 7:00 am. There was no sleeping the night before. I called my mom at 2ish AM crying, scared I couldn't do this...not the labor, the motherhood thing. There was no going back! I was having a baby and the whole pregnancy I felt "ready" until that 2 AM panic attack when my mom told me everything would be OK. I know she remembers that phone call as well as I do. Her baby was having a baby!

As you know, Kris and I got married one year to the DAY of our first date. We wanted children right away and 9 months later we were finally pregnant. Oh the JOY!!!!!!!!!! I was 22 when I had Alec, we had celebrated our 1st wedding anniversary just 5 months before Alec was born. Needless to say...Kris and I don't wait around to do things. We were still newlyweds, young, so naive, and about to become parents to a baby boy.

My labor progressed slowly but it did progress. Alec never dropped. He stayed very high up and would not drop down into position even thought I was dialated. At 11:30 PM, after 16 hours of labor, his heart rate dropped dramatically and then they lost it. I was hysterically crying, they were flipping me from side to side trying to get it back on the monitor and when they did, it was very, very weak. My Doctor, whom I LOVE (not the one that left me pregnant until 42 weeks, this was another one in the practice) rushed in and ordered the nurses to prep me for an emergency c-section. OMG NO! I was hysterical. This was the class that I didn't pay attention to because this was NOT going to happen to me. I was going to have the whole beautiful delivery experience that I longed for. Nope. My mom and dad rushed in (only two people were allowed in at a time and it was always Kris and one other person, with occasionally three depending if the nurse was nice) along with tons of other family members. I couldn't even talk I was so scared. I was in the operating minutes later and at 11:49 AM on August 30th, 2002, Alec Michael made his debut. He was healthy, beautiful, and screamed the most beautiful scream that only a mother longs to hear at that moment.

I was very, very drugged up from the c-section and they never brought him over to see me. DUH. Being a new mom and a new dad, we didn't ask because we didn't know better. Kris went between Alec and me and thank GOD he took a TON of pictures of him. And video clips from our camera that are beyond priceless to me now. Video Recorders are not allowed in the operating rooms but it was a camera, and digital cameras were still new at the time, so they didn't realize he was taking video:-)

Becoming a mother was one of the most amazing days of my life. I was so young, so excited about what our future held, and so in love with my husband and my baby boy. As the years have gone by I have become a better person because I am a mother. I love my children and my family with all that I am. Alec is and always will be my miracle baby that Doctor's say shouldn't have happened given our fertility issues. But he did happen, and he is the most precious, amazing, compassionate, smartest little boy I know. I could not be more proud of Alec. His personality is so unique, his attitude towards life so wonderful, and his concern for others so strong.

I love you sweet boy. Happy 6th Birthday!

Taken Today at Friendly's, where we went to celebrate his birthday
Me in labor. Don't laugh. I gained over 70 pounds when I was pregnant and topped out at 196 on the day he was born. I had high blood pressure and retained a ton of water. Thank God I lost the weight QUICKLY.
Waiting....
HERE HE IS!!!!!!!!
In the warmer in the OR, I edited out the privates:-)
The first time I ever held my son (in recovery)...I was totally speechless and in awe that we had created something so beautiful
Baby Alec...only 1 hour old in this picture
Very, very proud parents!
Kris' parents with Alec

I dressed him all up everyday in the hospital. We were in there for FIVE days because I developed a fever and infection from the surgery
The first night we had him, Kris never put him down. He would only share with me when it was time for me to feed him. I was so drugged (which I HATED) that I could barely stay awake.
The following day
Papa with his boy. I don't think my dad ever realized at this moment how this little boy would steal his heart away.
Mama Cheryl and Alec

The Mommy Breakdown Happened!

Yup...today was Mommy Breakdown Day 2008. They told us that the bus would come sometime between 11:30 and 12:20! That's a whole hour nearly! But this week they are trying to get the PM Kindergarten bus schedule figured out so it could be different each day. Well of course I had him ready to go at 11:30 and he was super excited. I was ready...camera and all to catch that big first bus ride to school. What time did the bus come?? 12:20! LOL. He was getting SO MAD that it was taking so long but when that big yellow bus pulled around the corner at the top of our road, and I knew that THIS time it was stopping at MY house after watching it drive by for 6 years, well, the tears came and they came FAST. Alec ran off to the end of the driveway and I grabbed the camera through tears. The clincher was him sitting in the seat waving to me as I took pictures. I could barely see I was so teared up and the bus aide just looked at me so sweetly with that "I know it's hard, honey" look.

