Birth Stories

My first born, Bella!  We were so surprised by this pregnancy.  A few months before Jim and I married, I began having pain daily in my low abdomen.  Being too busy planning a wedding, I put off going to the doctor until after the wedding.  I will never forget that day.  Jim was not there.  When my OB/GYN suggested an ultrasound, it scared me and I called Jim.  He was literally there is 5 minutes.  So after the ultrasound he said he needed to talk to us in his office.  I think Jim and I both knew this was not a good sign.  He said I had multiple issues that were going to make becoming pregnant, if at all possible, very difficult and most certainly require fertility intervention which were often times unsuccessful.  We were devastated. NO children! My heart was broken.  Life goes on.  So we did too!  We decided to move to the country since we were newlyweds and had no kids then that would be so fun!  About 7 months after we married, we moved into Jim's cabin.  I just could not get over the move.  I was really tired, playing tennis almost every night so I just thought I was exhausted!  So some time went by and I decided to "Trick" Jim and get a pregnancy test.  I came in and made it really dramatic! "Yeah I REALLY think I'm pregnant" HA HA(I'm thinking)  Well joke was on me because it was POSITIVE!  Excitement was not the word!  We were so happy and I knew that ISABELLA had to be her name!  Took a little heat from that because it was not a popular name then.  It fits her perfectly.  We had her and she was also the only grandchild.  I may add she was spoiled to pieces. She has such a sweet heart and really cares about her friends and family.  She gets her feelings hurt easy because she wears them on her sleeve.  She has been a wonderful child and we have been blessed to be her parents.  She is a great big sister and honestly I can say that I do not know if Jim and I would have made it through all this without her help.

There is a story to be told in between but that story will have it's own day because it is a story of grieving and that is not for today.

Now to Wyatt's story!  We had wanted another baby for so long.  After the loss, we just could not bear to lose again so we waited a while.  God taught us a lot during that waiting game.  So I will never forget the day I found out that we were blessed again.  A Friday, so many disappointed times before, but not this one! POSITIVE!! Jim and I were so excited! We had been doing everything right for so long.  I had been eating better, losing weight and taking prenatal vitamins and finally! Pregnant!  We did not want to tell anyone because of what happened before. So secrets became fun between Jim and me.  We traveled to Canada in July for my brother's wedding and the day after we came home I had an appointment.  Another ultrasound, my ob was doing them every 2 weeks to be cautious.  The baby looked great!  Growing bigger, strong heartbeat!  We could no longer keep any secrets, so we spilled the  beans!  My next appointment was about 3 weeks later and they did my routine prenatal labs.  This brings us to the next week.  On a Friday of course I was making rounds seeing patients and my cellphone rang.  My OB says your labs are back and a little abnormal.  Now I do not want you to panic because the chance is like 1 in 300 but I just want you to see my friend that is a perinatologist.  The moment I got off the phone I casually went to my clinic and told the doctor I worked with.  He said well I am sure it is a false positive as most are!  I said I am sure you are right!  We went on September 9th 2008 to see Dr. Kenneth Perry.  In the waiting room I got the answer I was looking for, I felt the first kick! I just knew everything was going to be fine because that was God's way of telling me!  After an ultrasound for about 1 1/2 hours, Dr. Perry became quiet.  The silence was killing me so I prayed for God to take this off my mind.  The verse He gave me was the 23rd Psalm, particularly, "Yea, though I walk through the Valley of the Shadow of Death, I will fear no evil for you are with me".  At that moment, I knew my baby would have Spina Bifida but I also knew that God was in control and we would be okay. So that kick in the lobby was a sign, that baby was telling me "Mommy, I am special and I am a fighter!"  The next thing the doctor said was that the choice to terminate was there.  It was IMMEDIATELY rejected, and the doctor agreed.  He was so supportive and was the BEST physician for telling parents they are having a special baby.  It was our 8th anniversary!  Such a hard day.  We did go through with the amnio that day.  Not as bad as I had thought!  The weeks to come we would find that he had a heart defect that through prayer and a miracle from God once again, healed itself!  For so long it was hard to be happy about being pregnant.  When you have experienced a loss you find it hard to be happy until you know things are going to be okay.  Just when that time came for us, we found out about spina bifida.  I think the first thing I bought was socks because I could easily part from them if we lost him.  Pregnancy was hard! On New Year's Eve he decided he had waited long enough and at a non-stress test they found me to be in labor 8 weeks early.  I was transferred to UMC in Jackson,MS and they were able to hold off delivery until January 2nd, 2009.  I got to see him for about 3 seconds before they whisked him off to assess him.  He was perfect! That is the only word I can find.  Our world has been a roller coaster since that very moment but what a ride!  I can not imagine our life without Wyatt (which means "warrior", Bella picked it out).  His life has already touched and blessed so many others.  I am a better person because I am his mama. 
So to my two beautiful children, I LOVE YOU BOTH AND HAPPY BIRTHDAY!

