I distinctly remember thinking I did not want anyone besides Mike, my husband, present when I gave birth to Sam. At the time, I had been living in Charleston, SC with Mike for less than a year, and I thought giving birth would be something we could handle on our own. I can't remember exactly when I asked my mom to fly out but it was definitely before my due date and long before Sam was born on December 9th, 2010. Of course she came the minute I asked her to. Deep down I knew she would, even though I believed I didn't want her to.
The days before Sam's birth dragged out like the long winter months in Minnesota where I was born and raised. I was antsy and anxious and huge and so ready to have the baby I was in no way prepared to have. We watched episodes of "Boardwalk Empire" and ate Little Caesar's pizza and waited.
My doctor called Sam's birth "perfect" and it was. He came out perfect and looked right into my eyes and blinked, blinkety blinked. My mom held him within hours of his birth. I was so glad she was there.
At 10 month of age, Sam was diagnosed with a vary rare disorder called Ollier's disease. The disease causes Sam to develop benign tumors called enchondromas in his bones that cause orthopedic problems. Sam's disorder primarily impacts his right leg and hip. He had his first surgery right after his 1st birthday, a femural osteotomy, which left him in a cast from armpits to toes. My mom fly out to Charleston to care for him a for a week, 2 weeks after his surgery so I could go back to work.
Two days after I was hospitalized with the twins in late July of 2013, Sam was diagnosed with an inoperable brian tumor and given 12-18 months to live. He began radiation treatments immediately and was admitted to the hospital just 2 floors above me. My mom flew out the next morning. She helped us take care of the house and sat with me and Sam through the worst week of my life up until this point. She flew home when Sam and I got out of the hospital so she could go back to work. She wanted to save her time off for when the twins were born. The twins were born two days after she left town. Without hesitation, she got on a plane and came back to Charleston. And we needed her...Sam was at home with Mike but going to radiation treatment every morning. The twins birth (csection) left me racked with pain and both girls were hospitalized. Ada went to the level 2 nursery to be treated for high red blood cell count and jaundice. Mae went to the NICU and had a blood transfusion. She was born with a very low red blood cell count. My mom drove me to the hospital to visit the twins. She dropped off breast milk I had pumped for them when I wanted to stay and sit with Sam or was too tired to go back to the hospital. She cooked dinners, waited on Sam hand and foot and all the while she was strong and positive - exactly what I needed.
When Mike and I decided to head to Minnesota for a long visit she opened her home to our huge family and helped us take care of them; all the while working full time and helping my sister out with daycare for my three year old nephew, Christian. She brought home beer and wine we liked so we could drown our sorrows. At Christmas she bought Sam and Christian so many toys they had to take a break and come back to finish opening their gifts.
And my mom continues to be there for whatever we need. Last week I called her on a Friday and asked her to take a week off work to help us take care of the kids. She did. When our kids gave her a cold she had to go home for one night and sleep it off and at Sam's bequest, she left her iPad so he could have two for the night - they have different games you know.
I will never be able to thank my mom for all she has done or will do. I hope this post helps her to know how much we love and appreciate her. No one in the world has a "Fa" like Sam.
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