Little Man is 6 ... WOW!

I remember it like it was yesterday ...

It was a March evening 2002. I had just worked a 10 hour day at the office (it was tax season and all) and Carey had not worked at all (it was Spring Break and all). In fact, I believe he had spent the majority of the day building the "Ultimate Theme Park of the World" on Roller Coaster Tycon on the computer. So there we were, 25 and 24, been married for almost 5 years and contemplating having a baby. I had just had some tests done for a heart issue that turned out to be nothing big (Thank You Lord!) and we were discussing the fact that we weren't gettin' younger and we might want to start this process while we are still young and everything is in good working order. The weirdest thing. We knew we wanted to have kids, but we really never discussed when. Weird because I am the type that will plan out everything to the smallest detail ... but this just didn't register on my radar. So we both decided, let's go ahead. Why not? Should be fun.

A little less than a year later we were holding our first born.

Here is his birth story:

We were so very anxious for you to come. And not just because I was sick of being pregnant. We just couldn't wait to meet you. I had gone to work the week before dilated at 2 (which I suppose is no big deal) and your head wasn't even engaged yet. But as the week went on, I was getting more and more tired and getting less and less sleep. By Friday, I was totally exhausted and managed to only work for 2 hours that day. Came straight home, watched an episode of Baby Story on TLC and went to sleep. Got an hour or so nap and then maybe 4 hours of sleep that night.

Saturday night, I only slept about 3 hours. I was just uneasy and couldn't relax. When Daddy woke-up on Sunday morning, we decided to skip church and go walking. It was a bit cold outside, so we went to Babies R Us. That is when my contractions started. Not painful. Just uncomfortable enough that I had to stop walking for each one. We went home and Pops and Gigi came over and spent the afternoon with us thinking that this was "it." I contracted for 6 more hours and then ... they just stopped. Meanwhile, Daddy is making me cup after cup of raspberry leaf tea, hoping that would speed things along. Pops and Gigi left and we went to be around 10PM. I was totally exhausted and went right to sleep (which was very unusual for me).

Then, around midnight, I woke-up from a dream were I was in intense, excruciating pain and didn't know what it was. I kinda opened my eyes and then fell back to sleep. Sure enough, it happened again.

OH MY STARS!! WHAT THE HECK IS THAT??!!

It wasn't a dream. I was having the real-life, gonna-have-a-baby, this-hurts-so-bad contractions. Wow! Gigi said that I would know that they were the real contractions when I felt them. Boy, she wasn't kidding. They were about 10 minutes apart and lasted 30-45 seconds. I slept some between them for the first few, and then ... I was wide awake.

I woke-up Daddy around 1AM and had him help me keep track of them. By 2AM, they were 6-7 minutes apart and about 45-60 seconds long. We called the hospital.

"Wait until they are 5 minutes apart. In the meantime, take a warm bath and try to relax."

Relax? Has she ever had a baby?

I sent Daddy to the living room couch to get some sleep and I continued to have contraction after contraction. Took the nurse's advise.

I took a bath. No help.

I tried to relax. Not possible.

So, I walked around our bedroom and bared down on the foot of our bed with each contraction. By 4:30AM they were still 6-7 minutes apart, but I was getting so very tired after almost 5 hours of this. I woke Daddy up and told him to take me to the hospital ... NOW! Grabbed our bag, jumped in the car and we were off.

While I was contracting on the way to the hospital, we were still discussing what your name would be if you were a girl. Never came up with one that we both loved. We were also discussing the fact that they might send us back home. That would be a huge bummer.

When we got there, I was only dilated to a 3, but I was contracting every 5 minutes. They told me to walk around the hospital for an hour and they would recheck me. We went ahead and called Pops and Gigi. Daddy walked through the halls with me until Gigi got there. She took over for Daddy and helped me through my contractions. Gigi was much better than Daddy at it. She reminded me to find my focal point and to not hold my breath. And she didn't touch me during the contraction. That is the last hing I wanted was to be touched while contracting.

After an hour, I was still a 3, but they admitted us anyway. I immediately instructed the nurse to send the anesthesiologist ASAP. This was at 7AM. I wish I could tell you that your Mommy went all natural, but I hadn't slept well in days, I had already endured 7 hours of the pain, it hurt so terribly bad and I just wanted some relief. To get some rest before the real labor began.

Over the course of the next three hours, my contractions grew in intensity (which I didn't think was possible) and became closer together. They were 60 seconds apart and 60 seconds long. My focal point was a Dr. Pepper can on a shelf in the room. I tuned everyone out and just focused on getting through the pain. FINALLY at 10AM, after 10 hours, I received the epidural

... and all was right with the world again. Relaxation.

By 2PM, I was only dilated to 5 and you were still not descending. Still hadn't seen my doctor yet. Kinda weird. Guess that is how they roll here. Anywho, they decided to break my water. When that happened, the monitor that was on my belly lost your heart beat for a moment. So, the nurse decided to put an internal monitor on you. Right on top of your head. In the course of doing this, they discovered that you were not head down, but face out. The nurse could feel your little nose. So, they tilted my bed back in hopes that you would come back up towards the top and then descend back down in a head down presentation. Still no doctor.