Night time

Last night as Wyatt and I enjoyed our nightly ritual of rocking together until he falls asleep, I was reminded of times when I had my first child, Bella.  She will be nine in 2 weeks.  I remember laying in bed and watching her all night sometimes. Initially it started from a fear of her stopping breathing.  When she was a baby, we lived far into the woods.  The moonlight would do so much there because it had so many filters with all the trees.  I would watch Bella as the moonlight would come through the window and how it would cast light onto her face.  I remember thinking how amazing it was to be her mother and how beautiful she was even with just moonlight on her face.  Now I find myself holding Wyatt and rocking him at night.  I LOVE this boy's feet!  They are so soft and sweet.  My husband and I both have a habit of massaging and stretching his feet while he sleeps so the paralysis doesn't tighten his feet.  I guess some would say his feet are imperfect from the spina bifida.  I do not! Those are the feet that God blessed us with in so many ways.  I am so thankful for my children and the lessons I learn from them daily.  We are quickly approaching Wyatt and Bella's birthday so I guess that is why I am so sappy! HA I think it is about time for birth stories!
Jenny

Christmas time

Well I know it has been a while again.  We have once again had a few crazy weeks.  My best friend moved away last week and although she is still in Mississippi, the loss of her constant support and presence in my life leaves me feeling really sad in ways I can not explain!  It has really been hard to focus on this being holiday time!  The kids can help snap me out of that! Surprisingly, Wyatt LOVES Santa!  I mean what 23 month old will fight and cry to go up to him and touch him?  Most are screaming to get away, NOT Wyatt!  He wants to touch every single one of them he sees!  Now this is the same child that at the beginning of December thought Santa was my Grandmother that passed away when he was about 13 days old and still in the NICU.  We have always told him who she was and shown him pictures! So he would see Santa and say "MAMAW"!  So funny!  Bella is really excited to be out of school and to get to spend some time with her brother and her aunt and Nan!  It has been really busy but slowing down enough now for us to stop and really cherish the reason for Christmas! JESUS!  And we are so thankful!
Jenny



Wyatt and Bella with Santa at Bass Pro Shop, December 2010



Spina Bifida Kids: Another talent to share!!

Spina Bifida Kids: Another talent to share!!: "Let me introduce you to Jennifer!! Jennifer has 2 little ones and still has time to make some beautiful things!! Amazing TUTUs and HairC..."

Wyatt does wear leg warmers because of his poor circulation. Especially this time of year they keep his tootsies warm!
Jenny

Lovin on the cat!

I think the cat thought if he just played dead that Wyatt would go away! NOT HAPPENING!

BIG scare!