I came back in the house and FELL APART. I mean choking sobs. It seemed so quiet all of the sudden, even with Mikayla here and it broke my heart. As mommy was swimming in her sea of raw emotions, Mikayla was doing other things. Not good things. Things like taking a huge oat cluster from her Cheerio cereal she eats as a snack and sticking it far up her nose. I caught her doing it at the last second. Way too late for me to get her to stop. No sooner was it in there that HER tears started to fall and blood was pouring out of her nose. I got a flashlight, a pair of tweezers, and the already handy kleenex hoping I could get it out. Ummm....nope. She pushed it so far back it was barely visible. I had to get her dressed, get ME dressed for school, grab my bookbag, pack a diaper bag, fill her cup, and load us up ASAP and head to the ER, in the meantime calling Kris to tell him to meet me at the ER so we could do a "trade off" because I had to get to class. Got to the ER...four hour wait! OMG. Called Kris back, told him to stay at home. Got home and told him he would have to wait to take her StatCare because Alec was due to get off the bus at 3:30. I had to run off and leave him with a bloody nosed, no nap, irate Guatemalan Diva with a oat cluster stuck up her nasal passage. I had to go to class. No choice. It's my pre-student teaching seminar and you HAVE to go. Of course I could have really NOT gone, but I know my husband and he is fully and 100% capable of handling things like this.

So Alec got home and they headed to StatCare and got right in there. They had to take some balloon thing and put it up her nose and some grabbing tool to get it out. By this point it was falling apart so there were lots of little pieces and she was TICKED. I can only imagine. But, they got it all out, all is well, and she got a Cookie Monster stuffed animal from the staff for being "good." I got home from school and found Sam chewing UP Cookie Monster. ~ sigh~ So Cookie Monster is now in the trash, Mikayla is sleeping with two clear nostrils, mommy is treating her red, swollen eyes with cucumber peels, and Alec is in bed eating a cookie because, well, I caved. It was just one of those days. And Kris? He and his dad had to rush off the minute I got home to go up to Cleveland Browns pre-season game. What am I really doing? Because you know I am NOT really treating my eyes with cucumber peels. I am baking another batch of cookies because tomorrow Alec is celebrating his birthday at school so I have to make little treat bags for the kids. My famous cookie recipe is as follows since it was requested:

Blend the following:

3/4 cup of sugar

3/4 cup of packed brown sugar

1 stick of butter flavored Crisco

1 teaspoon of salt

Blend all of this really well and then add two eggs, one at a time mixing until it's real creamy. Then add in 1 teasoon of Vanilla (the GOOD stuff...not imitation).

Add in 2 1/2 cups of flour and 1 teaspoon of baking soda. Mix it well and then add Milk Chocolate Chips and mix again. Drop onto an ungreased baking sheet in one inch balls and cook on 350 for about 8 minutes or until the tops are SLIGHTLY brown. Pull them out and place them on a cookie rack to cool! Makes about 30 cookies.

I'm Ready!
OK I am getting MAD...where is that bus?
I think I hear it mom....
Bye MOM...it was nice being with you...but I am off to school now...
Waving goodbye. Ummmm.....kleenex please...I am already crying again.

KINDERGARTEN!!!!!

First I want to say that I did a LOT better then I thought I would do. I think a lot of that had to do with the fact that parents stayed the whole first hour. We got up early today to take Mikayla to her EI Toddler Group and Alec and I had a super nice breakfast where we talked all about the big day. I was really sad but tried to hide it from him. We came home and Gina and Christian got here around noon with lunch:-) Somehow I managed to eat and Alec was DYING to get his bookbag on and head to school. I was so sad!!!! Finally it was time and off to his school we went. He was so excited everyone. This is NOT the same little boy that went to preschool last year. That little boy wouldn't leave my side and cried and cried. This little boy is so confident and self-assured. It's so wonderful to see how he has grown emotionally and socially in the past year. Holding him back from starting Kindergarten was the best thing we ever did for him!

I got some great pictures and then we went into his class! We met the bus-drivers and they told him his bus numbers and gave him a tag to hang on his bookbag so that bus drivers can check to make sure he is on the right bus. The whole time he kept asking me when I was leaving. "Please mom, just LEAVE!" OMG...that was very bittersweet for me. In one way it was wonderful, because last year he would have never said that, so it showed me how ready he was. On the other hand it broke my heart because he didn't "need" me anymore...he was ready to go it on his own. So it was time...and I left. I gave him a hug and walked out the door and back to the van alone. Leaving my little boy in the big brick building where his future is just beginning. It was emotional and I was overwhelmed with feelings. I love his teacher however, she is amazing and has the perfect teaching philosophy and style. That's super important to me. So I am thrilled.

