Yesterday was your fourth birthday little man. I really can't believe it, four years old. I read an article this morning that said that between birth and the time you leave for college I have 960 Saturdays to spend with you, that does not seem like nearly enough, especially since I know that in a few short years your world will change focus, and I will no longer be the center of your universe - your friends will. It breaks my heart a little bit, but my hope is that I will be able to fill you with so many beautiful memories for you to fall back on when you have babies of your own.
In 2007 your Daddy & I had been married for 2 years, together for 6. I was so ready to have a baby, but it took a little convincing to get your daddy there too. I was in the last semester of my Master's of Education program at Old Dominion University, and was Department Chair of Exceptional Education at Varina High School. It was the end of the school year and I told my friend & co-worker, LaTonja, of our plans and she convinced me that we should steer away from our "plan" to get pregnant at the
perfect time so I could have you over Spring Break and then take the rest of the summer off. That is every teachers dream, just so you know :).
I really think we probably got pregnant that night. By July 5th I had a positive pregnancy test. We were so excited. We decided to tell everyone the amazing news at a birthday party for me (that we threw & then cleverly invited everyone to tell them at the same time). We got presents for everyone & had them open them at the same time. Books for Nana, MawMaw, and Nonnie & Papa; And Stuffed animals with bibs that said "I love grandma" and " I love grandpa" for Grandma & Grandpa. I remember when I gave them to everyone no one seemed to really know what was going on until my momma, your grandma, let out a shriek. It was pretty amazing.
The cats seemed to know that something was different, that something amazing was about to happen. They took to grooming me any chance they got, especially Priscilla. Bailey would lay on my tummy, like he was protecting you.
The day after our 2nd baby shower for you I was put on bed rest. It was a day or tow before your Daddy's birthday. The doctors had been worried about swelling in my hands, feet, and face for a few weeks. In an instant I knew that something was really wrong. I was giving an exam to my 2nd block class (English 12), when my phone rang. It was the OB, I had seen them the week before & he must have been looking over my chart. He told me to go to the clinic and have my blood pressure taken. It was high, high enough that he told me to go straight home - that I was on best rest. I remember being devastated, who would teach my students, feed the dogs, do the dishes, go grocery shopping? Bed rest meant that I could not even drive to your doctor's appointments.
I went in to the office to tell the principal that I had to go home, and that I was not sure when I would be back. I started to cry and a very wise lady named Ruth told me to enjoy my time with you. And I did, I watched the food network endlessly (Paula Dean mostly) and Dog the Bounty Hunter (he reminds me very much of your Grandpa). I would talk to you, eat ice cream so I could feel you moving around, rub my belly & tell you how much I loved you.
It was during this time that we finally picked your name. If you are old enough t o be reading this, you know by now that it takes a lot for Daddy & I to agree on important things. He really wanted to name you after his dad (your Papa) I agreed, but did not like the name Mark for a first name. Not nearly romantic enough for the boy that I already knew you were going to be. We toyed with Anthony for awhile, that is your Papa's middle name, and Gabriel ( I loved that one, but your daddy not so much). Patrick for Father Paddy, the priest that married us, and probably the only man of the cloth that I have ever known your daddy to be drawn to. Then one night I was taking to Nana about names, it was important to me that your name
mean something. She started naming off family names, and then said her dad's name. Thomas August. In that moment I knew that you would be my Tommy. And Mark Thomas Wood was created.
We set my induction date for February 19th, this was pretty scary because my first due date was March 26th. We went into the hospital (St. Francis) it was so pretty, they have these automated nature sounds, so I heard birds chirping when we went in. They tried to induce labor for three days, but you just weren't ready yet. By the third day my pulse and Blood Pressure were really high, and my kidneys has started to fail. Dr. Miller told me that we needed to have a C-Section, from that point it was about 30 minutes until you were born.
They had trouble getting you out, you snuggled deep under my ribcage & they had to really pull to get you out of there. You were so tiny, the nurses said that they did not think you were 37 weeks. Your first Apgar was pretty low and everyone was really really worried. Daddy & I were scared too.
We were in the hospital for a week, and they sent you home with a bili blanket and a nurse came every day to take your blood. Soon you started to gain weight. I was so lucky to be able to stay home with you from February until August. It was an amazing time, moments with you that I will treasure in my heart for always.
And now you are four! It is hard to remember now how very scary those first few months were, trying endlessly to get you to eat, going to physical therapy for your torticollis, and worrying that I was doing everything right. I think I did pretty good, because you are amazing.
