My 2 year old son, Alex, is finally taking his nap. Now I have time to blog for National Prematurity Awareness Day which is today. It amazes me that almost 27 months ago Alex was born at 25 weeks and weighed 1 pound 9 ounces. His early birth was do to a condition that I have called a incompetent cervix. No one is to sure why I have it but I do. Alex had a tough road ahead of him. He spent eight weeks at Arkansas Children’s Hospital and seven more weeks at St. Edward Mercy Medical Center in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit. The grand total was 108 days in the hospital and over a million dollars in medical bills. Thank goodness we had good insurance. During Alex’s stay in the hospital he was on the vent for four weeks, CPAP for two weeks, nasal canula for 9 weeks, PDA surgery on his heart, several blood transfusions, numerous x-rays, medications for reflux and no telling what else, several eye exams, and the list goes on-and-on. The first year medical cost for a full-term baby is over $2,000.00 but for a child born preterm is on average over $40,000.00. (www.marchofdimes.com)

That day that my husband and I took Alex home from the hospital was a wonderful day! He came home with oxygen for his feedings, and apnea monitor, nebula for his breathing treatments, medicine for his reflux, and iron. Today, his main issues are lack of weight gain, speech delay, and developmental delay. But he is being closely monitored for all of those issue’s.

Every child that is born premature faces issue’s that may stay with them the rest of their life. Sadly some babies do not even make it to their first birthday. I know that Alex is a miracle and I am blessed to be his mother. I can only imagine the heart ache that other preemie mom’s go through when they do not get the opportunity to take their baby home. According to the March of Dimes prematurity is the number one killer of our infants. I hope one day that we are able to find a cure so that every baby is given their 40 weeks. As a mom I will continue to fight for my son and others born just like him.

I was so blessed to spend the evening with so many wonderful people who all love our babies! I was given the task to model a 18k gold diamond necklace and sell chances to win it. While modeling the necklace I had the oppurtunity to meet so many people and share my son's story.

The evening was topped off by honoring Debra H. Fiser, M.D., Dean of UAMS College of Medicine as March of Dimes 32nd Annual Citizen of the Year. Closing the eving was a wonderful live auction and a video presention from the Goss Family, AR March of Dimes Mission Family.

I am con wait until next year's event! I am working hard to get this event in Fort Smith, AR. The great news is I already have two chef's who have committed!

On the evening of Thursday, October 22nd I had the wonderful oppurtunity to share the evening with some wonderful people who love our babies and the March of Dimes. The evening was kicked off with some great food provided by some of greatest chefs from Northwest Arkansas. It was followed by a silent auction that included items donated from local business and individuals. My favoriate was the autographed football signed by Arkansas head football coach Bobby Petrino. To bad I did not have the funds to bid on this. Once the silent auction was over they moved onto the live auction and honored the Booth familiy. After all was said and done this event was a success!

I arrived that afternoon to help set-up. During this time a had the chance to meet and work with some wonderful volunteers. The place the event was held in reminded me of an office building built during the 60's. It was hip and retro. I also created the Arkansas Preemie stories that were used during the silent auction.

I would like to thank Miss Arkansas International, Tressa Horton, Miss Teen Arkansas International, Kristyn Baker, and her mother for joining me this evening. We passed out program books and greeted the guest.

The weather and the company were so nice at the American Heart Association Golf Tournament. It was held at Chanel Country Club in Little Rock, AR. I was pleased to share this event with, Amberlee Haymen, Mrs. Arkansas International Robin Moore, Dana Wetzel, and Miss International Erin Golden.

The day started off nice and dry at Toad Suck Park in Conway, AR. I had a great time neeting so many people who were there to help the March of Dimes.Over 300 bikers from all of Arkansas rode for our babies. The biker who raised the most lead the pack and the chapter that raised the largest amount followed behind the leader.

