One Week Old
It was a hard pregnancy, during a very hot summer, right after Paul and I were married. I was pregnant the first month after my wedding. Nana, thought people might talk since our wedding was so quick. :) ... They did. On Halloween, The doctor put me in the hospital. I had Toxemia. I was ok, you were not. After 2 days, they told us they were transferring us to UCI medical center in Orange County. IF you would survive, it would be there. I cried that night and told Daddy, 30% chance just wasn't enough odds for you. Daddy responded in the way I would learn to expect from him, we're going with they won't have to take you.
Today, early, 30 years ago, they transported me to UCI, from the ambulance, I could see the front of daddy's z car as he followed us. Your Aunt Sandie came down from Concord and beat us to UCI. They learned right away that you were dying and your ONLY chance was a C-Section. You had less than a 1% chance of survival and a normal life. By 2:00 EVERYONE was there; Nana Grampa Eny, Aunt Kathie, Aunt Mary Aunt Sandie, They took you at 2:10 Friday, November 3rd. You weren't due until 1/25.
They expected a 2lb baby, you were smaller. My dates said 28 weeks, RIGHT on the border of viability in 1978. You turned out to be 25 weeks. You weighed less than a two pound box of Sees candies that Father Tom brought me.
Your first three days were a blur to me as the hospital worked to get my blood pressure down. Turns out, you weren't' doing very well. I asked Father Tom, who was there every day, to baptize you. He did. That marked the beginning of your turn around. From declining, to maybe surviving. The nurses wondered and Father Tom, smiled and told them it was the Irish Whisky he used for the Baptism.
It was a very rough 75 days that followed Kate. Marked by improvement and decline. Bowel failure, Liver failure and constant "Septic Episodes". God taught me a lot during those days. He taught me patience when you HAD to tolerate food or die. Every three hours, I called or was there to make sure you had tolerated your "last feed". We could only look 3 hours to the future. I learned to pray in December, when they said you would probably not make it. I learned to pray not for what I wanted but for the strength to get through it; to accept it. To be a good mom to your brother Robbie through all this. I still hadn't been allowed to hold you December 1st when they told me you may not make it. I asked the Blessed Mother to hold you for me if I couldn't. During that 75 days, I saw so many mothers loose their precious babies. I heard the sobs and could almost feel their tears.
January 17th, 1979, you would come home to us. For three years I couldn't buy your birthday cake without crying; for joy. Every hard time in our live would be measured by the fact that Katie lived, this is NOTHING to worry about. We survived our worst moment(s), our biggest challenge as parents and as a married couple, 6 months after our wedding. NOTHING could really be THAT bad after God's most precious gift to us.. YOU.
You are my child of hope and of faith and of joy.
You would get irritated growing up, when I would tell you to STOP being negative, you had a responsibility to cherish and LIVE each moment of your life.. but you did learned to hope. You have come through a lot of rough times since our victory 30 years ago, you keep hoping, you never give up. You are a marvelous parent to Sabby. EVEN THOUGH, Dad and I keep TELLING you this or that.
Thank you Kathleen for ALWAYS being such a fighter and for 30 years of joy. (Even when you brought that guy home with a black widow spider tatooed to his arm; or accepted all those collect phone calls ---$400.00;... Ok I'll stop)
In the Growing Nursery Jan 1979
With Your big brother Robbie May 1979
You were finally as big as the doll Aunt Mary bought you, September 1979
Easter 1980
Backyard in Chino
Bonanza, on your wedding Day with Dad
You are a wonderful Mommy! Keep looking upward honey!
Thanks for taking the time to read my blog today.. Sorry it got a bit long and had too much drama! :)