Zach's Birthday

I can hardly believe that it's been 6 years since I had Zach! There is so much that I want to say but seeing that it is April (and poor Z is learning that it is our busiest month ever), I feel like I should write something before I forget. I was looking back on my blog at Z's old birthdays and I love that I have them documented back since his first ONEderful birthday.  I realized though that I never wrote about the story of his birth so I'm going to write some highlights... A cliff-note version if you will...

1. I was scared (that was my normal after losing Andrew) but my dad being LATE to come and watch the Bigs so we could get to the hospital for my c-section made me MAD (which was probably a good thing... not as much time to be scared). I wanted to kill him though. I called to see if he was on his way and AFTER I hung up the phone with him he jumped in the shower! Grrrr...

2. I was certain that Z was going to be a girl~ mostly because if he was, Jeff told me that we'd be done having babies... Ali was a tough baby and he said there was no way he would ever have three girls. We were so sure he was going to be a girl that we didn't really have any boy names.

3. I watched Z being born!!  It was the coolest thing I have ever seen!  Jeff could have looked too, but after peeking over the curtain when Al was born, he opted not to.  The way the mirror was placed, I didn't see any blood and he came out clean and beautiful and I got to announce, "It's a Boy!!"

4. Zach was named after a sweet golfer (nice guy) named Zach Johnson who happened to win the Masters that year. I wasn't crazy about the name Zachary at first, but there were a lot of names I REALLY didn't like.  His middle name was after my dad (though I wondered if we should change it after his being late...).

5. Zach was born on the same day as the Virginia Tech shootings (though I didn't learn about the shooting until a day later. That was before I kept blogs and had facebook and I didn't have the TV on right away.

6. Sue (who was head of HUGS at the time), asked if I would take part in a drill for the hospital.  They had drills to make sure no one could take a baby out of L & D but this one was to be one that they didn't know was coming.  I said sure.  There was a "kidnapper" who came in my room and they put a ankle bracelet that matched Zach's on the ankle of a cabbage patch doll and put the doll in a bag (I was actually shocked because the doll and Z were similar sizes).  My mom took Zach and hung out in my bathroom.  I remember that Jeff felt so bad about us doing this drill (we had an awesome nurse) that he left the hospital while it was going on.  I heard the buzzing and knew the kidnapper had left the labor and deliver area and the bracelet alarm worked.  I heard a ton of footsteps and shouting and in a minute (maybe less) my nurse showed up and asked where the baby was.  I lied and told her that I was sleeping and had assumed that she had taken him to get a hearing test or something.  She remained calm (though I saw panic in her eyes) and said she'd be right back.  I heard her scream something when my door closed and heard a lot of running.  In a few more minutes, my nurse was back (with the 'kidnapper') with her hand on her heart.  I felt horrible and apologized but she forgave me and said it was good to know that IF it had been the real thing they knew exactly what to do~ and they did!  I had all my babies always room with me (they never left but for a hearing test and the boys to have their circumcisions) so I felt really safe knowing that my babies were safe.

Another reason to love the hospital where I delivered my babies!!

 Now fast forward 6 years to Zach's birthday... He  had school but was up early (as were his sibs).  We all sang to him multiple times and I had put up some decorations for him to come down to.  I let him open one present (a Skylander which is what he's into right now). My mom was watching Sean so she was able to come over and celebrate too.

 I was glad that she was home because a few hours after the Bigs were in school, she got a call to get Joey.  Poor guy had a horrible case of the flu (which Sean already had and Z would later get).  It lasted only a day but was awful.  I felt terrible for poor Joe that he couldn't participate in the fun.

 It was a busy day... Jeff had parent/ teacher conferences and all three kids had practice (but with Joe sick that meant only two were going...).  Thank goodness for my mom who stayed with Joe while I was off playing taxi driver.  I really don't know what I would do without my parents!

 When I asked Z what he wanted for his birthday dinner, he said McDonald's (they had Skylander toys in their Happy Meals) and I said, "GREAT IDEA!" and I meant it.  A drive through saved me time and clean-up on our crazy day.  He opened the rest of his presents (from us and my folks~ he opened Grandma's presents earlier in the week) and soon we were off to practices.

 Z's practice started before Ali's so I dropped him off, then dropped her off, then picked him up and took him home (so he could play).  I called Jeff from Al's practice and asked him to pick up a cake on his way home.  With all the craziness, I had forgotten.  He and I were both on our way home (at 8) and he beat Al and I.  I loved that Jeff wrote Zach's name on his cake... or tried! :-)

 Overall it was a great day and we had a Happy Goose.  My dad came over while I was gone to relieve my mom (who had been there ALL DAY) so he got to sing and have some cake with us and see his "Best Buddy" who turned 6 the day before he turned 68.

 On the weekend, ALL of the Drapals came over and Z got some presents from Uncle Dan and Auntie Steph and the cousins. Papa got a kegarator from all his kids and grandkids (much to the dismay of my mom... sorry mom!).  We grilled and I got another store-bought cake and quickly penned some words on it (I don't think I did too much better than Jeff).  It was a great day and the cousins had a lot of fun playing!
Sto-Lat Zach... and of course you too Papa!