Ty-Bug's baptism

I am so happy for my little Ty-bug, he was baptized at the beginning of January and although this is a big step in his life, I feel like a lot of things are big things in his life!

Tyler was not your run of the mill, easy child to bring into this world, in fact, his whole existence is pretty cool! There is a reason we call him Ty-BUG!!!

I had lots of problems (to say the least) when I was pregnant with him. Long story short, I had an abruption (when the placenta breaks away from the uterine wall) at 12 weeks, and was on bed-rest for 6 weeks at home. Then at 23 weeks, my water broke and I got to spend the next 71/2 weeks in a luxurious hotel called, the HOSPITAL!!!! in the pre-natal unit. And I'll tell you what, I HATE hospital food!!!!!! HATE IT HATE IT HATE IT!!!!!!! I also learned to HATE the nursing schedule! However, I learned more in those 2 months about love, faith, compassion, sacrifice, service, patience, humility and unselfishness, than I have or probably ever will learn again. I LOVED that! Also, sponge baths are not all they're cracked up to be, let me tell ya!!!

Anyway, Ty was born at 30 weeks, when he was a minute old, I got to touch his little teeeny blue foot before they whisked him away to the NICU to bag, intubate and try to keep him alive. He was the size of a big m&m bag and when I mean he was blue, I mean BLUE. Absoloutely the scariest moment of our lives. 

I got to go see him about 2 hours after he was born and even though I had toured the NICU and read and talked to so many Dr's a lot about what to expect nothing could have prepared me for what I saw. There were about 20 chords coming in and out of his tiny little body, there were monitors everywhere, little tiny glasses to cover his little eyes, an oscillating respirator to breathe for him and he was shaking violently from the ventilator that was helping his lungs. It was extremely overwhelming and I couldn't even hold him!!!! I will never forget the Dr's giving the grim, but hopeful prognosis and my dad and Jon giving him a name and a blessing right there, because there was a very, very good chance he wouldn't make it. I am literally shaking thinking about it now!!! He is our little miracle.

However, in the days and weeks that followed, Tyler was amazing! He was and always has been quite  a little fighter!! He was only in the NICU for a month and came home at 4 lbs on oxygen and a heart monitor. He was on those for 2 months and I remember the day we got to take off his oxygen mask, it was a party!!!! Since then, we have had numerous tests and "preemie" Dr appointments. Lots of kids that were that early and had "intra-uterine" challenges, have major handicaps. Many have cerebral palsy, deafness, autism, allergies blindness, ADD, and reading dis-orders. Miraculously, Tyler has none of those. He has struggled a little with some learning things, but this year especially, he has really done so well!

I tell you all this not because I want your sympathy. I tell you because I firmly believe we are given challenges for a reason. We learn from our trials and we learn from our kids!!!

Tyler is a fighter, he is a happy, strong, go getter kid! He works hard, is feisty and always, always thinks of his mom-we're pretty tight!!!! (I guess that's to be expected!)

I am so proud of my Ty-Bug. I'm proud of his decision to be baptized, I'm proud of his life and I'm proud and so very thankful to be his mom and the lessons he has taught me. They are the best lessons I have ever learned!!!

Love you Bug!