Owen's birthday

We decided that for Owen's first birthday that we would just have a "small" birthday party with family. Not that our family is small or anything. We had a nice dinner and spent time together before getting to the good stuff.
Any doubts about Owen being too small to open his own presents was put to rest quickly. He was able to grab out tissue paper faster than lightning and really had fun with the one wrapped gift that he got. He liked the sound of paper ripping, and could care less what was inside the color coated outside of the gift.
Yum, time for cake! He was fascinated by the candle, and has his grubby hands in the cake before we even started singing. Jaxen and Ember, the big helpful siblings they are, helped Owen blow out his candle. I know you are surprised by the lack of decorating on the cake, cakes are my specialty, but honestly he can't decide what he wants yet, so we just went with something easy...and soon to be messy.

If that is not one of the cutest things you have even seen, then you have been looking for CUTE in all the wrong places. It was straight into the tub for this little guy.

It didn't really hit me until we were singing Happy Birthday that my little boy is ONE.

It was one year ago today that Owen made his way into this world. A tiny little guy. One year ago today I thought I was going home to be on bed rest, finally out of the lonely hospital after 5 weeks. I went in for one last ultrasound to check the clot, and that is when the bleeding started full force all over again. I was losing a lot. I called the nurse, who put the monitors back on. The baby was not doing well. The whole time I was in the hospital, up until the point, the baby had been fine, they had been worried about me, and the amount of blood I was losing. Now, it was the baby they were worried about. I called Shaun and I was rushed into the OR, with doctors calmly telling me what I can expect with the baby being born so early.

I was scared. I had never had a C-section before. Can you feel that? Yes. I mean does it hurt? No, but I can feel it. My worst nightmare. Having my baby too early and feeling the whole thing. I told Shaun to talk to me about anything, just keep me occupied. The tugging and pulling was a very weird sensation. Shaun tells me they pull out Owen feet first and how weird it was to see his body with his head still inside me. (This was afterward, of course). I don't remember how small he was, when I saw him he was wrapped, and my head had twist at a weird angle to see him. His eyes were open and he was breathing on his own, I think he surprised everyone. He ended up on a breathing machine later, because it was too much stress after the PIC line was put in, and he needed to save his energy for growing. But, we knew we had a fighter on our hands, and we were thankful.

My little guy spent 12 long weeks in the hospital. Now it is all a distant, and surreal, memory. I know that Heavenly Father walked me through it and gave me the strength, patience, and endurance to be strong for myself, my family, and Owen. It wasn't always an easy journey, but we made it through. I am glad I kept a journal so I can have those memories when I am ready.

I look at him now, chunky, happy, and healthy, and it is hard for me to even think of the tiny, skinny, opaque little one that I gave birth to 365 days ago.

Well, at least there was one thing in common with the other two...he had hair. I would have been worried if he didn't have hair.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY OWEN!!