Lil' J's Surprise Party

Some of you may or may not know that Wheels has been very good with child for the past 9 months. I say 'very good' rather than 'great' with child because she had not quite reached that last month of uber-discomfort that only comes with having a tiny human using your insides as a kickboxing training center. Since many of the Skog Blog readers might not have even known we were expecting, let's start at the very beginning...

It all started on a hot, lazy July night... actually let's not start RIGHT at the beginning, let's start a little after that... It was a Hot August Night and unfortunately for Wheels and I we weren't at the famous Neil Diamond concert of the same name. We were staring at a pregnancy test that explained why Wheels had been acting so odd during that time frame. Quick disclaimer: I don't mean to take having a child lightly, I have far too many best friends and family members who would give and have given everything to have a child but at the time Wheels and I were shocked. We aren't exactly an incredibly fertile couple (you know the lucky types - who share a glass of water and the wife gets pregnant) and let's just say that the odds of us getting pregnant were about 1 million to 2. Toots was only 9 months and Wheels was still dilligently breastfeeding her and it really, really surprised us. Really. As the pregnancy went along the Little Rockstar (as she will be known on the Skog Blog - those who want more info like her actual name can email me) kept us on our toes. We could never get a nice shot of her lady parts in the ultrasounds so we were unsure of her gender for several months. And why "Little Rockstar?" Well it goes with her real name and she has been high most of her life so I think it fits nicely.

The whole pregnancy was a little strange though. I have commented to friends and Wheels and I have discussed how the Little Rockstar just didn't seem real. Like she wasn't getting the attention that the other girls did during their pregnancies. The other girls had names picked out the day after their ultrasounds and received more belly rubs (granted it was Wheels' belly) than an old dog. Not the Rockstar. She was kind of an after thought as we dealt with Toots and P and the stresses of everyday life.

Flash forward to this past Friday. I receive a phone call from Wheels, figuring it was a report about her echocardiogram and ultrasound that she had scheduled. Instead I hear Wheels say, "are you ready to have this baby?" At that moment the Little Rockstar became very real. Apparently the amniotic fluid was low and the doctor had decided it was better for the Rockstar to come early than live in a deteriorating placenta. I rushed to the hospital, found out everything was ok, rushed home to get the essentials and make sure the girls were okay with Grammie Sue and rushed back to the hospital.

The whole process was supposed to take a long time. The doctors estimated it would take at least a day to get the Little Rockstar here. However, if you recall my girls aren't like other girls. A few doses of cervix thinning fluid and a few hours of pitocin and I heard the nurse say, "I think you're ready." Doctor showed up, Wheels pushed 3 times and the world welcomed Lil J, the Little Rockstar. Because of her premature birth (about 5-1/2 weeks early) the nurses allowed Wheels to hold her for a few minutes and then carted her off to the Newborn ICU. At no point was she or has she been in danger but it still is very sad to stand there helplessly and watch your 4 lb 15 oz bundle of joy require breathing assistance and have more tubes and wires sticking out of it then the average US television set. An even weirder feeling is having a child, being discharged from the hospital and driving away with a 20 lb breast pump instead of an adorable baby girl.

As of today the Little Rockstar continues to progress. She is on the lowest level of oxygen and has started drinking milk through a tube. She is not on any additional antibiotics which is a good sign that they no longer fear pneumonia or infection. It still might be a week or two until she is able to come home but we feel very lucky to have her.

So what have I learned over this week? First, a wise friend told me - "Isn't it funny how you thought you had no connection to the Little Rockstar and so she did this to allow you to focus on her and have some bonding time?" (not a direct quote but you get the gist) Also, Wheels and I are extremely grateful to our friends and family. Many of our friends, neighbors, and co-workers have had much more difficult experiences with newborns. Some of their babies have been born so prematurely and so miraculously tiny that the Rockstar would be Shaq and their kid would be Spud Webb. However, at no point has anybody said to us after hearing our story, "Big deal man, boo friggin hoo, this is what happened to me..." No. Our awesome family and friends have done nothing but support us and say, "this is my story, we got through it and so will you..." and Wheels and I are very appreciative. Anyway, I will post updates and milestones here on the Skog Blog as they develop. Again, thanks to everyone. Special thanks to Grammie Sue for being on Girl watch for the past week. Couldn't do it without Sue.

KG