4 years....

Never before had placing my baby in the arms of another been so terrifying. Never before had there been the risk that I would not get him back. 4 years ago I placed my sweet, 3 month old Micah into the arms of an OR nurse. I desperately tried to memorize all of his little features. Those 2 arms closed around his tiny body and held him tight. Quick kisses that felt like goodbye were placed on his head and the pleading words "Please give him back to me." were said. "We will treat him as if he were our own." was the response. 4 years ago I placed my son into the miracle making hands of Dr. Francis Fynn Thompson and the miracle giving hands of God. 6 hours we sat in almost complete silence in the OR waiting room. Hope and fear engulfed us every time the nurse came with an update. Would everything be okay or would this be THE conversation we were dreading? 6 hours we sat, barely looking at each other, knowing that we were both thinking the same things but didn't want to admit them. Finally it was over. Finally the surgeon came out. He was okay. There were complications but nothing modern medicine and technology couldn't help. Finally we were able to see him. He was covered in wires and tubes. Lines for everything and anything he could possibly need. I don't think I saw them. All I could see was my once grey baby was PINK. PINK!! The most beautiful color I had ever seen. His SATs were 100%!!!!! 4 years have passed since that day. 4 years of ups and downs. 4 years of joy and desperation. Watching him grow. Watching him develop. Fighting for him and with him. Making doctors, who have other patients, think only of Micah and bend over backward to make him well again and again. 4 years and he is as close to a normal 4 year old as you can find. We still have a lifetime of up, down, fights and joy ahead of us; but we will take them one day at a time. I have had days when I wasn't sure today would be here, but it is and "grateful" just doesn't convey how I feel for the doctors, surgeons, nurses, techs, paramedics, flight crews, family and friends who have walked this road with us and prayed and fought with us to have Micah here today. I love you all so much!!!