Happy Birthday Zak!

Zakary turned 13 today.
I remember 13 years ago ... at this time of night Zak was being whisked away to Riley Hospital for emergency surgery. You see, Zakary has had much of his left lung removed due to a birth defect. He spent a two months at Riley Hospital in the NICU, next to teeny preemies. He looked like a giant with a tube taped down his throat to help him breathe. Two lung surgeries later, and after he received a tracheotomy, he spent three months at Lifelines Children's Rehab Hospital next to children of all ages who were probably never going to leave. But leave he did, with 'round the clock nursing services. Some folks complain when the baby doesn't sleep through the night. Our wake-ups were not due to Zak's cries, but when his ventilator or his apnea monitor alarmed to let us know he could not breathe. Still, we knew, he was magic. He captured the hearts of those home nurses, the doctors and our friends and family. And he got better. All better.
In those first weeks, those first hours, it seemed that there was no hope. It seemed we'd never have a 'normal child'. It seemed we wouldn't make it through. But there was. We do. We did.

Zakary turned 13 today.
He went to see Rocky Balboa with three friends from school. He got a new 18 speed bicycle ("just like PawPaw's!!"), and we went to dinner where he had a steak but was too full for dessert. My baby is turning into quite the little man. He didn't want us to tell the server about his birthday. He doesn't like to hug his mom anymore. And here's the best picture I could get of the teenagers going to the movies.


Zakary turned 13 today.
I couldn't be more thankful.