The Story of Elijah Luke's Life

 "Nine-year-old boys usually turn ten at some point. It's the nineteen-year-olds who have difficulty turning twenty." John Boyne

Can you hear the cry seeping out from the picture above? 

I can.

John can. 

People who know the story can. 

Because it was a cry I never, ever thought I would hear. 

And even after it's promised arrival, we thought at the last minute, it was gone before we even heard it.

After ten years of marriage and doing every form of infertility treatment known to man and adopting the most precious little boy we could ever imagine, we found out we were miraculously pregnant. 

When my doctor confirmed Elijah's conception she said to me: "I'll be honest with you. I really never thought I'd have this conversation with you."

We named him Elijah (Jehovah is God) Luke (a physician in the Bible).

And then it was time for his birth. 
Everyone in the room knew this child was a miracle.
These were John's coworkers and our friends delivering this baby.
Thirty-six hours of labor.
Three hours of pushing.

My good friend Leeann on the left was there for much of the labor and the delivery. We've stayed good friends to this day!

And his heart rate was acting up. He was not happy. 

So a STAT c-section was ordered and we rushed back to the Emergency Room. 

As they pulled him from me, I remember hearing so many sounds I hadn't expected ...

running.
whispers.
concerns.
fears.
And no cries. 
No baby was crying. 
I remember thinking: "Isn't the baby supposed to cry?"

I heard them say that his APGAR score was a one. (Or maybe I learned that after. I truly can't remember.) I knew that one was the lowest score you could have.

John came over and looked at me, the bottom half of his face hidden behind a mask. 

"Is he okay?" I asked. "Tell me he is okay."

And I remember the look in John's eyes. 
It was FEAR.
He was TERRIFIED
He wanted to say SOMETHING.
But there was NOTHING to say.
And his eyes locked with mine and fear registered ...

I started screaming. 
I was tearing at my arm restraints. 
I wanted to get off the table. 

I heard someone say: "We need to give her something." 

I heard them ask John what they should give me and he shook his head and said he couldn't make that decision. 

He had to just be a husband. And a dad. 

I couldn't see anyone. But I could hear our friend Kacey who was helping with the section. I started asking her questions as the drugs to calm me down started flowing through my veins.

I fought losing consciousness. 

I had to see if he lived.

And I realized Kacey was giving me the answers she had to give.

"They're doing their best."
"You just rest."
"He's in the best hands."

But I was fighting. And I prayed Elijah was fighting. And I remember thinking with complete clarity:

God, really? After all this? You give me a child from my womb and then you take him from me? Like this? How can I go on? How will I live?!

And then I remember our little eight-month-old Isaac at home, and I thought:

I will live for him.

And then. In a moment. There was a cry. And another. And another. And he was screaming. And John rushed over to me and told me that he was okay. That he was totally fine. He had taken a picture of him on his camera to prove it to me.

Fifteen long minutes had passed and a tube had been thrust down Elijah's throat, but they had pulled it out because he was awake and totally fine.

I looked over at Dr. Goodemote, my miracle doctor who had battled so much infertility of her own.

And this is what I saw:

Later Dr. G. would come to my room and tell me that, "Yes, I thought we might lose him on my watch." And she said she couldn't be sure about brain damage but with him inheriting John's brain, a few lost brain cells would probably be okay anyway.

I would face more battles after his birth with multiple infections and my bowels shutting down. But a week after he was born, we went home, a family of four.

And then he grew. And his big brother called him "Sidge-uh" and around two years old he asked for us to only call him Sidge. And it became his very often used nickname.

And today he turns TEN. One decade. A decade ago I went in and almost lost him but he survived and we were able to keep him and raise him.

Celebrating ten years with this passionate miracle. He loves animals and nature and his gift is truly, like his Daddy, in his BRAIN! He is so smart and so perceptive. And I have no doubt he will live his whole life in the country surrounded by nature and animals. 

I love you, Elijah Luke "Sidge"! Thanks for letting me be your Mama!

 

P.S. To read about the day we announced we were adopting Isaac, click here.
P.S. To read about Isaac's birth mom, click here.
P.S. To read the story of Elijah's entrance to the world click here.
P.S. To read the story of me finding out I was pregnant, click here.
P.S. To read about