My Darling Boy

Today I celebrate Evan...

The summer is BIG on birthdays in our family & I guess I felt I should add to the chaos, as my first two babies were both born in August. 17 days apart... well, 2 years & 17 days apart to be more precise.

I still remember vividly my pregnancy with Evan. It was quite a bit different than with my girls. More, well... enjoyable to be honest. I don't know why... didn't have hardly any nausea, didn't gain any weight (in fact, the week AFTER Evan was born, I was THIRTY - that's right 3-0 pounds lighter than I was at my first prenatal appointment with him) - So I didn't have so much of the "weighed down" feeling. I desperately wanted a VBAC (vaginal birth after c-section) with him & so went 12 days overdue... at the end of August... with gestational diabetes... did I mention I was desperate???

But it was not to be... I was DEATHLY afraid of being induced again (plus, they generally won't induce for a VBAC - increases the risk of uterine rupture - ICK!), so I wanted to see if I would go into labor on my own...

TWELVE days overdue & he had not even DROPPED! I think he would've hung out in there till he was 15! lol

On the plus side, because he didn't drop, I stayed relatively comfortable... even with the aforementioned situations, I had no swelling & don't recall being overly hot, except on a couple of occasions where I doubt not being pregnant would have helped.

And so we did a "last minute scheduled c-section". Basically, I went to the doctor on Thursday where he expressed his concerns & felt we had reached the limit of what was "safe" & "best" for me & baby. When I agreed that it was probably best to get him out, he said "How about tomorrow?" - So we went home & waited for the hospital to call. When they did, they wanted me to check in at 5pm. We arrived & got comfy... luckily we brought a portable DVD player & some movies, because we waited... and waited... we started to wonder if his birthday would actually be that day, or the next... they finally came to get me at 10:30pm.

My sweet baby boy entered the world at 11:35pm - 8lbs, 6oz & 20 inches long... perfect :)

In his first year, Evan gave me the wonderful experience of the "hospital stay in pediatrics" - TWO of them actually:
Stay #1 -
Age: 5 WEEKS old!
Duration: 4 days
Reason: A "mystery" virus that presented with symptoms eerily similar to meningitis. VERY fussy, with fever, then developed a rash on his "trunk"-chest/stomach/back, & back pain. Oh ya, that was NOT fun!
Endured: getting an IV, catheter (to test urine), LUMBAR punture (ya, that's a SPINAL TAP!) & 4 days of IV antibiotics while we waited for bacterial culture tests to come back. Nothing like a stay in pediatrics to make you VERY grateful for generally healthy children.
That first day in emergency was one of the worst days of my life as a Mom. (I'm actually tearing up now just thinking about it) It actually was more than I would have thought I could handle before becoming a mom. But somehow, when our babies need us, Moms can dig down to that special place of strength to be strong for them. That is what I learned from that experience. I am stronger than I thought I was...

Stay #2:
Age: 9 months
Duration: approx 39 hours... give or take
Reason: RSV (Respiratory Syncytial Virus)
Endured: Being in isolation (all nurses & doctors were fully masked, gowned & gloved to enter our room), round the clock oxygen treatments (first every 2 - then every 4 hours) - medication is given through oxygen so it is breathed into the lungs. Ya... a 9 month old with a oxygen mask over their nose & mouth, blowing stinky air right in their face - every 2 hours...
Let's just say, I sang a LOT of "I Am A Child of God" in those hours - it was the only thing that would soothe him enough to stop screaming during a treatment.

Once again... I am stronger than I think I am.


Evan has taught me so many things. He is so sensitive. If I am too harsh with him, it pretty much sends him off the deep end. I have learned well the benefit of disciplining in softer tones.

He is my "bluff caller". You cannot threaten Evan with something you won't follow through on. He's sees through it in a second. It goes like this:

Mommy: "Evan, do you want to go to bed?"
Evan: "Um... yes."
Mommy: "Well, er (realizes it's 3pm & a nap now would REALLY mess up bedtime)... just don't hit your sister!"
Evan: "I want to go to bed."
Mommy then walks away & is followed by Evan...
Evan: "Mommy, I want to go to bed."

Oh ya... just like that! Can you feel the rage??? It would only be upon being placed on his bed & me walking away that he would suddenly change his mind & decide he didn't like this plan.

And so, I have learned to have integrity with my son - say what you mean & mean what you say.

My son is ALL boy - even being the middle between 2 sisters... he is over the moon about trains, tractors & automobiles... particularly race cars. He can hear the faintest of train whistles off on the horizon - and airplanes too high in the atmosphere to even glimpse... neither escapes the finely tuned ear of my son. But Mommy calling him to the dinner table when he's in the SAME ROOM?? Questionable... depends on what we're having :)

Evan decided he would wait for a LONG time to talk (like 2 1/2 years!!). I say he decided because it MUST have been a conscious choice... he was taking it all in... didn't want to "demean" himself with baby talk I suppose. He was quite content with signs either he or I created (My favorite was his sign for "pirate" - cover one eye with my hand & say "Arrrr" - came up with that one on his own!) or to let his older sister talk for him - which she was also happy to do... in fact, we are still trying to break her of that habit now that he IS speaking.

Once he decided to talk, it all came at ONCE - words - sentences even, colors, numbers, letters(phonics, too!)... left us dumbfounded!! You just can never tell what they're taking in if they won't repeat it. Evan was our giant SPONGE.

Evan is a sweetheart. He is our quickest to use his manners, even with his sisters. Yesterday, he knocked some of his ice cream out of his bowl & immediately blurted out, "Oh! Sorry!" to the ICE CREAM! lol In the spring, when Evan gashed his forehead & needed stitches, as he was being held down on the table to receive said stitches screamed repeatedly "No thank YOU, No thank YOU!!"... then when all was done & we were leaving the office, turned & said, "Thank you, Doctor."... much to our doctor's amazed amusement :)

I try on different occassions to take just one of my children with me to run errands - try to create a little one-on-one time... therefore, it will usually end with a treat of some kind. When it is Evan's turn to have Mommy to himself, he is VERY concerned that Averie get a treat too. So, he will very thoughtfully try to pick out something she will like.

I will sometimes offer him 2 of something just for fun (ie. a licorice for each hand) - he will promptly go give the 2nd one to Averie - without a second thought.

Evan has been an incredible addition to our family & I am SO grateful for all of the lessons I have learned from proudly holding the title of "Evan's Mommy".

I love you, Buddy!