Introducing Zac and Realizing Our Life

Isn't he adorable? This is Zac (on my blog).

This is a photo I took when he was about 9 hours old... look at that fuzzy hair... aw.

Before I show you a bunch of adorable pictures I have to tell you the experience I was able to have when Zac was being brought into the world and being cared for at the hospital by his parents.

Kirsten had asked me months ago if I would care for Melly while she and Jeremy spent time together at the hospital with the new baby.

We kept hoping he would come a little early, but it looked like Kirsten was going to go as scheduled to be induced Friday morning. She called me Thursday night and we arranged for everything the next day...

at 2:30 am Friday morning my phone rang and Jeremy informed me that Kirsten's water broke. Thank goodness they live really close by, it was the middle of the night and no cops were out because when they asked if I could come to their house after her water broke I was speeding down the 40 mph roads at at least 75... shhhh, don't tell anyone.

I got there, they left, and I went inside to be with Melly while she slept till the morning when I would wake her to go back to my house and get my kids ready for school.

I was about to make my bed when I heard a "thump." I checked on the bed and Melly had rolled off her little toddler bed but was still asleep. I was so wide awake from the adrenaline of driving and the excitement of my little sister having another baby that I thought I would see if anything needed to be cleaned up. Then I heard another "thump."

I walked in and Melly was back on her bed. I walked over to check on her and saw that her eyes were wide open. She reached up with both arms and a smile and gave me a big hug. She wasn't even scared or confused that I was there in the middle of the night in her room. She happily came with me to the front room to watch a movie while I gathered a few things along with the car seat. 

When I went out the door she got off the couch to follow and I said, "Stay there. I'll be right back." I didn't expect any response, as with my 3 year old she doesn't even seem to understand that kind of thing. But, Melly, looked at me and hopped back up on the couch and went on to watch the movie.

...

She understood me.

Of course she understood me.

She doesn't have Fragile X like Baby does.

I am talking to a typically developing child here.

It was a "wow" moment for me.

"Wow," I forget that my child isn't "normal" sometimes.

"Wow," I can't believe how far behind Baby really is.

"Wow," this is what it would be like if Baby didn't have FXS.

I got over my shock and we got home at 3am and I put her back to bed in Sister's room.

And, again, I was amazed when she understood, "K, we are going to go back to sleep now. You are in Sister's room and I am down the hall." Melly looked at me with little concern, fussed a moment when I left and that was that.

Then I got a text saying that Zac had been born breech naturally because he came so fast. They didn't know he was breech. Which made me think about what a miracle that all went well while Kirsten and Jeremy waited for me in their car after he water broke. She had him less than an hour after I got to their house. Zac was almost 8 pounds and 20 inches long. He was a good sized baby to be coming breech. What a little miracle baby he is.

I stayed awake the rest of the night from the excitement and also because my mind wouldn't stop spinning wondering what my life would be like if my children understood what I was saying when they were 20 months old.

So many possibilities.

So many doors opened.

It was finally 6am and Sister was awake now.

I was jerked from my daydreams of "normal" life as I went on through the morning administering several meds to 3 different children, while Melly wandered about in complete excitement being surrounded by her cousins that she LOVES.

Melly and Sister are really good friends.

Melly was so sad when Sister went to school.

But she decided that Baby was OK.

And she was especially excited when I showed her the picture of her new baby brother.

Again, she seemed to understand. She was so excited and anxious to see him.

I wanted to give Kirsten time to rest a bit before we got there and thought that Melly should take a nap so that she would be extra happy when she got there.

So I put her in Sister's room for a nap.

...

About 30 minutes later I heard her mulling around in there so I thought, "Hmmm, that was a short nap," and I went in to get her.

I guess she found a marker.

A water color, bright pink marker.

Her hands were glowing.

I tried to get a picture but this does it no justice.

Too funny!

That was the moment that I realized "normal" or FX you still love markers and the exploration of that they do to your skin and the sheets. Tee hee!

So, since she seemed to have gotten a "nap" in, I figured now was a good time to take her to see her baby brother and take some photos. I called Lindsey to come watch Baby because I didn't want to tackle two little girls at the hospital while trying to take photos. (I'm not a crazy person, you know... I just play one on this blog.)

I gave Melly my "Visitor" badge because it was just too cute to have her wear it.

She didn't know what to think of the whole thing quite yet. So she sat with mom while I took some pics.

Look at that wrinkly little head. I love it. It reminds me of Brother when he was born.
Ah, how I miss having babies around.

Happy Daddy.

How could you not love those little pink toes?

Finally Melly gets to hold her brother. She can hardly stand it she is so excited!

She was so upset when she didn't get to hold him anymore... I had to take a photo for memory's sake.

mom and son

When we got back Melly took a real nap until the kids got home from school. She was so happy to see Sister again and they played and played until it was our date time. We had respite that night for our 3 kids so we just took Melly with us. That was another major moment that I realized how different it was to have a kid without Fragile X with us at a restaurant. Oh, ya, she fussed a little with the crowd and new people but, she sat in her chair, she ate (a lot) and she even kept her food on the table or in her mouth. It was awesome! I was laughing inside that my kids would have been crying, screaming, slapping the table, climbing underneath the table, hopping up and down, and not even eating what we ordered for them.

I missed them.

I wasn't used to it being so easy.

When it's easy I don't have another kid with me to remind me how hard my kids are and for some weird reason I missed them.

So after dinner we brought Melly home and put her to bed and then I went and picked up the kids and took them to see their new cousin, Zac.

Sister had been begging (falling apart, stimming, freaking out, obsessing) to see "her" Zac.

So as much as I was dreading taking all 3 of my children to the hospital to see a baby, I was also very happy to have them in tow.

Then we got out of the car.

Baby went one way, Sister went another, and Brother was hollering at me what to do but not wiling to help me. Then, out of the blue 2 little dogs come wandering over to us... not good. Brother does not do well with strange, small dogs.

Panic!!

Run!!!

Scream!!!

And that was all Brother...

The dogs thought he was playing. Poor guy. I was trying to gather up the girls and couldn't get to him in time before he tripped over one of the dogs and fell on his hands and knees.

He was now crying and I was still trying to get to him while dragging the crying/whining girls along with me.

They all started to calm down as they saw the elevator through the glass doors.

They love elevators.

We walk in.

Calm.

"Aaaaaaaaahhhhhh!!!!" Brother hollers into and echoey entryway. One of the dogs had snuck in behind us. We ran to the elevator trying to close the door as fast as possible. You would have thought we were in a slasher movie and we were the dumb ones trying to get away from the zombie...

Anyway, we made it.

And Sister only asked, "Are we going to see Zac?" 100 times before we got to the room.

She could hardly contain herself.

We had Melly into the next day, Saturday, and she and Sister played all day. Sister was so sad when Melly had to take a nap...

It was a lot of fun to have Melly with us for 2 nights and 2 days. Sister was so sad to see her go.

In fact, Sister wanted to make sure to go with her when we brought her back to her mom and dad and to see if she liked her brother.

Oh, I love, that Sister loves him so much. She couldn't stop kissing his fuzzy little head.

We love you Zac and we are so glad you are finally here!!!

I have a feeling many will ask, so here is the answer: Yes, Kirsten is a carrier of Fragile X Syndrome and they had Zac get his blood drawn for the test the day he was born. It will be a while before they get the results. Melly does not have FXS, nor is she a carrier.