Monday, May 10, 2010

isaac

my water broke almost a month early with our firstborn.   my labor
was remarkably unremarkable and before we knew it, we heard our
first baby's cry.

when the nurse placed him in my arms, i said some inconsequential
mommy thing, like, "hey there, sweet boy . . ." and he immediately
grew very still and turned to me.

that he knew me was the defining moment of my life.

it seemed horribly unfair of the nurse to whisk him away again to
clean him up and do some unpleasant things to me.  i kept looking
expectantly to the door each time someone came in.  doctor, doctor,
nurse, nurse, and then my dad, who was also a doctor.

he, at least, would tell them to hurry up and give me back my baby.
but instead he was painfully somber and said, "honey, something is
wrong with the baby, and they have taken him up to the NICU."
my dad, in fact, was the first to notice our baby's shallow, panting
breathing pattern.

that was the second defining moment of my life.

what followed were terrifying talks with neo-natal doctors who told
us that our baby had a life threatening infection and they offered little
hope they could save him.  they would, however, perform surgery
and let us know how he progressed.

hans and i clung to each other and the Lord like never before and felt
Him say, "just trust Me."   we truly did not have the faith to claim a
healing or the strength to do more than lean on Him.  we named him
isaac, as we felt that we were "abraham" trusting the Lord to provide.

today isaac is 26 years old, 6'7'' tall, incredibly handsome, charming,
and kind.  he won't be able to know how much we love him, until he
has his first son.



the only thing i worry about is whether he, as a lawyer, will sue me
someday for writing this.

love,
lea

"sons are a heritage of the Lord."  psalm 127:3

36 comments:

Shannon said...

Love your posts! :) Send me your email address so I can add you to my private blog list! :) shannonbiancamano@gmail.com

Natasha in Oz said...

You just can't trust those Attorneys! Only kidding..my husband is the most trustworthy and "non-Attorney" Attorney I have ever met. I am sure your son will be just as compassionate as he has been raised by a beautiful Mother.

Best wishes,
Natasha.

Debbie Petras said...

I was on the edge of my seat reading this. How glad I was to see that Isaac is alive and well. What a beautiful recount of those events from the heart of a mother.

Blessings and love,
Debbie

Farm Girl said...

How very sweet, I am so glad he is 6'7' and going to be a Lawyer. I was so afraid you were going to say something different. Praise God for being a miracle making God. Yes, I think when I had my daughter and she was on my chest, my whole life changed in that brief second. Never to be the same. Thanks for writing from your heart, you blessed me today.

-stephanie- said...

I love happy endings. Happy Mother's Day.

Southern Lady said...

What a sweet story. My nephew was very sick when he was born and spent a week in NICU. That was a very difficult time in our lives. He is now a junior in college and studying to be an accountant. Isn't it amazing how God works? Hope you had a wonderful mother's day. Carla

Emily said...

What a touching story. What if your Dad wasn't a doctor?? What an awesome God we have. Happy Mother's Day!!

chris said...

this is such a magical, fitting story for mother's day. how lucky you are to have isaac - and for him to have you.

Unknown said...

It is so nice to "meet" you.

I appreciate your humor, wisdom, encouragement and voice filled with love!

Blessings to you and your family!
Happy Mother's Day!
Jill

http://bitsandpieces-sonja.blogspot.com/ said...

Well that just ends this day on a perfect note!

What a great story...

I love a good miracle! None of you will ever forget that He gave you one 26 years ago.

Even so... I'd watch my back... you know these lawyers! :)

The Strawberry Mallard said...

What a beautiful tale of love...I think you can be certain that you have broken no law Lea!

Rosie said...

Ahhhh...you are such an inspiration. When stressful moments happen we wonder why such a loving God would allow this distress...one answers quickly..."well, to draw us closer to Him of course". But in your case, I firmly believe He smiles each time your pen touches the paper, as you witness through these experiences He has gifted you with...thank you...

oh, by the way, it will be a glorious day when you come to the shop for a wee visit...smile on Rosie

Joan Elizabeth said...

I love the way you write and the insights into motherhood you deliver with your words.

People Who Know Me Would Say: said...

He knew how to make a lasting impression from his very first minutes of life!!!!!

I really enjoyed reading this!

Single and Sane said...

I remember seeing Isaac full of life as a toddler but I had no idea he had such a challenging start. What a miracle his life has been!

Anonymous said...

:) What a blessing. Happy Mother's Day, Lea!

http://bitsandpieces-sonja.blogspot.com/ said...

