Abram's Story

                      

Abram Dean Blake was born at 1:28am September 27th 2012. He was 7lbs 4oz. This is his story.

               On the way home from an impromptu visit to Colorado over New Years (2011-2012) My husband (Matt) said he wanted to ask me a question. It was very late, very dark, and we were in the car somewhere between Denver and Nebraska.  Asher was sleeping in his car seat, he was 9 months old. Matt said, "Now don't freak out but what do you think about having another baby, soon." Like most women, we all say we aren't ready or try to find financial reasons not too, but when it comes down to it and our loving, protecting husbands ask us for another child, we melt and instantly all fears erase and we say yes. So that's what I did. Apparently my mother and oldest sister had given him advice on the subject. My mother having had 3 children with less than a year apart for each, told him it would all work out if that's what we wanted. We did want that, we wanted our children to be close in age, to get diapers done all at once, to have a few years of sleepless nights all at once. We didn't want to start the process over with any subsequent children. Now I know this is not something most people wish for, but it was our desire.  This was January 3rd, we started trying immediately. Near the end of January a company located outside of Denver Colorado approached Matt about a job opportunity. We were elated. We had been trying to get back to Colorado for some time, and this was our ticket. We had 1 weekend to decide, and 2 weeks before he started his job. We decided to stop "trying" for a baby. The timing seemed terrible, we were going to have to live with my parents because we could not afford to maintain our house in Minnesota and pay rent in Colorado. Life was changing fast and a baby was now furthest from our minds. Matt called the company on a Friday and negotiated a few things, and accepted the position. The following Monday, after feeling really tired for the entire weekend I decided to take a pregnancy test. The test looked negative. I finished fixing my hair and was about to throw the test away when I noticed a ridiculously faint line. I immediately got Asher into the car, and we drove to Wal-Mart in what was a mini blizzard of sorts and I got a digital test. PREGNANT flashed across the screen. OH MY GOSH. My mind was racing. How do I tell Matt? Should we still move? I'm going to go from owning my own home to having another baby while living at my parents? I was grinning from ear to ear with a sort of terrified look in my eyes. It was quiet the face.

                Matt was working out of town that day/night so his father drove Asher and myself to meet Matt at Red Lobster after work. I'm sure my father in law was confused as to why we were going to meet him but he did it anyways without question. I passed the test under the table to Matt, and in true Matt Blake fashion, he about lost it. Jaw on the floor, and like me, wondering what the hell we were going to do next. Believe me, we think babies are HUGE blessings, but no matter what 1st or 2nd child, we both freak out at first.  So there began Abram's story. Started trying on the January 3rd, was pregnant on the 7th, found out the last few days of January.  You could chalk it up to being really fertile, I say god wanted us to have this baby, so he made it happen before we could try and change his plan.

                I was really sick the first 5-6 months. Worse than with Asher.  I clung to the thought of each appointment, hearing the heartbeat, seeing his little body on the ultrasounds. He kept his legs closed until 30 weeks, that's when we knew for sure he was a he. We were elated to have 2 little boys so close in age, to share things, play together, and eventually wrestle with. By 35 weeks I was ready to be done, as with most mommies. I am not your typical "I love being pregnant mom", I'm more of the "This can't last forever, please god don't let it last forever, I just want this baby out of me NOW" kind of mom. I'm no good at being pregnant, to me it's just an inevitable step towards the real prize of holding my child. I had been put on a modified best rest of sorts, no lifting, not even my 17 month old. I was having contraptions, 10 min apart on and off. Side note: My husband was offered another job once we got out to Colorado, it was an even more amazing opportunity that allowed him to stop commuting the hour to Denver from Colorado Springs, and was in Management, so we took it. This left us paying COBRA insurance for the last 3 months of my pregnancy. We chose to risk it after COBRA rates went up to $1200 a month. I only had to be without insurance for 10 days, I was 37 weeks pregnant. In anticipation for this my DR put me on the modified bed rest so we could make it to when our new insurance started, and we did. Also, during this time we were finally able to move into our own place, I couldn't help move anything, my husband is so amazing as he did a lot of it himself.

                 At my 39 week appointment I walked into the Dr's office, hadn't had a contraction for a week or so. I was miserably sore, huge, and praying for some sort of progress. In fact, I had been praying that entire week. Sure enough, I was almost 5 centimeters. The DR politely said, "go home, pack your bag, go get supper with your husband and son, meet me at the hospital at 7pm so we can have this baby." I was shocked. So I walked out and did just that.

LABOR AND DELIVERY

                We got to the hospital by 6:30 where the nurse already had everything set up for me to get my epidural if I wanted it. I wasn't in any sort of labor pain, so I didn't know what I should do. Matt talked me into getting the epidural sooner than later, which was a wise decision. The Doctor showed up about 8pm and broke my water. This is where it got scary. My eyes rolled back and my face got pail (so I am told) and I essentially passed out. My blood pressure had dropped into the 40's and so did Abram's. The nurse pumped some medication into my IV and got me back to normal. I had no idea what happened. Unfortunalty we found out, after a lot of tries, that every time I moved to my back or my left side, Abram and my heart rate would plummet.  I was in no physical pain, but burdened with a lot of emotional pain, and fear. Matt was able to sleep, but awoke every time the monitors would go off warning the nurses one of our heart rates was dropping. This happened many times. But  after a few hours finally things seemed to stabilize, I would stay on my right side, they gave me patocin to hurry things along so I wouldn't have to be C-sectioned, and  I was at 6 Centimeters. I closed my eyes to try and sleep and suddenly felt a weird sensation, almost a thud, and some pressure. It only caused me to slightly open my eyes, so I  closed them again to try and sleep. Suddenly all I heard was Dings, and beeps and the door thrashing open. Voices, lots of voices, people grabbing utensils and the Doctor getting suited up. Matt jumped off the couch, and the nurses told me I needed to roll on my back and start pushing. I was horrified. I began sobbing, I didn't know what happened. I demanded answers. The head nurse was in my room along with 2 baby nurses, my regular nurse, another nurse, and the Doctor. Abram had descended down the birth canal too quickly and had caused me to dilate from a 6 to a 10 in seconds, from this they had  completely lost  Abram's heartbeat, and needed to get him out. I pushed 6 times, until I heard the Doctor tell me to stop. "1,2,3." That's all she said, Matt's face looked troubled, and then they said to push once more, and he was out. Matt cut his cord, which he had never done before, I was so proud. I had been in labor a total of 5 hours, pushed/labored down for 10 minutes. I felt no contractions my entire labor and delivery, no physical pain at all. I think God knew that my mind was going to be racing, and my fear would be blinding, so he gave me the option to be without pain. I am so thankful.

              

             Later Matt told me why the Doctor was counting. Abram's cord was wrapped around his neck 3 times. This, the doctor told me, was why his heart rate kept dropping. After a trip to the nursery to be monitored for low oxygen levels, Abram was finally given the all clear and clean bill of health.  Our sweet baby boy got to meet his big brother and our family grew by two tiny hands and two tiny feet. After his traumatic entrance into the world, it has been nothing but smooth sailing. He is a dream, he barley cries and is full of smiles. I am so grateful that gods plans will always outweigh our own.

               

          Abram's name means "A father to many nations" and I pray he will lead a life of giving and gratitude, that everyone he meets will see a spark in him, that he will fear and serve the lord with all of his heart, and that Abram's story will be one worth telling over and over.