Wow... Zack will be 17 in two days. When Ashli was a baby, our friends Dave and Monica had a gorgeous baby boy named Travis. He had dark hair and dark eyes, and we thought "We want one of those!" 9 months and one week after Travis was born, we had our own little dark haired baby boy. Zack was born four hours after we got to the hospital. My brother Ted and my sister Tami were there with us. My sisters Tawni and Tara were tending Ashli for us at our house in Salt Lake. When Kurt went down to the nursery to get Zack, his little bed was surrounded by doctors. They wouldn't tell Kurt anything, but the look on his face when he came back to my hospital room is something I'll never forget. I knew immediately something was wrong. Zack was rushed to Primary Childrens' Medical Center on a Life Flight chopper. They wheeled him into my room before they left and I got to touch his hand through the incubator he was in. It would be a week before I would hold my baby again. Kurt's sister Stephanie met him at Primary Childrens' and my sister Tami stayed with me at Pioneer Valley Hospital for the 12 hours they made me stay. When they wheeled me out to her car, with a diaper bag on my lap instead of a baby, it was so awful. Zack was eventually diagnosed with idiopathic cardiopulmonary hypertension, which basically meant that he had high pressure in his heart and lungs for unknown reasons. They kept him in the Newborn ICU for 21 days and basically just treated his symptoms, since they couldn't find a cause for it. Kurt and I spent every single day by his side. Our family, friends from Grantsville and friends from Salt Lake were wonderful. Dixie took Ashli down to Spring City and made her a bunch of new clothes. Ken fed her spaghettios and mashed potatoes and they spoiled her rotten. Teri came to the hospital every day, and always brought something for Ashli or medical supplies for us to use when we eventually got Zack home. It was such a roller coaster. The doctors told us on three different occasions that we could take Zack home the next day, so we'd arrive at the hospital with his clothes, car seat and baby quilts, and they'd have decided he needed to stay longer. We met some amazing people that we'll never forget during our time. Bill and Kristy were waiting for a heart for their son Colby and we saw the helicopter land outside Zack's window when it arrived. They really do carry them in Igloo coolers! Kurt looked forward to the "Hospitality Cart" daily, and he and Bill bought basketball cards by the dozens from the gift shop. Troy, Bill and Kurt gave Zack a blessing before his heart cath and even Uncle Matt came to the hospital the day of the procedure. Grandma Becca had the whole family fast and pray for little Zack that morning, and all went well, so we finally got to take him home on March 1. He was on oxygen for six months at home, but we took him everywhere with his little oxygen tank. He went to the zoo, to ball games, just everywhere we went. Ashli adored him and called him her "biddy budder". He brought something very special to our family. Every day when we arrived at Primary Childrens, it seemed like one of the preemies or RSV babies had died during the night. We were grateful for every day that Zack was screaming and mad at the world. And, boy, was he mad! He'd had IV's in every vein you can imagine and has a cowlick where they finally had to place his first IV in his head. From the beginning, you knew Zack was in the room. And still do! He can't stand silence. From the first day of his life, he was surrouned by beeps and buzzers and nurses talking all around him, so he makes sure there's always background noise in our house now. We are still grateful every day that Zack is here. And we can't believe it's been 17 years since he was born. We are so blessed to have this amazing son. He's funny, gorgeous, he has integrity and a heart of gold. He'll spend his last dollar to get someone else a drink at 7-11 and we just love being around him.
And the day after Zack's birthday will be my nephew Landen's. Tawni tried SO long to have her babies. We all knew she'd be an amazing Mom, and it was heartbreaking when it just didn't happen for her and Mark for so many years. When Logan was born, it was a miracle and we were so thrilled. He was an adorable baby (even though he looked just like his Dad!) And it was amazing that Landen came along so soon after Logan. They were worth the wait and we love them both so much.
Happy Birthday to Colton and Jordan on the 1st, Aunt Suzie on the 4th, Mom who would have been 61 on the 7th, Zack on the 8th, Landen on the 9th, Kurt on the 14th, Ted and Joey's as yet unborn son on the 19th, Paul and Tawni on the 26th.