I cannot believe tomorrow I'll have a nine year old. NINE!!! Gosh - he's so big!! I can't believe it.
I had a wonderful pregnancy - no problems really. Not one day of morning sickness. I was so lucky. The only problem was my sugar got a bit high close to the end. Switching to Diet Dr Pepper and not eating ice cream every single night seemed to help get it lower though.
We did everything we hoped to do before Cole arrived. His room was all ready and waiting. Clothes washed and folded and tucked away in his new dresser. His bedding all ready to go in his sweet crib. Winnie the Pooh was everywhere. He had the sweetest baby room. I took off work a week before my due date. I really remember being scared I would go into labor somewhere strange like in line at Walmart, in the middle of swiping my debit card. Or at work. Or pretty much anywhere other than home. I nested the last week like nobodies business. I cleaned out closets, decorated coat hangers for his sweet clothes. Just got ready. We lost my grandmother two weeks before Cole was born so it was a hard time. I hated that she missed meeting him (even if she really wanted him to be a her).
I woke up at 5:30am with some strange cramping in my back. I rolled around and tried to get more comfortable. This happened for about an hour, every ten minutes before I finally woke Jason up. We called the drs office and they told us to hold on until I was 5 minutes apart. We waited. I talked the doctor into letting me eat some toast - gosh I was starving. Took a nice bath. Watched Ghost Busters. Made a list of the times of my contractions.
Conveniently, my contractions didn't get to 5 minutes apart consistently until my parents made it from Birmingham. Good timing Cole!!
We headed to the hospital and had a very long wait. We got there around 2:30 and Cole didn't show up until 8:46 that night. I was miserable - and he was stubborn. He wouldn't drop at all. Stubborn from the start. (Sounds like a good title for a layout) They made me walk for two hours around the hospital. Oh it was terrible. In the end, I ended up having a c-section and being really really out of it after. It was 12:30 before I got to actually hold him. I remember waking up and Jason saying he was going to get Cole out of the nursery. That was about 11:45pm. He left and I waited. And waited. And waited.
I was so sleepy, but all the lights were on and I couldn't sleep since Cole was coming in the room any minute. I couldn't wait to hold him. My room got really hot and I was so tired. And I kept waiting.
It was about 45 minutes later before Jason made it back. Cole was in the middle of his bath and Jason stayed to watch. In the meantime, I was so ready to see him. He was so stinkin' cute!! So sweet and tiny.
The doctor really called it wrong - he thought we'd have a big baby but he was just 6 lbs and 6 ounces. A little guy! But just perfect.
I still remember all of it very well. I remember each birthday! I just can't believe he's had 8 birthday parties. It's so hard to believe.
Here's some facts about Cole this past year:
- He's growing more and more and actually becoming AVERAGE (who knew how good that would be)
- He's still into some younger things - loves to watch Yo Gabba Gabba and still plays with his Mickey Mouse Clubhouse and Pooh Changing Tree (although you may find Batman hanging out there)
- Now Batman and the Transformers cover my den floor. A lot!
- He loves playing on the computer.
- He's still a momma boy and will still love on me and doesn't think he's too cool for me, yet.
- He's a cub scout.
- He's more coordinated.
- He can run a little faster, jump a little higher and write a little better.
- He still has a crazy imagination. He wants to vacation in cartoon land - you know, meet all the characters from his favorite show and hang out on their set.
- He loves iCarly.
- He loves Bust a Move - Glee style.
- He loves to beat box.
- He loves Phineas and Ferb. Oh, and Perry the platypus.
- He loves having playdates - but too many kids at one time freaks him out.
- He still hates loud noise, but is getting better at adapting.
- He's five years cancer free now.
- He's more than twice the age he was when diagnosed.
- He still hates dogs, but is getting better around them, if they are smaller than him, and relatively calm.
- He's still crazy about Toy Story and Cars.
I can't wait to see what the next year brings.
We're heading to Chili's to eat dinner tomorrow night - he picked the place. We're having a cookie cake since we did the whole Mario party this weekend in Mobile. He'll have a few fun things to open, too - of course. Oh, we're having a birthday snack at school tomorrow too.
With a birthday for Cole now always comes a St. Jude check up. We're heading up Monday for a three day packed full visit. He's got a battery of tests that come around each year. Hearing test, eye check up, heart check up - lots of stuff. Throw in some Pysch testing, MRI, and xrays. Sounds like fun times, huh? Actually for Cole, it is - he loves it. He loves going back and wandering the hospital halls. We have a great time at the Grizzlies House (this is where we stay each trip). He loves checking everything out. The only thing he hates is the ouchie. He has to get stuck for his IV each trip back - lab work has to be done and they have to give him something through his IV to put him to sleep for his MRI. He hates that part so much. I hate it for him. There's nothing I can do to make it any better for him - so he usually ends up with a toy in the end.
Not your typical happenings for a 9 year old birthday celebration - but this is our life. Sure, I'd love to have things easier for him, but hey - he's still here and I'll take that - no questions asked.
