.: Happy 1st Birthday Nathaniel!!

Happy 1st Birthday Nathaniel!!! It seemed like just yesterday that Nathaniel entered our world and family. The day of his birth was bittersweet. We were excited for his arrival and could hardly wait.

When the time came for him to be born we found out that he was in distress with the umbilical cord wrapped around his neck. There were times that the doctor wasn't sure how the baby was going to enter the world. The moments leading up to his arrival, the whole family was praying that Nathaniel would be perfectly healthy and breathing. There were times that we thought we'd be coming home without a baby boy to love. I know God heard our prayers. The doctor had to be a little rough with him, but within seconds Nathaniel was breathing and doing well. As Daniel and I rejoiced and watched the nurses take care of him, little did we know that Valerie was not doing so well. She was bleeding profusely, her blood pressure was sky high and according to the doctors we were losing her. Our tears of joy went to tears of fear and confusion. After an emergency surgery, 4 pints of blood, she was finally stabilized, but not out of the woods. Our emotions were all over the place by now. Jim and I thought we'd be taking a baby home and no mommy. We were a mess. The next morning Dr. Roca arrived to check on Valerie. For 12+ hours Valerie was being monitored every 30 minutes. Dr. Roca finally gave us the all clear sign, but not before telling us that he thought we were going to lose her and that she was lucky to be alive. Those are very scarey words for parents to hear.

Today when I think about that day, December 21, 2007, I am so thankful that God heard our cries and prayers. God has always been faithful and merciful to us. Each and everyday I'm so blessed when I hear Val's voice on the phone just to say, "Hi Mom!" I'm even more blessed to have a sweet little guy to call my very own grandson. I have this say, "Who's grandma's favorite boy?" I say that everytime I see him and he just gets a kick out of it. Although, I'm sure he has no clue what I am saying, but he does know that his grandma and grandpa adore him. His first year of life has been a joy to see and be a part of. Jim and I are so blessed that Daniel, Valerie and Nathaniel come up every weekend to visit. They have allowed us to be a huge part of his life and include us in just about everything.