Birthing Stories-- you may want to skip...
When I was expecting, each time, I had gestational diabetes. So, I ate extremely healthy with slim to no refined sugar. I had fruits and mostly whole foods plus crackers, and I exercised to make sure that my weight stayed under control. When Kelsey was born, she weighed 10 lbs and 3 oz. and was 21 1/2 inches long. I had gained about 23lbs.
I looked like a blowfish with all the water retention. It was horrible. I gained about 26 lbs with Nathan by the time that he was born; I had the same problem with edema. Since Kelsey had been such a large baby, I was pretty scared about having Nate. I asked the Dr. to please take Nate early to make sure that I could have him. The guess was that he was between 8 and 9 lbs. The first time he induced, which was 2 weeks early, failed.
The second time, which was 1 week early, was a success.
The process was a little traumatic for both of us. Nate weighed 10 lbs and 10 oz. and was 23 inches long. By my standards, he was huge. At first, he wasn't responding to prompting to cry or breathe. The hospital team worked him over to get him to finally cry. I was pretty out of it and sick, but he scared me right off the bat.
Then, I was out for a while...when I woke up, and got my son to myself, I dedicated him to Christ and gave him to God. I declared that Nate's life was God's life to use freely. I prayed over him often, much like I did for his older sister, but this time it would end up having a twist.
Heart Story-- from the best that I can remember--
At two weeks, Nate's heart was "noisy". The Dr. said that typically the noise diminishes as the vein from the mom into the heart closes up. Next check up, heart still "noisy". Dr. recommends that we see a pediatric cardiologist. His vein was not closing, according to the cardiologist who had run a lot of tests, and the turbulence was creating an aneurism.
Over the course of his first 2 years, we had a lot of concern for Nate. He was slow to crawl, to walk, and to speak. He was in the 100th percentile on size, though. He spoke in his own language for 3 years with very few intelligible English words. He would get very frustrated when we couldn't understand him. He repeated his words to me so often that I did pick up a few. I prayed over him often.
He had tubes put in his ears twice (once at Driscoll's due to his heart). He was allergic to milk and often had really bad colic. He was not an easy baby. At age 2, the cardiologist said that Nate needed a heart procedure.
His aneurism was getting worse and had to be addressed. So, we went to Driscoll's Children's hospital, and Nate, through a catheter from his leg to his heart, had a feathery coil placed in the disruptive vein. He, also, had an enlarged valve and leakage which they did not address at the time.
After the procedure, Nate's energy improved. He was busy, but he still did not seem to be developing appropriate language and interpersonal skills. I was very concerned and actually considered having him screened by ECI.
Every 6 months and then every year, we would travel for check ups with the cardiologist. The aneurism improved each year with his growth and development to the point of disappearance.
At age 3, the child finally started talking. He was always loving and cuddly; so, I didn't really think that he had autism. But I was concerned.
Then he started reading sight words and quickly learned to sight read fluently before age 4. He got phonetics at age 4 and the rest is history. His behavior though was touch and go. I think that we were so happy to have him alive that we didn't discipline him the way we should have. He seemed to display some traits characteristic of ADHD.
I began doing some serious research into autism spectrum disorders. Brain Gym, Smart Moves, and Learning Bodies Ready Minds all guided me in providing some exercises and interventions for Nate developmentally. His oral and written vocabulary have always been impressive to me as an educator (6th grade level in 1st grade, reading high school level books by 3rd).
He began reading Eragon in the 3rd grade until he got bored because it was too long. So, his attention span still didn't match his vocabulary. That changed by 4th grade. We just kept persevering on that attention span and his physicality/coordination.
He has never been a social butterfly by any stretch because he tends to be more of an introvert, but he has some really good friends that he enjoys. He has a kind heart for God and isn't afraid to share Christ. I know that God has a big plan for his life.
As of his last visit to the cardiologist, he still had the enlarged valve and leakage. We have to go back in May for a stress test to get clearance for athletics and football.
My guilt-sin
I can not even explain how many times over the past 12 1/2 years that I have wondered what if I had not asked the Dr. to take Nate early. What if I had exercised more, prayed more, taken more folic acid, not been afraid of having a huge baby, or done something else, then maybe Nate would not have had this heart condition.
I spent so many years beating myself up about what I could have done differently. Then, recently, God gave me John 9: 1-5 "As He went along, he saw a man blind from birth. His disciples asked him, "Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?" Neither this man nor his parents sinned, said Jesus, but this happened so that the work of God might be displayed in his life. As long as it is day, we must do the work of him who sent me. Night is coming, when no one can work. While I am in the world, I am the light of the world." Then, he healed the blind man without regard for Jewish law.
I know that I had to give some history on Nate's heart and physicality because God is going to heal that boy without regard to medical law. I am praying for that. Nate is praying for that. God has worked so many miracles and answered so many prayers. I know that He is going to answer this major one. No one could have done anything different to change Nate's physical heart. His heart is the way that it was so that God will be displayed in his life. It is the same for all of our trials. Every trial is so that God can be glorified in our lives.
I am believing that Nate's heart is healed so that God will be glorified. I am believing that Nate will demonstrate coordination and strength so that God will be glorified. He is going to be a huge man for Christ who is strong and healthy and spiritually sound.
Kelsey is a miraculous creation, but this blog is not about her. Another blog will come soon!