After the bikers left the park they took the senic route to the Clinton Library in Little Rock, AR. After helping clean up the park I drove to meet the bikers at the library. I was so thrilled to arrive and see such a fantastic set-up. It amazes me that I did not take a picture of it. My parents were so kind to bring Alex to this event. About the time they arrived the rain came with them. Alex and I waited under the Mission Family tent and waited for the bikers to arrive. While we were waiting we met some wonderful famlies who also had a baby born to soon. Small world...one of famlies have a little girl named Alex and she shares the same birthday, different year, as my Alex. Then to top it off she was born premature  and her mother and I have simular names.

After about and hour I decided that the rain was never going to end. So we went back to my parents house. As you can tell Alex was worn out. Sometimes it is hard being popular. I am so thankful for all of the bikers that rode for our babies. One interesting fact...the Arkansas Bikers for Babies event is the third largest Bikers for Baies in the nation! Way to go Arkansas bikers!!!

I had such a wonderful time judging the Pope County Fair Queen Pageant. That evening Mrs. Arkansas International 2009-Robin Moore and Arkansas International Director-Bernee Thurow also joined me in judging. Congratulations to Katie Balentine for winning the title of Miss Pope County! She will compete for the title of Miss Arkansas Fair Queen in October, 2009.

Thank you to Barbera Jean Limited for hosting Charity Week. Each day they showcased fashions and a percentage of the proceeds for that day would benefit a charity that has been preselected. On this particular day the American Heart Association was the featured charity.

I had the oppurtunity to model with Amberlee Haymon and Miss Arkansas Tressa Horton.

It is 1:25AM on Monday, August 24TH, 2009. I know you are probably wondering what in the world I am doing up this late? I know that I should be in bed peacefully sleeping or counting sheep. But I have too much on my mind. The truth is I have self diagnosed myself with a mild case of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). Okay, now I am sure you are wondering what that is. According to medicianenet.com it is an emotional illness that develops as a result of a terribly frightening, life-threatening, or otherwise highly unsafe experience. PTSD sufferers re-experience the traumatic event or events in some way, tend to avoid places, people, or other things that remind them of the event (avoidance), and are exquisitely sensitive to normal life experiences (hyperarousal). So the part that states “exquisitely sensitive to normal life experience experiences (hyperarousal)” that is my issue.  The next question that I am sure you may be wondering is “why do I think that I have PTSD”? Since last year on this date or near it I get really emotional and if I do not keep myself busy it is worse. This day should be a very happy occasion after all it is the day my son Alex was born. Therefore it should be a very happy birthday. At the same time that PTSD pops its ugly head.

I t was two years ago today at 8:09PM that my life changed forever. I was in my 24 week of my first pregnancy. My husband just figured out what the baby’s name was going to be, I just registered for all of the cool baby items that I know we will need, and the crib is in the living room waiting to be moved into the soon to be nursery.  Of course I knew that I had 15 more weeks to get everything ready. We still had to move all the guest bedroom stuff into the other room so that I could use the front bedroom with a bay window in it for the nursery. I also had plans to paint a froggy mural on one of walls. But my body had other plans. The Wednesday of that week I noticed some heavy bleeding. I did not think much about since most pregnant women have the same issue. Thursday went and now it is Friday. On this day I just started my 25 week and the bleeding would not go away. I finally called the Doctor. The nurse on the phone told me to stay off of my feet. I should have told her that I was at work and it required me to be on my feet. But I did try to stay off of them. As the day went on things did not get better. By that point I was starting to feel that something was not right. So I contacted the hospital and the nurse told me to come into Labor and Delivery for an exam. Now the tears start flowing. All of sudden I was scared to death. I called my husband, who was at home; I told him was going on. He was at home 45 minutes away mowing the lawn. So it would take him a while to get to the hospital. Mean while it was about 5:30PM and I was at work. I quickly got with my boss and told him what was going on. I think I gave him a heart attack. He quickly walks me to my car and offered to take me but I was to hard headed. I drove myself the ten minute drive. I kept telling myself to stop crying because I needed to focus on getting us to the hospital safely.

