Memoir Monday- Happy Birthday Kiddo #1

Our oldest child was born 15 years ago today after a grueling 19 hour labor.  He was 6 weeks premature.  The first minutes and hours after his birth were so scary, as they were touch and go.  Although a healthy 7 pounds 4 ounces, he was still preemie and needed a ventilator and help to breathe.  He stopped breathing after birth and was rushed away to the NICU while they worked to resuscitate him.  I will never forget those moments. Time seemed to stand still.  It couldn't be happening to our little boy.

As I sat next to the incubator all night long, holding his little hand and watching a machine breathe for him, my heart was so full of love and fear.  I spoke and sang to him; I told him about his Snoopy nursery that was home waiting for him and I prayed.  Boy, did I pray.

That baby turned out to be a fighter, strong and determined to not only win that battle, but another that would come all too soon after his birth.  When he was 4 months old, a tumor was found and the "c" word came up often as a possibility.  When being taken from us for the surgery, he was all smiles, reaching for the nurses hair and took my heart with him into the o.r.  There was much more praying that day, as well.  Although the surgery was complicated, he didn't have cancer.  What an amazing blessing and gift.  This child was special. and has turned into a very special young man.

He is calm and even tempered.  He is incredibly handsome and looks far older than 15.  He is strong, but gentle and has amazing patience with his siblings.  He volunteers weekly for our church.  He loves Civil Air Patrol and anything having to do with aviation.  If you don't know where he is, look outside.  He is there with his camera photographing airplanes.  He will tell you its origin, its destination, the make, model and airline.  He has built and flown almost every model there is, even ones with a 6 foot wingspan.  He aces every simulator he has ever attempted and even has flown a real airplane for 45 minutes.  Give him any pile of scraps and he will create a flying entity of some sort.  He has piles of sketches, designs, ideas...  And, on top of that, boy, can he bake!  ;-)

Happy Birthday, Kiddo #1!  Dad and I love you very much and are so very proud of the young man you have become.

Linking up with:  On, in and around Mondays in addition to Wisdom Wednesday, Living Well Wednesday, Mom's Monday Mingle, Monday Mingle, Modest Mom, Crazy Mama, Homemaking Wednesdays and Raising Mighty Arrows and Titus 2sday and Clever Chicks Blog Hop and Memoir Monday and Mondays with Countrified Hicks and Create with Joy