I just have to come back and comment on the comment you just left on my page... Lea... the heart of your whole posting on Isaac reflects your understanding that this was all God... from the birth to the healing He gave Isaac. That's the first thing we see as we read your heart. HE sees it too!

Hugs!

Together We Save said...

That is so sweet... brought me back to the 3 times I held each of my girls for the first time. So gled your son is all grown up now!

bbb said...

your dad noticed his breathing, but someone else noticed his colorful feet! :)

myletterstoemily said...

ha ha! i forgot all about that! so paul
saved isaac's life from the ink pad.

i'll rewrite this . . .:)

kate said...

i had no idea about his breathing problems after being born. thank you for sharing. how do kids get to be 6'7" anyway? :)

myletterstoemily said...

lots of spankings . . .:)

Cinnamon said...

Oh my heart was racing there as I've been on the hosptial bed holding my baby as they've wisked my child away. Not for anything life threattening but still he was taken for hours.

I am so happy to hear your son is tall, alive and healthy :-)

And he can't sue you, there's that whole mother/son exemption from trouble clause :-) hee hee

~Cinnamon

gigi said...

Thank you for stopping my blog and leaveing a comment ;) Please come again.

This so tugs at your heart strings. Miracles and blessings!

Jodie | Velour said...

You are such a sugar for checking on me.
In response:
1. homeschooling is going well. it's not without it's challenges (to be SURE) but overall, it's going well.

2. i have indeed survived without
facebook, although i do miss it at times... boring times, discouraged times, lonely times, frustrated times, taxing times. But I haven't gone back to it, and i'm proud of myself. :)

3. and yes, i think i'm ok. stirred up, lots on my mind. life is not a series of pretty packages, but i'm trying to be mindful of having an attitude that is both amazed and amused by my lot. i don't always "nail it", but i figure TRYING is something.

thanks again. you are a DEAR.

Packrat said...

You had me in tears. I hope Isaac realizes what a wonderful mother he has. Hugs.

Beansieleigh said...

Oh my goodness.. I'm so glad that all ended well. I KNOW how that period of time feels when they take the baby away, and you worry something is wrong... In answer to your question, here is what I could find in answer to this dilemma!..

http://blogs.abcnews.com/theworldnewser/2009/10/pouring-the-perfect-cup-of-tea.html

At least you'll find there's nothing wrong with your tea pot! I'm not sure what they're suggesting you use SPECIFICALLY to fix the problem (Im wondering vaseline, or maybe crisco??).. But if I hear of any other tips on the subject, I'll let you know! Thanks for stopping by today, and I hope you had a very Happy Mother's Day! ~tina

Anonymous said...

That is an amazing story! Sometimes I just skim posts...some I don't because I know they are really good already! I loved yours though! How many kids do you have?
P.S. Darcie is a doll!

Jenners said...

How terrifying!!! I can't imagine the stress and emotions you must have felt. I was messed up enough without having a baby with any problems. I'm glad this story had a very happy ending! And considering who raised him, I doubt you will be sued!

Oh ... and I totally agree with you: you don't really understand how much your parents love you until you have your own child.

Anonymous said...

Wow, really? He's that tall???? Wow!!

I know how you feel though. My firstborn was premature 1 month, and he had to stay in the NICU for a week. It was a scary time. But, praise God he is healthy!

Vee said...

Oh I do love to hear about these kinds of reversals. My son had one, too. And we're praying for his son like crazy. I love the turn of your phrases and the swift twists. Lovely!

Mrs. Dunbar said...

What an amazing story with such a great punch line at the end.

Mountain Mama said...

Aaaah! I was biting my nails to the end. I Love a sweet ending to a special story. One thing though - I was hoping for a picture of your handsome son.

Happy Mothers Day - a bit late!
blessings,
ashley

Debra@CommonGround said...

What a beautiful post! The story of Abraham and Issac has such incredible depth. What a perfect name for Him. God bless you all on this Mother's Day!
xo,
Debra

Thoughts on Life and Millinery. said...

Love this post as I had the same experience with my son. And yes...someday...he should also be gifted with a son who is just as bright and prayer inspiring as he was growing up.

BizzieLizzie said...

I had a same defining moment that, too, change my life forever. We married late and I thought I didn't not want to go down that route. The Good Lord always know what we need the most, doesn't He.

Glad all turned out just fine!

I am so happy you found my blog, because the messages on yours as just what I need.