Happy 10th Birthday Kiddo!

Ten years ago at 5:59am, my amazing kiddo was born at 25 weeks (15 weeks premature) weighing 1lb. 15oz. While in labor (a total of 96 hours!) I was scared to death. I asked each and every nurse or doctor who came into my room if my baby would be able to breath once he was born. Each time I heard the same thing "you are in the right place..." At the time it didn't make me feel any better, but when he was born he cried the tiniest little cry before they rushed him off to the NICU (Neonatal Intensive Care Unit) to care for him.

From the beginning, my little man was a fighter. He never needed to be intubated, something not common at all with a baby so small and young. After 76 rocky days in the NICU, he came home on monitors and medications galore. We had appointments with every pediatric specialist known to man and 3 types of therapists. As he grew things started to get a little more complicated for him medically. He had RSV  (Respiratory syncytial virus)  three times, requiring hospitalization and before he was 4 years old he had been admitted a total of 12 times. After his second birthday he had a feeding tube placed because he was unable to eat by mouth because of severe GERD (Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease) and reactive airway disease. That began a huge struggle with feeding for us that I think is just now coming to a close. 

When he was 7, he was diagnosed with Asperger's Syndrome, a true answer to many of the concerns that I had for years. From there he started getting more directed therapy to help him cope with sensory and eating issues that had been related to his Asperger's the entire time. 

Then , 3/11/02, 1lb.15oz. and now 3/11/12, 60lbs and happy!

Today, Alex is 10 years old and is so amazing and happy. We still have our struggles which we work hard to help him overcome, but he is wonderful. My kiddo is one of the most amazing kids I have ever known. The first time I saw him in the incubator, I could not even come close to imagining 10 years. It hasn't been easy for him or us, but he has shown everyone that the little man is sometimes the biggest one after all. 

I love you so much kiddo! Happy 10th Birthday.