When I was expecting, each time, I had gestational diabetes. So, I ate extremely healthy with slim to no refined sugar. I had fruits and mostly whole foods plus crackers, and I exercised to make sure that my weight stayed under control. When Kelsey was born, she weighed 10 lbs and 3 oz. and was 21 1/2 inches long. I had gained about 23lbs.
I looked like a blowfish with all the water retention. It was horrible. I gained about 26 lbs with Nathan by the time that he was born; I had the same problem with edema. Since Kelsey had been such a large baby, I was pretty scared about having Nate. I asked the Dr. to please take Nate early to make sure that I could have him. The guess was that he was between 8 and 9 lbs. The first time he induced, which was 2 weeks early, failed.
The second time, which was 1 week early, was a success.
The process was a little traumatic for both of us. Nate weighed 10 lbs and 10 oz. and was 23 inches long. By my standards, he was huge. At first, he wasn't responding to prompting to cry or breathe. The hospital team worked him over to get him to finally cry. I was pretty out of it and sick, but he scared me right off the bat.
Then, I was out for a while...when I woke up, and got my son to myself, I dedicated him to Christ and gave him to God. I declared that Nate's life was God's life to use freely. I prayed over him often, much like I did for his older sister, but this time it would end up having a twist.
Heart Story-- from the best that I can remember--
At two weeks, Nate's heart was "noisy". The Dr. said that typically the noise diminishes as the vein from the mom into the heart closes up. Next check up, heart still "noisy". Dr. recommends that we see a pediatric cardiologist. His vein was not closing, according to the cardiologist who had run a lot of tests, and the turbulence was creating an aneurism.
Over the course of his first 2 years, we had a lot of concern for Nate. He was slow to crawl, to walk, and to speak. He was in the 100th percentile on size, though. He spoke in his own language for 3 years with very few intelligible English words. He would get very frustrated when we couldn't understand him. He repeated his words to me so often that I did pick up a few. I prayed over him often.
He had tubes put in his ears twice (once at Driscoll's due to his heart). He was allergic to milk and often had really bad colic. He was not an easy baby. At age 2, the cardiologist said that Nate needed a heart procedure.
His aneurism was getting worse and had to be addressed. So, we went to Driscoll's Children's hospital, and Nate, through a catheter from his leg to his heart, had a feathery coil placed in the disruptive vein. He, also, had an enlarged valve and leakage which they did not address at the time.
After the procedure, Nate's energy improved. He was busy, but he still did not seem to be developing appropriate language and interpersonal skills. I was very concerned and actually considered having him screened by ECI.
Every 6 months and then every year, we would travel for check ups with the cardiologist. The aneurism improved each year with his growth and development to the point of disappearance.
At age 3, the child finally started talking. He was always loving and cuddly; so, I didn't really think that he had autism. But I was concerned.
Then he started reading sight words and quickly learned to sight read fluently before age 4. He got phonetics at age 4 and the rest is history. His behavior though was touch and go. I think that we were so happy to have him alive that we didn't discipline him the way we should have. He seemed to display some traits characteristic of ADHD.
I began doing some serious research into autism spectrum disorders. Brain Gym, Smart Moves, and Learning Bodies Ready Minds all guided me in providing some exercises and interventions for Nate developmentally. His oral and written vocabulary have always been impressive to me as an educator (6th grade level in 1st grade, reading high school level books by 3rd).
He began reading Eragon in the 3rd grade until he got bored because it was too long. So, his attention span still didn't match his vocabulary. That changed by 4th grade. We just kept persevering on that attention span and his physicality/coordination.
He has never been a social butterfly by any stretch because he tends to be more of an introvert, but he has some really good friends that he enjoys. He has a kind heart for God and isn't afraid to share Christ. I know that God has a big plan for his life.
As of his last visit to the cardiologist, he still had the enlarged valve and leakage. We have to go back in May for a stress test to get clearance for athletics and football.
My guilt-sin
I can not even explain how many times over the past 12 1/2 years that I have wondered what if I had not asked the Dr. to take Nate early. What if I had exercised more, prayed more, taken more folic acid, not been afraid of having a huge baby, or done something else, then maybe Nate would not have had this heart condition.
I spent so many years beating myself up about what I could have done differently. Then, recently, God gave me John 9: 1-5 "As He went along, he saw a man blind from birth. His disciples asked him, "Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?" Neither this man nor his parents sinned, said Jesus, but this happened so that the work of God might be displayed in his life. As long as it is day, we must do the work of him who sent me. Night is coming, when no one can work. While I am in the world, I am the light of the world." Then, he healed the blind man without regard for Jewish law.
I know that I had to give some history on Nate's heart and physicality because God is going to heal that boy without regard to medical law. I am praying for that. Nate is praying for that. God has worked so many miracles and answered so many prayers. I know that He is going to answer this major one. No one could have done anything different to change Nate's physical heart. His heart is the way that it was so that God will be displayed in his life. It is the same for all of our trials. Every trial is so that God can be glorified in our lives.
I am believing that Nate's heart is healed so that God will be glorified. I am believing that Nate will demonstrate coordination and strength so that God will be glorified. He is going to be a huge man for Christ who is strong and healthy and spiritually sound.
Kelsey is a miraculous creation, but this blog is not about her. Another blog will come soon!
No comments:
Post a Comment