Happy Birthday Big Z (formerly Zachy-pooh-bear)

Today is Zach's 12th Birthday! Hard to believe that I have a 12 year old. He is just as tall as I am and his feet are bigger than mine now. I shop for him in the Men's department now. He is susch a good strong help here around the house all day, always helping me do "projects" around the house when I ask. He's a great big brother and even babysitter sometimes. He helps with MWAS office work and any computer/technical "stuff" that needs done, that I don't know how to do. He is great at memorizing scripture, has a heart for God and loves TobyMac! I couldn't ask for a better Big - little guy!

Remembering back 12 years ago today.....the story actually starts a few days earlier when on July 4th I was sure I was in labor. My mom was with Kevin and I in our little condo awaiting this baby's arrival (she had already been there a few days because he was due and now I was about a week late, so surely any day, right?) We logged the minutes and grew discouraged when they started becoming farther and farther apart.....oh well! A few days went by and another doctor's appt on the 7th......anytime now she says........headed to bed that night around midnight and when I pottied I noticed a glop of gross stuff in the toilet, immediately followed by a very sharp pain that took my breath away......and we were back downstairs, mom with her notebook and Kevin with a pillow, laying on the floor. This was it, this was labor, progressively getting more painful and closer together at the same time....yeah and oh no at the same time!
By 6am....we were 3 minutes apart and headed to the hospital. I was screaming in pain by the time they placed me in a room, with a "fairly" new nurse who couldn't get an IV in me....after multiple tries and me now crying and screaming the head nurse comes in, gets the IV in right away and before you know it, I'm sleeping (a very big dose of Nubain - thank you). After a few hours of rest and relaxing, an epidural that I don't even remember getting, we were ready to get this all going again, my water was broken and I'm beginning to feel the contractions coming again. All is going well, his head is out, but......we can't seem to get the rest of him out, what's the problem? His shoulders are broad and STUCK! Options....C-section or "tear me apart" getting him out! Well, I did NOT have a C-section! Thanks Big Guy! Very painful, lots of screaming, Kevin almost fainted and a nurses were holding my legs and laying across my stomach helping to get this stuck baby out! Ok, have to stop, the memories are making me cringe! He was 9 lbs 7 ounces and the biggest baby in the nursery!

He was such a sweet baby who loved to laugh and giggle, he slept well, ate well and had a little bit of a temper. He walked early, talked early and has been talking ever since. Some family members say that he reminds them of Kevin when he was little, always talking, telling jokes, making up stories and teasing his sisters. (Kevin has one sister and she remembers well). I wish I knew with Zach what I knew by the time I had Abby, his infancy would have been different, but you always have to start somewhere and God knew that he would be a good one for Kevin and I to learn with and grow with, now we are charting new territory with him.....so pray for him, pray for us....that he will become the man that God wants Him to be, that He will follow the plan that God has for his life.
Love you Big Z! Happy Birthday!