On this date five years ago, Mr. Bub was born. Many parents probably look at the age of five as sort of a turning point from being a toddler/preschooler to a real kid. I think that a lot of parents would agree with me that celebrating a 5th birthday can be emotional for them. I think it is a little more so for me and my husband. If you would have told me during Mr. Bub's pregnancy that we would be celebrating his 5th birthday today, I would have either punched you in the face (in the belief that you were lying to me), or hugged you tighter than I've ever hugged anyone before (if I had thought you were telling the truth).
My pregnancy was complicated by a non-cancerous tumor in the umbilical cord, which the doctors and nurses referred to as an angiomyxoma. Over a course of several ultrasounds, they saw that it was growing as each week went by. The doctors feared that it could obstruct blood flow in the umbilical cord, so I was ordered to have ultrasounds three times a week starting at about 24 weeks. Thank goodness my Aunt Sharon lived nearby; she came with me to just about every ultrasound, which ended up being at least 40 by the end of the pregnancy. And with every one, I would have to prepare myself for the possibility of the doctors telling me that I'd have to be admitted to the hospital OR even worse news than that, which is hard for me to write about. :-( I did actually spend about ten days in the hospital when I "failed" a non-stress test at about 32 weeks. I got to go home for a few more weeks, but then after I "failed" another ultrasound, my doctor scheduled me for a c-section. Because of a vascular disease I have, I had to have a c-section under general anesthesia in the hospital's main operating room. So, unfortunately, neither me nor my husband was able to see Bub come into the world, but after everything we had gone through, we just wanted him out. He was small, a little jaundiced, and we had trouble getting him to eat that first week, but at least he was here and otherwise healthy. So, today we give thanks to God and his angels for protecting Mr. Bub during a rough pregnancy. Happy Birthday, Mr. Bub!
My pregnancy was complicated by a non-cancerous tumor in the umbilical cord, which the doctors and nurses referred to as an angiomyxoma. Over a course of several ultrasounds, they saw that it was growing as each week went by. The doctors feared that it could obstruct blood flow in the umbilical cord, so I was ordered to have ultrasounds three times a week starting at about 24 weeks. Thank goodness my Aunt Sharon lived nearby; she came with me to just about every ultrasound, which ended up being at least 40 by the end of the pregnancy. And with every one, I would have to prepare myself for the possibility of the doctors telling me that I'd have to be admitted to the hospital OR even worse news than that, which is hard for me to write about. :-( I did actually spend about ten days in the hospital when I "failed" a non-stress test at about 32 weeks. I got to go home for a few more weeks, but then after I "failed" another ultrasound, my doctor scheduled me for a c-section. Because of a vascular disease I have, I had to have a c-section under general anesthesia in the hospital's main operating room. So, unfortunately, neither me nor my husband was able to see Bub come into the world, but after everything we had gone through, we just wanted him out. He was small, a little jaundiced, and we had trouble getting him to eat that first week, but at least he was here and otherwise healthy. So, today we give thanks to God and his angels for protecting Mr. Bub during a rough pregnancy. Happy Birthday, Mr. Bub!
 Mr. Bub with Dad |  About a week old; swimming in the newborn size onesie. |  About a week old. |
©2012, copyright Emily Kowalski Schroeder
