Five years ago today my Spencer surprised everyone with an early arrival. I had been on bed rest for 13 1/2 weeks by that point trying to keep him in and had a C-section scheduled for that Thursday when I would have been 37 weeks along in my pregnancy. I figured since I'd kept him in so long we were in the home stretch and didn't worry about him coming before the c-section date. He was born on a Monday and I was 36 weeks 4 days. I had all types of problems including problems with my placenta and the umbilical cord as well as pre-term labor. Spencer was having a few problems too including growth restriction and an elevated heart rate. It was a stressful time. The picture was taken at 33 weeks 1 day and ended up being my last pregnant with him.
I had received an okay from my OB to get off bed rest but to take it easy. Well, our camera had just seen it's last days and we went to Best Buy to look at a few. While there Aaron remembered seeing the exact same models at Wal-mart for cheaper. So off we went to Wal-mart with a pit stop at home, we never made it to Wal-mart. I got home and my water broke just as I was entering the bathroom. The contractions that had been a constant part of my existence got stronger and we went to the hospital. When I got there they checked me and I was ready to have the baby. Then they did an ultrasound to see how he was doing. As it turned out he was transverse, back to the opening. This combined with all of his other problems and a short umbilical cord led them to decide a c-section was the best option. I'd talked it over with my OB before and didn't want to take any chances of him getting stuck or overly stressed. After my c-section they said mine was the shortest umbilical cord they'd ever seen because it was woven into my placenta and they wanted to know if they could keep it to take pictures and write about in a medical journal. I told them I was done with it so it was all theirs :).
Spencer Allen was born at 11:02pm on August 15th 2005. He was 4lb 7.7oz and 18.5" long, tiny! I barely got to see him and didn't get to hold him at all before he was rushed off to the NICU. It was so so hard! While we were both in recovery Aaron ran to the store and bought a camera so we could have some pictures. They brought Spencer in to me to see me once but only long enough to click a few pictures and then off again. He needed oxygen and heat. He ended up being in the NICU for 9 days. Leaving the hospital without my new baby was the hardest thing I have ever had to do. As it turned out I had to do it again with Alex and it wasn't any easier that time either. I spent the next few days at the hospital holding, feeding, and watching my baby boy.
He was such a little cutie! All the nurses thought he looked like a little old man and all he needed was a bow tie and a briefcase and he could be an insurance salesman or something. He was a very good boy and thrived on a schedule. He had an IV in his arm but never messed with it or any of his other tubes. He was determined too. Every time the nurses or doctor would say he couldn't do something he'd go and do it just to prove them wrong. He'd also conquer any obstacles they put in front of him, including putting him in an open crib right under a giant AC vent and telling us he had to keep his temp up.
It amazes me how quickly the time has passed from baby to toddler to big boy. He begins Kindergarten on Thursday and I know that we've only begun to see how amazing he is and what awesome things we have in store with him.
Happy Birthday Handsome Boy!
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