I remember like it was yesterday...

...it is really true what they say, that time flies.
Five years old.
Wow, my baby is five?

It is so hard to imagine that for the first three days of his life we weren't even sure if he was going to make it. I feel so blessed that Kyan is in our lives, he is the sweetest human being I personally know! This morning we were looking at his baby pictures and talking about when he was born (he loves to hear his story), without realizing it, big tear drops were falling out of my eyes (and not that I am emotional over him turning 5, I was last year when he turned 4 for some reason?), just emotional, because,ummmm, that was absolutely the most difficult thing I have ever had to go through in my life and it has been awhile since I reflected on it (and I am not entirely sure that I have ever done a post about it). So, for my old friends and my new friends, here is Kyan's story...

...my mom called about 8am to tell me that my cousin's wife had her baby, his name, you know, to rub it in that they had the baby and that I wasn't having mine. Just kidding, she wasn't rubbing it in, just giving me the news, I was just a little bitter because the night before my doctor called me and told me that she was not going to be inducing labor early, as the baby's (we didn't know the sex of the baby at this point - Chad likes surprises, so we didn't find out, with either kid actually) lungs weren't ready. I had an amniocentesis the day before to check, as I had a cyst on my tailbone, putting me on bed rest the last month of pregnancy and in incredible amounts of pain, I figured that I was 36 and 1/2 weeks, the kid had to be ready right, so what was the harm in having it done? Yes, I knew that a risk could be that the needle could induce the labor even if the baby wasn't ready, but I was in so much pain, and I really thought that the baby would be okay. I was wrong, but I don't regret my decision, I think almost anyone would have done the same thing, had they been in my shoes. Okay, back to my mom calling, while I was learning about my new second cousin (I think that is how I am related) my water broke - UH OH!

It was too early, Dr. Johnson told me last night that "it" wasn't ready. However, I wasn't panicking. I called my mother-in-law (Chad just started a new job, so he had already left for work) as she had taken the day off anyway, I think everyone was anticipating Kyan's arrival. I jumped in the shower to try to clean up the best I could, called the doctor, and headed to the hospital, where my water continued to leak (even in Donna's car) and finally burst right at the front entrance check-in - EMBARRASSING! I just kept apologizing, to everyone.

The last picture we took as just the two of us, before becoming official "parents"

Because of the cyst on my tailbone, I had to be given the epidural almost immediately, as I couldn't sit on my backside to save my life. Even though my water broke, I wasn't having contractions, so I was given meds to start labor. While dilating at pretty normal rate, family and friends stopped by to visit and check to make sure that I was doing alright. Close to pushing time, I asked Chad to check my catheter to make sure it was in the way it was supposed to, I didn't have any feeling down there, but something wasn't right. As soon as he lifted up the covers it reeked! OMG, please tell me that I didn't go poop on myself with everyone in the room, this was my first baby, and I had heard stories of that happening, but I was praying that it wasn't me, it couldn't be. So I made everyone GET OUT (little did they know I was going to start pushing after that and they wouldn't be allowed back in the room to get there stuff for 3 hours) as I was so embarrassed and the nurse came in to check, asking if I was allergic to the penicillin that they had to give me for my fever during labor (I couldn't stop shaking - it was crazy) because at first she thought that I had diarrhea from that. Did I tell you how embarrassed I was feeling - how I am feeling writing this - well, now it is kinda funny, but it was NOT at the time! She looked closer and figured out that it was not poop (thank you God!) but that my cyst had burst and that it was infection coming out, that might be more disgusting actually. So as soon as that was taken care of by the anesthesiologist (who was a former surgeon) of all people, it was time to push.

By this time my epidural has almost worn off and I felt the entire 2 and 1/2 hours of pushing (but I still love you son). How do I know that I pushed for two hours? Well, West Valley Hospital puts clocks in the stupidest of places in their labor and delivery rooms, on the wall smack in front of the patient, it stared at me the entire time! Yes, Chad and my mother-in-law did a great job encouraging me, but geeeeeeeezzzz, give me a break! Two and a half hours of hard core pushing, not fun, but thank you to my leg holders, I know that must have been tough!

