Happy 1st Birthday, Baby Boy!

1 year ago today, my life was changed forever. On October 29, 2008 I woke up 32 weeks and 5 days pregnant in Anti-Partum Room #1 at MetroHealth Hospital. Around 7 am, I started to feel very odd, so I called in my nurse and had her hook me up to the monitor. I had two very mild contractions in a one-hour period, so I sent Steven off to work for the day. I just couldn't shake the weird feelings I felt, so I called the nurse back in and told her "Something is wrong." At that time, I began getting the most awful headache I have ever had. She called in the doctor that was on-call, and at that point, I called Steven and told him to get back to the hospital. The doctor came in to see what was up and I told her what I was feeling. She went to check to see if my cervix was dilated, and I went into a hypertensive seizure. We did not know it at the time, but the contractions I was having caused my BP to spike to 220/186...which in many cases would result in both maternal and fetal demise. At the same time, I had a placental abruption, which is also often fatal. I was coded and my OB rushed to my room, with no shoes on his feet. He got to me just as I was coming out of the seizure. He said "Candi, I need you to push." I mustered up every bit of strength I had (which wasn't much...the seizure made me very weak) and pushed once. Carter John Butchino was born at 8:46 am. Steven arrived 14 minutes later. At that point, I was completely out of it. People had to keep reminding me that I had the baby. My poor husband kept asking me questions to see if I was OK. Every answer I gave him, including the date of our anniversary, was wrong. After about a half-hour or so, I was able to speak and understand what was going on. I remember Steven showing me a picture of our tiny little 3 pound 14 ounce baby that he took on his phone. 3 hours later, I was able to meet Carter. Steven took me to the NICU and the nurse handed Carter to me. I was in awe. He was the most beautiful thing I had ever seen. Our miracle baby was breathing on his own and was completely unscathed from the horrible entrance into the world that he had just endured. I didn't think I could love him any more or be any prouder of him than I was at that very moment...

Exactly one year later, I can honestly say that I don't know where the time has gone. I now have a beautiful 1 year old little boy that is the fire in my heart and that breath in my body. I am so blessed to be his mommy. God must really love me to have given me such a wonderful little man to spend my life with. I am thankful every day. I couldn't love him any more or be any prouder of him than I am at this very moment.