Chilson Family

I realize that it has been a long time since "remembering" Son #7's trama.  It was starting to take me back to a place that was emotionally too much.   Even now, through God's goodness and loving hand, it is like a huge stone sitting on my chest. I don't want to leave anyone "hanging", so I will try to finish. Son #7's breathing was not stable.  They doctor decided to put him on the vent.  But when the vent was brought to his room his breathing started to become more stable.  They moved the vent and he was unstable.  Finally the doctor left it outside of his door as a "threat".  It worked!  However, he was not out of danger.  My sweet little man became a stranger to me.  He would get worked up over any noise.  We could not hold, touch or even talk around him.  If his eyes were open and you made eye-contact with him he would get worked up and his heart rate would go up.  I had a lot of questions for the doctors...

I was asked which hospital I wanted Son #7 to go to, of course I wanted him at the hospital that knew him, the one he was born in.  I was told he was too critical to make the 20 minute trip, so it was decided to take him to the county hospital. The children's hospital is across the street and we knew he would be sent there once he was stable and had permission to be transferred. My neighbor called my hubby at church to let him know we were on our way to the hospital and he needed to get there as soon as possible.  He went back to gather the family and was nearly dragging them out of the sanctuary.  One of our friends stopped him long enough to find out what was going on.  They offered to take the family back to the house while he went to the hospital.  Our neighbor kept the two daughters that were at home. Our ambulance ride to the hospital was rather slow.  They could not go very fast since Son #7 was too tiny for the...

The day started like most Sundays, getting ready for church.  Since we had just brought Son #7 home from the NICU, I would be staying home.  The family went to our usual morning services and came home for Sunday dinner.  After we ate I was needing to work on a flower girl's dress Daughter #4 would be wearing in Son #1's wedding in May.  Before too long it was time to go back to evening church.  Daughter #2, 10 at the time, wanted to stay home and help.  Daughter #4, 4 at the time, was (and still is) a momma's girl and wanted to stay home also.  Hubby took rest of the family with him.  Son #7 had been fed and diapered and put down in the pac-n-play so I could continue with my project.  He became a bit fussy and Daughter #2 wanted to hold him.  So I picked him up and and settled them both down on the sofa with Daughter #4 next to them.  I had not gotten very far in my project when he started fussing.  Daug...

Nine years ago today I brought home from the hospital, for the fist time, Baby #13, who just happens to be Son #7.  I spent three weeks at home on bedrest and four weeks in the hospital on bedrest.  Son #7 arrived 11:42 pm on February 11, 2003, weighing 4 pounds 2 ounces and 16 1/2 inches long, at 31 weeks 5 days gestation.  He spent four weeks in the NICU growing and at 36 weeks 2 days was finally released to go home!  It had been a long road and finally we would all be together getting our life back to normal! Son #7  One day old on Vent Little did I realize that "normal" was only going to last forty-eight hours.  MY plans of normal would soon unravel. Stay with me for a few postings...I will share with you how God moved in the life of our family and showed us a miracle.  But like most miracles it was not without hardship or tears. 

Today is Son #7's birthday!  He is nine years old!  It is so hard to believe my baby boy is growing up!  He and I share the same birthday!  So that makes me forty-eight!  Yikes!  Did not think that sounded old until now! I spent four weeks in the hospital on bed rest with him and made it to 32 weeks.  It was almost  the longest month of my life.  Son #7 spent one month and four days in the NICU. That was his first round in the NICU.  (more on that later on) HAPPY 9th BIRTHDAY SON!  WE LOVE YOU!    

Today Daughter #7 turns, well...SEVEN!  *smile*  So hard to believe, my baby is SEVEN! She is the last of my premature babies.  She was born eight weeks early and NO problems following her birth!  Of course she thought she was ready to come at 24 weeks and I spent seven weeks on bed rest.  She weighed a little over 4 pounds.  We still spent close to eight weeks in the NICU, but it was an uneventful stay! Daughter #7 has asked for a couple of years to have her ears pierced.  I was pretty certain she was not ready for it.  So after explaining how it would be done, I slightly pinched her earlobe so she could feel what it would "feel" like.  That was enough for her she kept putting it off, until recently.  No swaying her, she said she was ready!  So we went to our semi-local "W" store to get her ears pierced for her birthday!  We did it yesterday so she could wake up and already have her birthday gift! Such a brave litle ...

I am thankful for Daughter #7.  She is the caboose of our children.  She was born at 31 weeks.  My only preemie with no complication at all!  {I was on bed rest with her for seven weeks.} She is very full of life.  She has the largest imagination and thinks she is a true princess.  Her daddy told her one day that all little girls are their daddy's princess.  So, she truly believes she is royalty, "because Daddy said so".  Watch out Princess Catherine! :-)   She decided when she was three that she wanted to grow out her hair to her ankles...she will be seven in December, so this was before "Tangled", and she never heard of Rapunzel.  Her hair is now about 5-6 inches above the back of her knees.  Will it get to her ankles??...we'll see. I love you Daughter and I am thankful for you!

I am thankful for Son #7, who just happens to be child #13.  I spent 4 weeks on bed rest in the hospital before he came into this world at 32 weeks with no complications.  He went through his NICU period without too many set backs and he came home at 36 weeks with no monitors!   He was home less than 48 hours  when he coded on us.  A blessing for us Daughter #2, she was 11 at the time, wanted to hold him because he was "fussy".  She gave him to me because she thought he was hungry.  As I was trying to nurse him I realized he had gone limp and was blue.  Not a problem, we were use to "blue babies".  But he didn't "pink up", he went gray.  Daughter #2 went to get my neighbor as I called 911.  We started CPR but there was nothing to him, no pulse, no heart beat, nothing.  We continued CPR until the firemen and paramedics arrived.  When they scooped him up to work on him, Son let out a smal...

I am thankful for Daughter #6.  She was a micro preemie, born at 28 weeks, weighing 2 pounds 9 ounces.  She is truly a miracle baby.  We got to watch out of the womb what takes place in the womb.  AMAZING!!!  What an awesome God we serve!  She spent three months in the NICU.  She was on oxygen until she was 18 months, and stayed and on a heart and apnea monitor until she was two.  She was our "blue baby"--named because she was always turning blue.   {Son #3 became a respiratory therapist because he watched his baby sister being rescued so many times.  He even knew what to do when he was in the NICU with me one day when her monitor went off and she was blue.  It just came natural. The RT told him he saved his baby sister and he was a natural.  Of course the RT stepped in and checked her over to make sure she was okay.} Daughter #6 is healthy and a normal ten year old!  I love you Daugh...

Today marks a very important day in Daughter #6's young life!  She is officially "double digit"--ten years old!  D #6 was born exactly at 28 weeks.  She came into this world weighing 2 lbs. 9 oz. and 15 inches long.  (Her weight dropped to 1 lb. 14 oz.)  I only lasted 4 days on bedrest with preterm labor.  We spent 3 months in the NICU, 18 months on oxygen, and 2 years on a heart monitor.  By God's grace she is a healthy ten year old today, and we praise the Lord for His special gift to us .    HAPPY 10TH BIRTHDAY DAUGHTER #6!!!!!