Ok, so I know it has been a really long time.  I do not know why but sometimes I think if I just ignore it, we may have some spina bifida-free days.  You know, days where it doesn't rule your world, days where you think life is just life.  Well that came to a sudden halt on Monday morning.  As Jim was dressing Wyatt, he put a shirt on him and suddenly Wyatt started screaming and grabbing the right side of his neck.  Of course this is his shunt side.  So when he continued to scream I ran Bella to school and then called Jim.  Wyatt was still screaming. Soooo, thinking hopefully it was a raging ear infection (and ignoring the little bit of swelling that had developed around the tubing of the shunt on his neck) we took him to our pediatrician.  Well after careful examination of his ears, throat and chest, he told us it was all normal.  That punch in the gut feeling came quickly because we knew we were dealing with a shunt issue.  Our pediatrician quickly called our neurosurgeon and we headed to UMC for the PEDS ER.  It was a long ride but Jim and I did learn from our last ER visit.  We headed home real quick to pack us some clothes because after being admitted last time, we had NOTHING for us, no deodorant, no underclothes, no hair brush!  So we could not get Wyatt in the car seat because by now his head and neck hurt so bad he could not even lift it without screaming in pain.  So after a few hours in the ER, multiple xrays, CT scan of his head and 2 failed IV attempts, we were told that his shunt was functioning properly, had no breaks in the tubing and the swelling was coming from scar tissue that had attached itself to the tubing of his shunt and with a growth spurt ripped away from his neck! No harm! Other than pain and swelling!  So while we were there a (very young) neurosurgeon resident that looked like he may have been there for all of 20 minutes managed to say a few things that ticked me off!  First he made mention of Wyatt being overweight.  Yes 1 year ago he was, but he has only gained 2 pounds in one year and exercises circles around anyone I know!  Then he said it! Well "If he is even able to walk, the weight will make it more difficult".  Now it must have been only from sheer exhaustion that I did not proceed to get up and wrap his stethoscope in a TIGHT but cute fashion around his neck!  I said that yes he will walk and is working hard on it daily with therapy.  I should have reminded him of the miracles he has already experienced! And if he doesn't walk we will love him just the same.  These stupid children in medical school that have only the book as their experience.  I should have told him about the prayer warriors we have on our side and that we do not accept ANYTHING just because that is what the book says! So yes, we had a big scare but thankfully we got to come home! PACKED ALL THAT STUFF! HA HA  He is already feeling better and the swelling is better.  So I guess it is back to our reality of Life!  It is a great life and my son is my hero!
Jenny

Peds ER at UMC

Just like all the other kids!

I have started to write this blog several times and could not do it.  But now I try one more time!  Friday was Wyatt's Halloween party at the daycare.  I picked up Bella from school and we went to the daycare together.  I figured the party would be in his classroom but as I drove up, I saw them setting things up outside.  In my mind I thought "Great" another party of having to hold him the whole time and he will not have any fun.  Then I quickly remembered having his stander in the car with us and with the parking lot empty for the party, he would have plenty of room to roam.  So I got his "bicycle" out as we call it and when I walked in his room with his AFO's "RU-RU" boots, he eagerly wanted them on.  One sweet little girl "helped" Wyatt get his boots on and kept saying "I love your boots, Wyatt."  So I put Wyatt in his stander in the daycare office so I could have more room.  All this while I am just going through the motions and thinking nothing of this until I opened the doors to the outside and Wyatt wheeled around to get out.  Emotions flooded my mind.  Would people stare? Would Wyatt run over anyone?  Would people feel sorry for him?  I am glad that it was sunny outside and I could wear my sunglasses because I started tearing up as I watched him.  I teared up as I realized watching him wheel as fast as he could and play and feel the breeze in his hair as he probably has never felt before, that Wyatt was not wondering any of those things.  He was just being Wyatt and having fun in his own way like all the rest of the kids.  So many people gave him compliments on how great he was doing and Wyatt was so proud.  His big sister Bella was pretty proud of him too!  I learned something from him that day that I hope to carry forward with me forever, No matter what, we WILL feel the breeze in our hair!  We WILL do it in our own time and that is okay with us!  The party was a hit.  He ate cookies and candy!  He played basketball and even golf.  Oh yeah, he also got to see Elmo or Melmo as he calls him.  Was not afraid, either! I will post some pictures.  Saturday we went to horse therapy and he could not wait for me to even get down to the stall, he wanted on that horse.  SO, he now is riding solo again.  Ms. Bonnie laughed this weekend and said, "I don't know if it is helping him walk but it sure helps him talk!"  He talks non-stop while we are at the barn.  He just loves it there.  After riding we went to my sister's house to visit with family.  We had a good time together and did some Trick or Treating.  It was a busy weekend but it was nice and we all had a great time!
Jenny 

Face Painting!

Aftermath of face painting!

Looking at my shadow.