Aidan Rocco // Michigan Portrait & Wedding Photographer
Well, it’s that time of the year again …. it’s my son Aidan’s birthday! This year he is a big 7 year old and I couldn’t be more happy for him!
You know, every year at this time I make reference to Aidan being my miracle child. Well, he is. Every single one of my children are miracles too me but by journey to hold Aidan in my arms on February 26, 2006 was a little bumpy.
Without the extreme details of what we all call life for some women, I struggled to maintain pregnancies. In fact, after dealing with the heartache and confusion, I was shocked back then that I even had Tyler. I actually started to prepare myself to never have another child again.
With so many questions, hurt, confusion – you name it – I was still determined to have another child.
I had been referred to another doctor, a specialist and after a huge round of testings, they found something. They found SOMETHING, I was actually happy! Well thankfully this was something that could be medicated and the possibility of having another child was still there. “WHEW” is what went through my head.
So in July of 2005 I was pregnant again. To be honest I was excited but to get really excited was hard to do. I was actually looking towards being disappointed again. Back to the hospital and maybe even another surgery. Yuck! With this new doctor in tow, they had me in every other day for testings. My numbers started to increase (which is good in the world of pregnancy) and then they started to decline. “Ah, crap. Here we go” is the only thing that went through my head. They immediately increase medications and add more to the list. I return two days later waiting to “hear the news” and my numbers went back up! Oh my, they went back up?
So in the beginning, I was slowly starting to get more excited as things were looking up the way they should. Then the 7 week mark came. Ladies, you know what that means right? They want to see a heartbeat. Scared, nervous, anxious and every other adjective you can thing of was all I had in me. I went in the morning and the wait seemed like an eternity. Welp, the technician was ready and so was I, at least I hoped I was mentally. She starts to look around and I have my eyes glued to the screen. I’m not seeing much because the ultrasound technician was moving the equipment around. Then all of a sudden … “oh, look … there’s the heart beat.” “WHAT?! Seriously?” And there he was, a little flickering blob – ha! Oh the joy, I was filled with it!
From then on I visited the doctors every 4 weeks to make sure my issues were settled and nothing was going to transpire.
Pregnancy was going along just fine then at around 28 weeks I started having pains. Hmmm, I’m thinking maybe it’s Braxton Hicks this is normal. I’d lay down, drink water and it would subside. It continued on like that for about 2 weeks. One evening I attended a scrapbooking class and the pains started again, contractions. UGH, not again. I sit, drink water, relax. They become stronger and frequent. OHHHkay so I’m in a serious panic now. I do the routine, call the on-call services they say come on in.
Well long story short, at 30 weeks I was in labor. I managed to hang on tight for this not so happy ride – he gave me a scare, good grief! I was hospitalized for one week. Steroid shots for his lungs, amniocentesis done to pull fluids (I had polyhydramnios) and then the fun ride of bed rest (imagine the excitement in my voice – yuck).
I continue on with my life and the contractions. My perinatologist performed one more amniocentesis to pull more fluids and check Aidan’s lung development … I receive a call, they are not developed yet. Ugh…… Then, that evening after the call Aidan wasn’t waiting any longer – IT’S GO TIME.
I’d be lying if I didn’t say I was excited but, I was nervous that his lungs were not fully developed yet. After 24 hours of hell (seriously), he made it. The NICU crew took him immediately, they tested him and guess what – his lungs were FULLY developed! A sigh of relief is an understatement. I can honestly say it was the best feeling in the world to finally have him here and in my arms.
So when I say he is my miracle baby, he truly is.
But wait, what about Ella & Lola? I have FOUR kids! Well, nothing. Not a THING! I had successful, completely normal pregnancies with both of them regardless of a medical condition. They are here, happy and healthy – whew! I am one happy Mama. To all of the Mom’s out there who struggle like I did or in other ways – it is possible. And I hope this story shed light on your situation. <3
So here’s Aidan, my big 7 years old. After 5 unsuccessful pregnancies and one hell of a ride, he made it.