I came home, sat on the couch, teared up, and changed the conversation. LOL. I didn't have the all out break down. I still might though. So instead of thinking about it all I did what moms do best....they cook! In my case bake. Bake cookies. That's right everyone! I have carried on the big family tradition....the first day of school cookies and conversation. The back to school tradition my mom started with me that even made it's way into Woman's World Magazine!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! So mom, rest assured, your grandson came home to home-made cookies (no people, slice and bake from those packages don't count) and it made him smile and feel special....just like it did for me all those years ago on MY first day of Kindergarten. And you know what everyone? My mom STILL makes me cookies on my first day of school. I came home from my first day of classes on Monday to a plate of cookies on my kitchen table with a card from her saying "to my daughter on her 1st day of her last year of school." The cookies will live on....for at least another 15 years.....

My mom submitted this to Woman's World Magazine when I was a sophomore at OSU, a LONG time ago. If you click on the picture, you can enlarge it and then can read it if you want to. I had to take a picture of it because my scanner is down right now.




Alec and I before heading out into the rainy day and off to Genoa Elementary

He was sooooo ready to go
Close-Up
Giving mommy a kiss

Here it is! His Kindergarten Classroom!

I can't believe he even LET me take this many pictures
His teacher Mrs. Miller
Gina and Alec when he got home
We played and hung out while Alec was at school. Christian was a cowboy.
And then Christian took Mikayla for a ride on the Dora ATV.

What a day....I am drained. I think tomorrow will be worse because he gets on the bus here and is gone the full amount of time. Today was a phase-in day and not really the "real" thing.

First Day of Kindergarten EVE

Well...the Speed Racer Bookbag is packed, his crayons, pencils, etc. are labeled, all the "extras" I bought for the class are packed up, his Train Name Tag has been colored and is ready to hang up, his clothes are hanging on the closet door of his room....it's Kindergarten Eve everyone. Alec is smiling and thrilled, mommy is sad and depressed. Bring me the Kleenex...I need a real good cry.

Alec's 6th Birthday Party!!!

Today my little boy celebrated his 6th birthday. I just can't believe how much he has grown up! We had his party this year at Massillon Rec Center. It was a fun swim party and the kids all had a BLAST! Alec was so excited about his special day and is still wound up from all the excitement. Thank you everyone who came to the party to help celebrate and make this day special for my son. He had 12 of his friends there today and he had a blast....lots of wonderful memories! Enjoy the pictures!!!!

Super Proud SIX Year Old!
Christian was ready to party.....
And so was Mikayla
Mikayla getting a hug from her buddy Ana
Food Time!
Alec and his great friend Tony
Alec with his future wife Hailey (this is THEIR idea...I am not making it up...they say they are getting married and have been friends since birth)

Chill time with daddy
Blurry...but still cute:-) THE PARENTS OF THE SIX YEAR OLD!!!!
Mmmmm...Speed Racer Cake
Mommy's Little Boy FOREVER....regardless of Kindergarten...LOL
Laughing with her Grandma Diane

The only family picture we got...oh well...we tried!
He made this face the whole time we sang the birthday song
He couldn't blow them all out.....
.....so mommy helped him out!
Mama and Kayla

GIFTS!
This one got out of order....:-)
Alec checking out his car with Abe
New Pottery Barn Police Car bedding from Mama Cheryl and Papa Barry (they already gave him a Wii for his birthday last week!)
WOW!!!! A new bike from Grandma Di and Grandpa Mike

A Speed Racer Shirt from Raegan
Hailey eating her chocolate sucker
Kayla chasing Ana
Kayla decided halfway through the gifts that she was getting involved too....and Alec totally let her open several of his gifts. What a great Big Brother he is!
Cool! A Nascar Leapster Game! Is it MINE? ROFL

~ Friends Forever~
Alec by his birthday sign
Papa Barry, Mama Cheryl, and Alec
Gina and Christian!
SWIMMING TIME!!!

Back at home now...Alec and Grandma Di after they put the bike together
Riding away....

He loves his new bike!!!
Riding her Dora ATV
Diane, Kayla, and Kris hanging out
LOVE this picture!!!!!
And this one.....

Thanks for looking everyone!!