Happy Birthday Zach!!

Zach eating his favorite French Toast for his birthday breakfast!
Well its official Zach is 2!! I cant believe what a whirlwind 2 years it has been :) I've definitely a roller coaster of emotions today just thinking about it!

2 years ago to this minute after 2 pushes out came Zachary, a 1 lb 9 oz very early little boy. It wasn't like anything you see on those baby shows on TV. It wasn't an exciting moment, full of crying baby and happy tears of joy. It was a scary moment where the Dr held up a tiny peanut of a baby, who was dark, almost blue, and not moving or making any noise, just before they whisked him into another room. I didn't get to hold him, i didn't get to kiss him or tell him how much I loved him. Joe was able to go into the room and talk to him and see him just as they were about to intubate him. 2 years ago right now i was scared to death to name this little boy, because I didn't know how I could handle it if he didn't make it. After 2 excruciating hours i was finally able to go up and see him, and it was a bit much to take in, we walked in to see this tiny little boy who was literally skin and bones, who we weren't able to touch because it would break his skin. He has tons of wires, and tubes and all sorts of things hooked up to him, but he was the most beautiful little man i could possibly imagine. Right from the start he was handed his first hurdle, as they found blood in his lungs the next morning, and he did great and got past it. Then he came down with his first bout of pneumonia at 4 days old, but again he handled it well. Then on his 2 week birthday he opened his eyes for the first time! What an exciting and amazing feeling for us!!

Then he came across the biggest hurdle he would have to face still to date in his 2 years of life. He developed NEC which almost took his life. I have never seen anyone fight so hard and overcome so much to stay here in this life. One of Joe's co-workers said it perfectly, he told Joe that whenever he thought of Zach laying there in his little isolate and the veil is was so thin for him at that point, and he pictured him laying there with his parents (us) on one side, and his family members through the veil on the other side, and every day he made the conscious decision to keep fighting and stay here with us, and i cannot thank him enough for fighting so hard to be here. I cannot possibly imagine what exactly it is, but i know that there is something special this little boy is here for, to go through so much and pull through so many things that he should have not survived, it really is amazing! :) I am so glad he was so strong and pulled through because i cannot imagine my life without him, he really has brought such a joy in our lives! He is absoultely my hero, and I look up to him so much, I dont know that I would have the strength to pull through everything he has, and im 24 years older than he is!

He is such an easy going, laid back little boy who has completely stolen my heart! I love you little man! Thanks for staying so strong!

We had a very fun family day, grandma and grandpa trout went to church with us and then afterwards we came home and Zach had some lunch and took his nap, then when he woke up we played with some of his presents from yesterday before he had his snack a piece of birthday cake with 2 candles in it! and we sang him happy birthday which he loves! After that he got 1 more present, a front loader truck that goes with his dump truck he got a couple months ago :) he LOVED it! :) We had a really fun afternoon playing with all of his fun new birthday toys and books! Its been a great birthday weekend!!