As soon as made it to St. Edward Mercy Medical Center I quickly went to the third floor aka Labor and Delivery. Once I was at the Front Desk I started crying again this time it was awful. The poor Nurse tried to get my information but I kept on crying. Then she takes me to the exam room. Here is were my pregnancy gets a new flight plan. She tells me “that she thinks I am fully dilated and my water sack is bulging”. She does a quick ultrasound to check on the baby. Everything looks good but he is in the breech position. Next she leaves the room to get the Doctor on call. Of course they were unable to get a hold of my Doctor. By this time Dr. McClannahan walks in to verify what the Nurse told me. Just as he starts to tell me the news my husband walks in. We are then told that we would be having a baby tonight. The baby was small enough that I could have a normal delivery but the doctor did not want to risk the chance of the cord chocking him. So the only option was an emergency C-Section. The Doctor put the bed at an angle and then left the room so that we could call our family. I will never forget when he opened the door to the room I saw so many people in the hallway moving very quickly. I would later find out that I was a Stat meaning “immediately”.  During all of this I kept telling everyone to “please save my baby”.

After what seemed liked a few minutes I was rolled into the C-Section room and prepped for surgery. I met a lady named Emily who was my Anesthesiologist and finally found out what my Nurses name was….Liz. As I am lying on my back I noticed once again that there are a lot of people in the room. I would later find out that those people would be in my life forever. Before they started I asked everyone “to please save my baby”. The Doctor tells me “that my baby needs to weigh at least a pound and a half to have a chance” that is 1 pound 8 ounces. After the medicine kicked in they stated the procedure. I will never forget the pulling and how at one point I felt like I was losing my breath. At 8:09PM Alexander James Stengel was born weighing 1 pound 9 ounces and was 12 ½ inches long. All I wanted to hear was him crying. Then all of a sudden I heard a very faint cry. Then the Neonatologist and his medical team began working on Alex. As they are working on me they roll him past me on a warming table. For a brief moment they stop right by my head so I could see him. At that moment his tiny little arm fell out towards me. It was like he was letting me know that everything is going to be okay. I knew at that moment that I just gave birth to a miracle and that he was going to be okay. Some people may say it was the drugs making me think that but I knew as his mother that he was a fighter. I also knew that God was in control and that Angels were taking very good care of him.

At this point Alex is now in the Newborn Intensive Care Unit and I am in my room. When something like this happens you have no clue what to do or how to feel. I was in so much pain from the surgery and not to mention my body was all out of whack. Moments later a Nurse came and got me and helped me into a wheelchair so that I could go and see Alex. I will be forever grateful for our Cousins Carl and Jana Stengel for what they did next. They thought for us when we couldn’t and made sure Alex was baptized. They got with the hospital to find a Priest. While my husband and I were in the NICU Alex was baptized. He was then prepped and taken away on the Angel One helicopter from Arkansas Children’s Hospital. But before he left the Angel One Flight Team stopped by my room so that we could see him. There we received our instructions on what to do while he is at ACH. 

That Monday would be the first time that I would get to see Alex and when I did I cried. I never thought I would have to see my baby fight for his life. Laying on a warming table was my son with wires every where, a ventilator tube coming out of his mouth, a halo over his head, plastic covering him, and a bright billirubin light pointing down on him. Alex would spend 108 days in the hospital. Eight of those weeks were at ACH and seven more weeks at St. Edward Mercy Medical Center. On December 10Th, 2007 just three days after his due date we were able to bring Alex home. On the twenty fourth day of his life I finally had the opportunity to hold him for the first time. If he would have been full-term I would have had that chance but I had to wait twenty four days.

Today, Alex and I will be taking cupcakes to the NICU at St. Edward. I figured they were part of the team that gave him the chance to have birthdays so we should all celebrate together. I will be forever grateful for everything that was done to take care of Alex, me, and my husband. So many people were part of the team that saved Alex’s life. If it was not for them….. well I do not want to think of that. Thank you to everyone for what they did and for what they gave to us. Most of all….. Happy 2nd Birthday to my tiny miracle!!!