fogparty

another try

after unsuccessfully trying to unstick my blogspot account; i'm giving typepad a try to see if i have better luck.  i really liked blogspot, but one day the icons for new posts disappeared.  i tried contacting them, but never got a response.  i guess i can't expect much from a free account.  so, i'm in the process of transferring all my old posts to this new blog and getting back on track.  and maybe i'll try to fill in some of the gaps along the way between my last official post in november and now...  ...february.  i'm not really sure how many people have visited the site.  but for those of you who've missed me...  thanks for hanging in.

18 years ago... my world changed big time

it was a snowy day in st. louie, mo... the day an ambulance drove beth and baby unborn downtown to barnes hospital.  5 weeks early didn't sound too bad, but the whole thing was definitely scary.  we didn't even get to finish our lamaze class.  how would i handle that transition thing and all the rest?  the smaller hospital didn't want to risk anything with the storm coming.  in case something special was needed, they wanted us to be in the best place possible. 

we would later find out that our doc was ranked 4th in the nation for dealing with high-risk pregnancies.  that's good.  so the induction began.  beth's bp was too high...  pre-eclampsia... only cure was to deliver the baby.  5 weeks early... maybe small, but no big deal.

okay, so how long does it take for a forced dialation?  this is getting hard on beth.  transition?  this is transition?  i didn't know what to expect, but i'm sure i'd never heard stories like this from any friends.  this is scary.  rather than becoming animated and agitated, beth was becoming listless.  why do i feel like i'm losing her?  i have to yell at her to keep her focused and from passing out, but the nurse says i'm doing great.

finally the delivery room!  it's a girl!!!  can't see her yet...  something's wrong.  2 nurses and 2 pediatricians from next door children's hospital work feverously next to us.  the room is eerily quiet.  it's now 7 minutes and we've heard no cry.  nothing.  the OB asks, "is she going to be alright?"  the reply, "we don't know yet."  a nurse comes in the room and says that the doctors are needed next door.  they refuse to leave.  i snap pictures frantically, wondering if these will be the only pictures of our little girl... alive.  the doc asks for a name.  beth says... jennifer margaret.

9 minutes...  a wee cry.  a wonderful cry.  "She's going to be fine."  really?  really?  how can that be?  an apgar of 1 when she was born.  now she's a 9?  thank you God!!!

on the phone calling family and friends...  it's a girl and she's okay!!!  4lbs.-4oz.  not bad.  she's beautiful and...  wait, i hear beth screaming in the other room, gotta go.  i run to see what's going on just in time to watch a flurry of staff pushing her bed frantically into another room.  what's going on?  in short, "it could be one of 3 things" the doc said.  "2 of them are fatal and one isn't...  and we know it's not that one."  what are you saying to me???  all i can remember next is going to the premie ward to hold our new little girl while they ran tests on beth...  thinking...  wondering what it would be like to raise our new little girl... alone. 

what a day.  and it was only the beginning.

but they were wrong - and 18 years later beth and i face new challenges with our "little girl"... our wonderful daughter.  but at least we get to face them together.

proud papa

we were pretty ecstatic when our oldest was 1 of 5 nominated from her sr. class to be 2006 snowfest queen.  i mean... we moved midstream last year into the area.  i've always been thankful for her independent spirit... seemingly likable to all different types of groups.  all our kids are that way - which is great.

i just had to sneak into the school assembly the day freshmen-seniors gathered to hear each king & queen candidate make a little presentation.  jenn did a great job and even mentioned how important God was in her life.  she didn't have to do that... and i never suggested the idea.  that was probably the highlight of it all for me.

we all agreed that the whole thing was kind of silly.  as i sat in the assembly that day, i wondered how such things were healthy at all for anyone.  i mean... at best the message being subtily sent is there are 10 winners (the court) and 490 losers.  at least i was thankful that jenn seemed to have a healthy perspective on it all.

the night of the big basketball game, all the parents were introduced and ushered on to the gym floor.  (jenn had given us both specific instructions on what we each were to wear)  she looked gorgeous - as always.  how could we be prouder or more thankful?  but, in a few minutes we were... as she was crowned snowfest queen to the roar of her peers.

wow!  who would have imagined?