After an hour of laying upside down on a tilted hospital bed, they moved us back horizontal. Oh, and the epidural wore off during this hour. Took 30 very long minutes to get that fella back to put more drugs in. Those contractions were still 60 seconds apart and 60 seconds long ... oh the agony of it all.

When they checked me again and tried to put the internal monitor on you, this time they didn't find a nose ... they found a mouth! You were sucking on the nurse's finger. Kinda weird?! Well, then everyone wanted to feel and nurses were running this way and that, raising quite a ruckus.

Finally, a doctor walked in the room around 4PM. But not my doctor. He took a turn feeling your face, looked at the chart and told the nurse she needed to call Dr. Storts right then.

"Why?" she asked.

"Because that is her doctor." he responded.

Then nurse stupid looked at me and asked "Dr. Storts is your doctor?"

"YES" I replied.

"You didn't tell me that" nurse stupid said.

"You didn't ask." Silly of me to think that preregistering, going on the tour and showing up at that particular small hospital while in labor would make the nurse think that maybe I had some maternity care and actually had a doctor. I believe she thought I was some vagrant off the street that just wandered in to have a baby. Urgh. Anyway, sorry sweetheart. Just had to get all that drama in. Nurse Stupid got in big-o trouble from Dr. Storts. He had been up at the hospital 4 times that day and no one told him I was in labor.

So, once the doc showed up, he evaluated the situation and told Daddy and I that the safest course of action was to delivery you via c-section. I was progressing so very slowly and you were presenting face first. The doctor said that this would be the only way to deliver you and the both of us survive. Eeek! Kinda scary. The Lord definitely had us planned in the right century.

So very relieved and excited, they rolled us into the OR around 5:30PM and within just minutes, you were born. We chose to not find out if you were a girl or boy. So it was a surprise when the doctor said "It's a boy." Daddy looked at me and said "We have a boy" in such a loving and very content voice. They showed you to us and then whisked you off to weigh you, wipe you off, take your vitals and then give you to Daddy. I couldn't hold you yet, so I just looked at you for about 10 minutes before you and Daddy went to the nursery.

We all three were able to go into recovery at the same time. I was able to hold you and I introduced you to Pops, Gigi, Kevin and Corey.

"This is Riley Garner Thompson. He's a boy."

I held you for just a little bit, maybe 5 more minutes. Because I was so very tired, I gave you to Daddy and fell asleep. You slept too. It had been a very busy 18 hours for the both of us.

And this is how you have grown:

First birthday. Very into Elmo and Pooh Bear.

Second Birthday. All about Thomas the Train.

Third Birthday. Snoopy was his favorite.

Fourth Birthday. Star Wars was all his craze.

Fifth Birthday. Still lovin' that timeless Star Wars.

So, here we are six years later. It is just so hard to imagine life without the Riley-guy. He is a joy and delight. He has the biggest heart and the sweetest spirit. He loves everyone. He is such s good boy. Always has been. There were no terrible twos or threes to fours. He has always been an obedient little boy ... for the most part. He has the best little personality. Comes up with the most off the wall little sayings or "Riley-isms."

At school with his Happy Birthday Crown that he got to
wear all day. And still lovin' the Star Wars.

Here he is enjoying me and Daddy and Victoria
singing to him. Just full of joy!!

At age 6 here are his likes and dislikes:

LIKES:

Going to school, his sister, reading books, strawberries, Legos, playing anywhere and with anything, Go Diego Go, animals, talking to Grandpa and Grandma on the webcam, swimming, singing, playing Indiana Jones Legos and Star Wars Legos on the Wii, blue, pancakes, those chewy fruit snack that are technically candy but that kids think are healthy because they have the word "fruit" in their title (urgh), Sonic, doing anything with just him and Daddy, nacho cheese doritos (who doesn't?!), playing board games, playing with his cousins in Michigan, going to Pops and Gigis house, Pops and Gigi coming to his house, being picked up from school, making a happy plate so that he can get dessert, jumping on the couch, having his picture taken, and PBJ sandwiches.

DISLIKES:

Running errands, tuna, wearing shoes, taking medicine, going to bed "It is boring," Victoria playing with his Legos, casseroles, getting dressed, going to the doctor, and crust on bread.

Riley,

You are such a precious sweet little boy. You have the biggest heart and the best attitude. You love others and are so considerate of others too. And you love to make people laugh. You are always asking questions about what words mean, about God, about what people do and why. You have such a thirst for knowledge. Our prayer is that you will always keep these wonderful personality traits that God has given you and never stop asking your questions. We pray that God will give us the wisdom we need to raise you to become a Man that loves God and love others. We can already see this in you at age 6. It excites us to no end! Keep your head high, treat others with love and respect and know that we will always love you and answer any question you have without hesitation. You bring such joy to our lives! Our first born. Our favorite little man. Our gift from God on High. And our future friend and brother in Christ.

Love,
Mommy and Daddy