Life as we know it

Since this is my first blog entry, this is going to be long and informative. Let's begin in the 8th grade when I met Nick Myers. Nick was in my Career Orientation class that we had to take. Well, that year I got braces and Nick just had to bug me until I smiled so that he could see the braces that I absolutely HATED. That's where everything started. I never knew those braces would lead me to my future husband. After being friends for quite some time, Nick and I began dating in 2009. Nick and I have been through everything together. While we are mostly total opposites, I do believe that we are perfect for each other. He's everything I'm not and I couldn't ask for a better person to spend my life with.
In early July 2012, I noticed that my belly button ring was fitting funny and was definitely tighter than it used to be. I decided finally to go up to the piercing place and have it looked at. The lady said "Well, the only thing we have that is going to work is a longer bar but if you'll go to the mall, you can buy a pregnancy belly button ring and we can cut it to size." and mentioned to me that this usually only happens to pregnant people. In my mind, I was like no way... there's no way. So anyway, long story short, I took about 12 tests and all were positive. As stupid as it sounds, we were still in disbelief. A few days later I decided to go to the health department and take another test because I still couldn't believe it and sure enough, I was pregnant. She told me I was probably about 12-16 weeks (she estimated) and booked me an appointment with a baby doctor. After going on July 19, 2012, we heard our sweet baby's heart beat for the first time and learned that I was carrying a sweet baby boy. I was 24 weeks pregnant at this point. And we had never known. I barely had a belly at all (I just thought I was getting fat!) and was still wearing my regular clothes. I was due November 10, 2012. After we began telling people, it seemed like I started showing out of nowhere because at 7 months, I began wearing maternity clothes. Anyway, I'm going to jump forward in time a bit to say that at this point, my dad was getting pretty sick and moved closer to us so that he could spend more time with us. As we were getting closer to my due date, Dad was admitted to the hospital. About 2 weeks from my due date, Dad's doctor told us he wasn't going to make it much longer and it sunk in... my dad's never going to meet my baby. I spent every chance I got by his bedside. Even on the days he was in so much pain he couldn't get up, we talked and he held my hand. When he wasn't able to talk anymore, he'd listen to me talk and hold my hand. One of my favorite moments was when I came in Dad's hospital room and said "Dad, I'm going to be induced on Monday November 5!" thinking he wouldn't respond but I just wanted to tell him, and he opened his eyes and smiled. On November 2, my uncle called while I was at a checkup to tell me that Dad wasn't going to make it much longer... and I left immediately and spent the entire day with my Dad. That night at 9:12 pm, my water broke in his hospital room. I told him bye and that I loved him, thinking that he would get to meet Owen. Around 5 am on November 3, my dad passed away. On November 3 at 1:02 pm, I gave birth to a beautiful and perfect baby boy named Owen Reece. Owen was born with this red mark on his forehead that we just thought would go away, but we quickly decided that that was an angel's kiss on his sweet forehead (which is sweet to me because my Dad became an angel that morning). When Owen was two days old, his doctor told us that Owen had a rare birthmark called a port wine stain but that it was okay, it could be treated. That same day, we came home from the hospital and I had to leave Owen to go to the visitation and leave him again the next day to go to the funeral. As hard as it was, I don't regret the choice I made to attend both.  Saying goodbye to my dad was one of the hardest things I've ever had to do. I miss him everyday.
On December 23, 2012, Nick proposed! In the back of my mind, I knew he was acting different but it never crossed my mind that he might be proposing. He proposed at Zoo Lights in Memphis, Tennessee in front of the biggest Christmas tree that I have ever seen. I couldn't believe it!
So here begins our journey with Owen: As I have mentioned, Owen was born with a port wine stain. We thought it was just a cute little hat-shaped birthmark on his face. Wrong. At 8 weeks, Owen turned blue and was sent to a children's hospital and they never really found the cause besides maybe a little reflux. At two months old, we learned that birthmark was causing glaucoma and various other eye problems. At four months old, we were told that Owen had Sturge Weber Syndrome. He also had his first laser surgery at four months old. Because of his history of glaucoma and the time he turned blue, he was signed up for the first MRI that was available. The MRI is to check for development delays and brain problems that are caused by Sturge Weber. Owen will have 2 MRIS and his second laser surgery on his birthmark on June 4. I never knew that a birthmark could cause the things that it has. We are praying for clear results from the MRI. We finally have his glaucoma under control by doing eye drops three times daily.

Nick and I have set a wedding date for July 27, 2013. I picked this date for the reason of 7 and 27 are my favorite numbers! (7-27-13 in case you didn't catch that)

Anyway, Owen is a happy, growing, perfect six month old. He is eating baby food, holding his own bottle, trying to talk, trying to sit up, and rolling over. He can say Bye!

So, this is our life! Thanks for reading:)