It is exactly 8:14PM on September 24^th, 2014. Six years ago to the minute, the nurse was wrapping Jacob in a blanket saying, “We are going to take him down to the Special Care Nursery to take a closer look at him.” She told us it was not unusual and that he’d likely be back in my arms within a couple of hours. At 11:00PM, another nurse walked in and told us that everything is fine, he was breathing fine but they want to observe him overnight and that they would bring him to me to be breastfed first thing in the morning.

I awoke at 5:00AM, ready to feed my son for the first time. I rang for the nurse. She came in and said he was sleeping but they would bring him to me the moment he awoke. I was a bit irritated by this but also thought I was doing the right thing by letting him sleep. I actually remember feeling a bit lucky as I had heard that so many moms didn’t get any sleep from the moment their babies arrived. As I was recovering from an emergency C-section, I was a little grateful that I had gotten an entire 8 hours of sleep.

By 7:00AM I was asking them to remove the epidural from my back so I could start walking as soon as possible. They had still not brought my baby to me and I was ready to walk down to the nursery. I continued to ask the nurses as they came in what was taking so long but they started giving me the “the doctor will be here shortly to talk with you” answer. Nothing like setting a new mother straight into panic mode.

Finally, at 10:00AM, as the epidural was worn off enough for me to throw my legs out of the bed, Jim was helping me up so I could try walking when the doctor came in to see us. She told us that everything was fine but that Jacob was having some difficulty so they had him on oxygen. They took me to the Special Care Nursery and started explaining what was happening. They finally let me hold him but would not let me feed him.

Less than 24 hours later, they were telling me that they were going to have to intubate him and transport him to the NICU at Georgetown. As I was still recovering from my C-section, I could not leave. I spent one night in a hospital across town from my son. The next morning my doctor advised me to stay at least 24 more hours to make sure there would be no complications for me. I said, “I’m going straight to Georgetown Hospital. If there are any complications, I’m sure they can manage it there.”

Jim and I spent the next five days wondering if our little guy was going to make it. After two days they were finally able to remove the intubation but Jacob could not seem to maintain his oxygen saturation on his own. They could not remove the oxygen tube and, because of all this, there were now complications with his heart.  All this time, I was not allowed to hold him. They did not want him to get overly excited so all I could do was stand by his little incubator and gently touch him. I could not even caress him. It was five more days before they would let me hold him or feed him.

Six years later, after an Autism diagnosis and many fearing he may never speak; my little guy is in Kindergarten and thriving. He is upstairs right now, giggling with his brother while they brush their teeth for bed. He is such a brave little warrior. I am amazed at how much he has overcome. Thank you, God, for our little miracle. Happy 6^th Birthday, Jacob, the Warrior.

I’ve had quite a few terrifying moments in my life. Most of them have occurred since I’ve had children. I watched my newborn son, Jacob, with a tube down his throat being taken away from me in an incubator, moved to another hospital while I recovered from a C-section; unable to hold him or even touch him.

I held him in my arms a year later, watching him struggle to breathe while the nurses gave him nebulizer treatments, trying to raise his blood oxygen level from 88%, while his little chest heaved, trying to take in enough breath.

We have since then been in and out of the hospital several times with Jacob when he has had asthma attacks.

Christopher, however, has always been my healthy little boy. We’ve only had one scare with him and that was the Christmas of 2011, when he was diagnosed with RSV. There were 3 days of hell while I sat with him in the rocker, making sure he was breathing. But, he came through like a champ and has had no serious illness since. I count my blessings. I’ve been haunted by the thought of losing my Jacob many times in his young life but I’ve never had that same fear with Christopher.

But, last night, Christopher did something that almost changed my life forever.  I’ve since realized that illness isn’t the only thing I have to worry about with my little ones.

Three years ago, we had the boys’ bedroom windows replaced with new windows.  Our home was built in 1966 and it still had the original windows when we moved in. We decided, since their bedrooms are on the second floor, that we should have newer windows so they wouldn’t go through the glass. They have those wonderful child locks that keep the window from opening more than a few inches. They are wonderful unless you have a child like Christopher… who is fearless and can figure out a way to climb up and unlock them.

I was downstairs yesterday afternoon, getting dinner ready. Jacob was doing homework at the dining room table and Christopher was playing in his room.  Safe, right?

Jim walked in the front door moments later and said, “Why is Christopher’s bedroom window opened?” I said, “What do you mean?” Jim replied, “His window is wide open, screen and all.”

I didn’t wait another moment. I ran up the stairs as fast as I could. I found Christopher with his stuffed chair pushed over to his window, about to climb out. My life truly flashed before my eyes. I saw a world without my little Bean.  I don’t know how I would have survived that.

I thank the Lord above that Jim came home when he did. I don’t like to think what my life would be like today if he hadn’t.

I am one of “those moms.”  When I can, I use both Santa and the tooth fairy to get my kids to bed early. Bedtime in our house usually takes up to 45 minutes. Both boys get stories read to them after brushing their teeth and going potty. Before that, they expect sillies. I’m actually surprised bedtime doesn’t take longer. (And, in truth, sometimes, it does.)

So, when I get the opportunity to get them in bed quickly, I take full advantage of it. Jacob lost tooth number three yesterday.

When bed time rolled around last night, I played the “The tooth fairy won’t come until you are both asleep” card with absolutely no guilt. And, it worked. Jacob didn’t even want a bedtime story. He said to me, “I have to go to sleep right away!  I don’t have time for a story!” Christopher heard that and ran to his room. He jumped into his bed, squeezed his eyes shut and yelled out, “I’m asleep, tooth fairy! You can come see Jacob now but you have to come through my window first!”

Both boys were all settled in bed, Jim and I downstairs getting ready to relax when we hear Jacob cry out, “Daddy! I lost my tooth! Oh no! Help me!”

We went running upstairs to find out what happened. Jacob tends to sleep on his tummy with his hands under his pillow and he knocked his tooth onto the floor. Luckily, we found it in just a few minutes. We sealed it in an envelope and decided to put it in his pillow case instead of under the pillow. All was good and all went as planned; I snuck in after ten o’clock and switched out the tooth for a dollar.

This morning, Christopher was the first to wake. He came running downstairs and said, “Mama, Daddy! I heard the tooth fairy come through my window last night! I didn’t see her but I gave her a sleep high five!”   About 15 minutes later, I heard Jacob stirring so I went up to check on him. Now, Christopher is my morning boy… Jacob is all Bailey when it comes to sleep. He wants nothing to do with anyone when he first wakes. But, it only took him a moment to remember that he had something to be excited about. He looked at me, all crinkled brow when I first walked in and then the light bulb went off. He jumped up and reached into his pillow and pulled out his dollar. He was totally jazzed. He couldn’t wait to get to school to tell his teacher.

I may have created a bit of a monster, though. Christopher kept walking around all day checking to see if he has loose teeth, telling me, “Mama, if I lose a tooth like Jacob, the tooth fairy can come again tonight!” And, when Jacob got home from school, he chewed off a finger nail and exclaimed, “Mommy! Now the finger nail fairy will come tonight and leave me another dollar!”  I might be in trouble here…