Happy Birthday Connor!

At 11.5 weeks pregnant with Connor, I had some very heavy bleeding, which they first thought was a partial placental abruption, but which turned out to be the amniotic sac separating from the uterus, leaving only the placenta to hold everything in place. We found out about the amniotic sac about a week after the initial bleed at a follow-up appointment. We were told at that point that they'd not yet seen a pregnancy continue after so much "damage", and we should expect to miscarry within the week. I went for another follow-up appointment the next week (so about two weeks after the initial bleed), fighting off tears in the waiting room, horrified at the idea they were going to tell me my baby was gone. Ultrasound showed baby not only alive, but alive and WELL. Had grown, had great heart-rate, etc. They were amazed, but said not to get our hopes up because it was still a very precarious situation. I went for weekly ultrasounds for about two months, and each week, the baby just kept growing and having normal vitals. Everything looked great with the baby. The amniotic sac eventually reattached itself to the uterus and I was taken off bed-rest and continued the last three months of the pregnancy as normal. The amniotic sac was GREEN when Connor was born, from having absorbed so much iron from all the loose blood and the blood clot from the intitial bleed. Connor was born a very healthy 8lb 3oz baby, without a single thing wrong with him but a tied tongue (which can't even be contributed to anything other than bad genetics...LOL). Every year on his birthday, I think long and hard about our ordeal, and how lucky we are to have him. There were MONTHS where it was more realistic that I would miscarry, and on days where he wouldn't move much, and I had extremely valid reasons to be concerned. It was stressful and heart-breaking, and my thoughts go out to all the women who had different outcomes than we did.

Connor, you were a fighter beyond all reason during the pregnancy, and even though you drive me bananas most days with your stubborness and you're willingness to fight me over EVERYTHING, I love that fighting spirit because it's what kept you with us when everyone said you'd never make it.

Happy 3rd birthday, my sweet little fighter. I love you so much, and am so thankful to have you in my life. You were the baby we hadn't officially planned, but you were the baby we fought the hardest to keep. You bring me joy and laughter and SOOOO much love, every day. It's hard to believe 3 years have come and gone since your birth. You'll always be my baby, and I'll always hold onto you a little harder because I know how close we came to missing out on all this. May this year bring you many more adventures and wonders and laughter and fun.

newborn:


One year old:


HORROR OF HORRORS, it appears I never took a picture of Connor at age 2 with his bear???????? CRY!!!!!!!!!! I'm so upset!

sigh...

Well, here's a picture of him WITHOUT the bear at age 2!


And here he is, on his third birthday!