Happy Birthday To ME!!!

It's my Birthday and I'll cry if I want to!! LOL. I woke up early this morning, 8am, couldn't get back to sleep so thought I'd enjoy the extra hour of birthday time and get up to greet the morning. I go to email only to find it filled to the brim with Birthday wishes from everyone across the Blogosphere!! One was from Kim, a lovely friend and IA member. She wished me a very happy birthday and told me I was PURTY. Well, gotta respond to that and thank her for the compliment (as I preened, lol). I went to her blog and what do I find but a whole post about ME! Oh my gosh, it made me cry.

I got lovely birthday wishes from a very good friend, Trace, and I had forgotten to tell you when it posted that another friend, Dion, did an artist post about me, it was so cool to be featured! I was also The featured in Artist's In Blogland the other week. It's been a pretty wonderful month.

I'm actually very lucky to be able to experience and revel in the warm, wonderful birthday wishes at all. Mom and I were off to bed last night when mom popped her head out of her room and asked what time it was. I'm thinking she's setting her clock for a wake up time... I had no idea what time it was, it could have been 11 PM or 2 AM, I was oblivious. She told me it was 12:06 AM. I was born exactly 42 years ago to the minute. It reminded me of all my wonderful mother went through to ensure my survival and just how darn lucky I am to be here at all.

Jenn, two days old, holding mom's hand.

Mom went into labor with me three month early and I was born at 28 weeks. I was also born breach with the cord between her and I (so no oxygen) and got stuck. When I was finally out I wasn't breathing at all. As mom says, I was a lazy sot and decided to play chicken with the doctors and continue to not breathe. Because mom was in medical distress they gave me to the anesthesiologist who determined I hadn't made it. All members were needed to save mom so they left me to work on her. Now, understand, mom had requested NO heroics with me, she was a delivery nurse in this hospital and knew that the chances of my living were slim to none, being born SO early (this was 1970) and I was just skimming viability statistics. She didn't want me to suffer. Her good nursing friends said that about 8-10 minutes later, from across the room I began to scream bloody murder, I guess I decided to stay a while longer.

Jenn @ 2 months beside a newly sharpened pencil.

I was rushed to the incubator and my father was told if he wanted to see his daughter he better come now as I wasn't predicted to live more than an hour. Mom says after she awoke from the anesthetic she sat for more than a week with me, her hand in the incubator, flicking my foot, reminding me to continue to breath. I wasn't very good at it yet and would forget every minute or so that oxygen was vital to survival. My weight was 2 pounds 12 oz and they kept me in the hospital until I hit 5 pounds, which took about 7 weeks. Mom tells me that I was spoiled ROTTEN for those 7 weeks. The minute my mom's nursing friends could cuddle me and take me out of the incubator permanently, I didn't spend more than 5 minutes alone and the only time I was laid down was to change me!

Jenn at 2 years old with her Raggedy Anne

I feel so lucky to have the mom I do and to all those wonderful nurses who whispered in my little ear that I was gonna be ok, thank you from the bottom of my heart. I know that the love I received in those 7 weeks kept me going and ensured I'd have none of the developmental and learning disabilities that were predicted in my future. My only legacy of my harrowing start is mild asthma and an inability to digest gluten and lactose. Oh, and I'm allergic to apples too, lol. Not too bad for only being one day over the viability cut off line, huh? I lucked out and I thank my lucky stars every birthday. That's probably why I consider birthdays so important and I celebrate a birthday week instead of just a day. I mean, I have so much to celebrate because life is so glorious from above the ground instead of 6 feet under.

I'll be back in a day or two with my "Favorite Things" APR post with my artwork submission to share. Until then, thank you to all you wonderful bloggy friends, I love you all. 

Hugs & Kisses,
Best,

I sure would love it if you haven't yet, please follow me using the Linky Follower Tool right over there in my sidebar ------->
I'll consider it a lovely birthday present from you!

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