Spencer!

My short term memory is pretty lame these days...but my long term memory is as vivid as can be.  I remember so much about carrying Spencer when I was pregnant.  I remember going over to the walking track around the hospital down the road from our house.  I had been running so I took Jordan out in the jogger and started running....only to find I could hardly make it around the track.  I was exhausted!  I couldn't figure out why.  I wasn't sick.  I was getting back into decent shape again.  What was up!  I even remember talking to Jordan about it.  However, his 2 year old life didn't respond with anything more than chasing the seagulls all over the park.

Shortly thereafter, I found out I was pregnant with Spencer!  What a ride!  I continued to play on my softball team for as long as I could.  In fact, I think I played the entire season seeing how he was born the end of September!  But it was hard.  I laugh now, but I could still hit pretty well just couldn't get around the bases as well, or around in the infield as well either.  So they put me at catcher.  Oh how I HATED that!  But I made it.

Without going into all the "pregnancy horror stories," Spencer's pregnancy wasn't my easiest!  I was soooo hot all summer.  With only a swamp cooler in our duplex I remember laying on the floor at just the right spot that it would cool me off.  But late into the summer I started feeling pretty yucky.  All throughout the pregnancy I was flirting with high blood pressure and pre eclampsia.  The blood pressure got so bad that they had to wait til I had a chance to rest in the room after the short walk from the waiting room.  Then one day I was finishing a quilt at my mom's. We had been working on it that summer - my t-shirt quilt!  I felt REALLY weird and my mom said I looked pretty white in the face.  I'd rest and feel just a bit better but not really.  That was a Saturday.

Sunday I went up to Salt Lake to speak to a friend's ward Young Women and the feeling was just weird.  I don't even know how to describe it.  I wasn't worried, but thought I needed to call the doctor.  So, I called and saw him on Tuesday.  He put me on bed rest.  "So, what does 'bed rest' mean," I asked?  His reply caught me off guard.  "You can do ANYTHING you want....as long as you are laying down!" 

I had absolutely NO IDEA how to do that with a very active 2 year old boy. 

But I did....at my mom's house!

It wasn't long after that - I had been meeting with the doctor twice a week or more.  One day he said, "I'm done flirting with this high blood pressure!  It's too dangerous!  We'll take this baby TODAY!" 

As yucky as I was feeling I really struggled between being happy and scared.  Scott was in St Louis on business so I asked if we could wait til he got home.  "Not unless he comes home TODAY," the doctor said.  Thankfully, he was coming home at 11pm.  I was to enter the hospital at midnight. 

Fast forward to giving birth - again sparing the gory details.  All throughout the day the nurses couldn't get his heart beat to rise and fall at the correct times.  For some reason this concerned them but not me.  After pushing for a bit the doctor found that he was not face down.  Stop pushing and turn the baby.  Again, concerned nurses but not me. 

Spencer had the cord wrapped around his neck.  His little hand and arm had come out with his head so I couldn't get him out.  He was blue and for some reason I still wasn't worried....though I could tell that something just wasn't right.

I look back now and see so much more than I did at that moment.  Scott had given me a blessing prior to going to the hospital.  I love the priesthood!!!!  In the blessing, though I don't remember the exact wording, he specifically mentioned any complications.  I remember wondering about that but feeling completely at peace.  Little did I know THEN what complications would be eminent.

Within seconds he was breathing again and with a perfect APGAR!  He was perfect and I felt more blessed than I can explain.

At my 2 week appointment for Spencer the doctor let me know that on a scale of 1-10, it was a 9.5!  Funny, all I felt was peace.  I remember looking at the doctor as he turned Spencer and seeing priesthood power.  I saw a doctor pleading with the Lord to bless this little child and bless me and bless him in his procedure.  I had never experienced that with such force.  I was completely and gratefully at peace.

And now...after all of THAT we have this active boy who is excited and exuberant about life!  His smile and laughter lights up a room.  His gentle way with children amazes me.  If we have a youngster at our house it is usually Spencer who is playing with him/her and getting them to laugh.  He is sensitive and caring...generous beyond belief!

If I had to live without him....I don't even want to think about it.  Little did I know 11 years ago I would have such highs and lows with him.  Little did I know the feeling of love I would have in my heart.  I remember worrying that I wouldn't love this new little child as much as I loved Jordan.  I had lived exclusively with Jordan for nearly 3 years.  How on earth could I add another and love that much more.  It is amazing, love is!  It just grows and grows!

This is a boy whose excitement is contagious and above and beyond most peoples.  Just this past week his band teacher called.  Her neighbor was selling a saxophone and Spencer had been waiting and waiting and waiting - patience during excitement may not be his strong point.  Well, she had never seen a child so excited before in her life!  I knew EXACTLY what she meant.  I have seen it so many times.  It is what makes Spencer who he is!

So much makes Spence who he is.  Often he likes me to tell him the story of his middle name.  While in the hospital after having him I remembered the scripture "Here I am, Lord!"  It is where Eli tells Samuel to tell the voice he kept hearing to, "Speak, Lord, for thy servant heareth."  I know that Eli isn't the best example in the scriptures as time goes on, but to me this is a high point for him.  Eli KNOWS....and hopefully Spencer will know, too, that the Lord calls us and we must answer, "Here I am!"

Switching gears from this long post of thoughts about Spencer for his 11th birthday.....I had my first test today at school.  I was really bummed that it was on Spencer's birthday and that I couldn't be with him, partly because he was so sad and mostly because I hate missing important days of my children's lives.  It killed me to have my sister taking my role and making brownies to take to school.  Don't get me wrong...I am grateful. 

So, I busted through my test and got to leave an hour earlier than usual which meant that I made it home before everyone went to bed.  Now, before I had said that all the legos in the world wouldn't hold a candle to his sax......well, that was then, and this is NOW!  I had to BEG for a hug and a moment to share my happy birthday with the boy.  He was putting a lego set together!  I should have known....EVERYTHING takes a backseat to legos with that child!  (But he has practiced his sax EVERY day.....so that is still a big thing too)

We celebrated his birthday on Sunday (our only day together without a million things going).  We got him a football since he had lost his.  That excited face .... I love that face!

Happy Birthday, Spencer!!!!  May this year be the best year yet!