There were lots of "special people" in the room, as we knew there would be, and after a few minutes of them checking to make sure he was ok, I was able to hold Kyan for just a red hot second before he was whisked away to the nursery, where they could watch him even closer. Chad was able to spend a little bit of time with him there and got to hold him for just a little bit longer.

By the time the epidural wore off and I was able to walk to go see him, things were getting worse. He was in an incubator and they prepared us that if things kept going downhill, they did not have the equipment to take care of him and that he would need to be transported via helicopter to another hospital that could give him the support he needed.

Around 7am, the next morning, I heard it. The call for Airevac. I knew that the call was for Kyan. It took almost an hour for the Pediatrician to come in and tell us that things had gotten much worse overnight and that they were already in the process of getting Kyan ready for his first helicopter ride. Panic set in. I asked to be released from the hospital right then and there (I still hadn't even showered and was still in incredible amounts of pain with my cyst) but I couldn't let them take him and have me be in a different hospital. I wouldn't. So Kyan was Airevac'd from West Valley Hospital to Phoenix Children's Hospital NICU that morning. We arrived around the exact same time that he did, two very scared parents.





His stay at Phoenix Children's NICU was shorter than what they expected, but scary nonetheless. Because his lungs were not fully developed, they did most of the breathing for him, and it wasn't until day 3 where they assured us that he was going to make it. Until then, even they didn't know. Finally on day 6 we were able to hold him. What an incredible feeling. A feeling that a mommy is supposed to have when they are first born, I had waited so long, he was so sensitive, at times, too sensitive to even talk to (that wasn't allowed either for several days), I never wanted to put him down. On day 9, we got to bring him home, lungs fully matured, he just needed a little bit more time to cook! It was just out of my belly. The doctors assured us that he would not have problems in the future as far as his lungs were concerned unless asthma or something ran in the family, which it doesn't.

To this day, we have a wonderful and healthy little boy and I am forever grateful to the wonderful doctors and nurses at Phoenix Children's Hospital!

That little boy spent much of his morning on the phone, getting birthday wishes from grandmas, and grandpa, and aunties too!

He shared his birthday cookies with kids at school - not a single crumb came home. And he wanted his family birthday dinner to be at Ah-So tonight, where he enjoyed his two favorite things in the world (besides cheeseburgers), soup and steak!

He is extremely in to WWE right now and his world revolves around it. When I asked him what he wanted for his birthday, he was very sure that he wanted three things:
1. The Undertaker
2. The Big Show
3. The Cage
Tonight he got #1 and #2, and the promise of #3 if we can ever find it in stock anywhere!
He was beyond happy!

He not only loves WWE, but he has a love for those cards that sing (and boy, they are expensive) but they are just one of those things that I have to buy for him, as I don't remember not getting a singing card from him since he has started picking out cards for me! Both he and his sister loved the dancing hamster card!

One last special present from his daddy - here Chad is giving Kyan the "big" news. He bought tickets for him to go to Wrestlemania when they are in Phoenix in March. I don't know much about it, other than it is like the Superbowl of wrestling, so everyone is going to be there. Kyan couldn't believe what he was hearing (especially since he thought he had to be 9 to go - I have no clue how he came up with that number either, but that is what he thought). He is over the moon excited! Dinner conversation revolved around which guys they were going to see and who might fight who!

His last little surprise of the night, was a little birthday cake! What a way to end a delicious meal! He was sweet enough to share with all of us!

When we got home, it didn't take Kyan long to bust out his wrestling guys and start a match. Where he went crazy was when Chad showed him how to play the opening songs of each of the guys on his XBox360 Wrestlemania game! Kyan went bananas! It was hilarious to hear him!

Happy 5th Birthday to you, my sweet boy, Kyan Alexander Roseland.