In my twitter update today I mentioned Michael and his visit from the infant educator. Now I want introduce Michael to all readers who do not know him yet.
As mentioned before I am a foster parent. Michael came to me when he was five months old through the foster care system. He was born 13 weeks premature and had a lot of health problems. At the time I got him he was in the hospital again. After I learned to know him a little and had received some training from hospital staff I was allowed to bring him home. Along with him came a heart monitor that he had to wear at all times, a nebulizer and about six different prescription medications. He was basically unresponsive and we were not sure if he could hear or see.
Many times during the first two weeks he was with me the alarm on the heart monitor would sound. Some times it was a false alarm and sometimes he had briefly stopped breathing. Then early one morning the alarm went off and he had stopped breathing again. This time was different though because when I picked him up he did not start breathing again. I called him, shook him gently and still nothing happened. I grabbed the phone and called 911 and prepared to start CPR. Then he gasped and started breathing again. In the hospital that night and over the next couple of weeks in the hospital he did the same thing numerous times. Finally surgery was done to widen his airways. Six weeks after that frightening night he came home again.
His breathing problems were much better although he still had to have regular nebulizer treatments for awhile. Slowly he began to develop and his own personality began to show through. Now at 30 months old he is walking, running, throwing a ball, beginning to potty train(his idea!), and amaze us every day. Developmentally he his from 18mn-30mn. with hi speech showing the biggest delay. He sees, he hears, and he communicates very well.
Every day when we look at him we know we are seeing a miracle from God!
As soon as I figure out how to post pictures I will be sure to post some of him.
By the end of March or beginning of April his adoption should be finalized and he will be child legally as he already is in my heart.
Very nice to "meet" you! I loved my many years of fostering, the good moments outweighed the bad so much.
ReplyDeleteLooking forward to getting to know you a bit better :)
PS try here for tips on how to do your blog:
http://www.bloggertipsandtricks.com/
I had a good friend who was in foster care, and it sucked. Since then, I've really wanted have foster children and even adopt some. I just love kids! (:
ReplyDeleteI cannot imagine the anxiety of not knowing whether your son would make it. I am so glad that he is doing well and is healthy!