Where did those 15 years go???????

Well, today my Jacob Douglas is 15 years old. I cannot believe it.
15 years ago today was the happiest and most terrifying day of my life.
Jacob took all day to come. I was in labor for about 8 hours and then ended up with a C- section because Jacob's cord was around his neck.
So off to the ER and the surprise......."It's a boy.....It's a BIG boy!" said Dr. Karnes. They brought him around to our side of the drape and we saw our long awaited son. He was of course, Beautiful!
We had no idea that just a few moments later, on his way up to OB he turned blue and had to be resuscitated. And then in the recovery room Doug and I, so excited about our new baby saw Dr. Karnes walk in and he tells us that Jacob is having trouble breathing. What did that mean? Would he be ok? Dr. Karnes honestly did not know.
I told Doug to please go up and be with him. He didn 't want to leave me, but I didn't want our baby to die without one of us with him. So he went. And I laid there shivering and afraid, begging God to let him be ok. And then I got hysterical and the intern, Dr. C came in and I heard him run out in the hall and grab a dr to order a sedative because "her son was just born with a congenital heart defect." WHAT???
What did that mean? I imagined him dying or living but needing a heart transplant. I imagined alot of things. I was so scared. Would I ever get to hold him? Would I ever get to tell him "Hi, I'm your mommy."?
Soon, my mom and two of my sisters were there. They didn't say much, just held my hand as we waited. Soon a pediatrician came in and tried to explain what was going on but I was so drugged up I didn't understand much of it. I cannot remember what he said, other than those words again...."congenital heart defect". Finally they took me upstairs and I saw him through the glass. He was 9#, 12 oz of ticked off baby. There was nothing wrong with his lungs....well there was but apparently he didn't know it. I wanted him so bad. Everyone could go in, but me. I was helpless on that bed on wheels. Finally in my room, they wheeled him in. He was still screaming. I couldn't hold him, just put my hand in and touch his fingers. I said to him "Baby, it's me, momma." in the sing song voice I had used all through my pregnancy. He immediately turned his head towards me and stopped screaming. And then they took him in an ambulance to Butterworth Hospital in Grand Rapids. And left me in Muskegon. Doug was so torn. He was so lost. I will never forget the look on his face. Thank God for good friends and a good pastor. Jon Rager and Pastor McNeil and Mark took Doug down to Butterworth. They sat in a little room for a very long time before a heart specialist came in. He told Doug that he had checked Jacob over completely. Whatever they had seen in Muskegon was gone now. All they found was a small neumothorax in one lung. They were dumbfounded. At Muskegon they scrambled to explain what had happened. We knew...........God had healed our son in the ambulance on the way to Butterworth. HE is the reason Jacob is 15 today! What a celebration in my hospital room in Muskegon when they called and told me JACOB IS OK!!!!!!
The next few days were rough, being seperated from him. The picture of me and him is the first time I held him. He was born on Wed. evening and I held him on Saturday afternoon.
FAST FORWARD to today. He is a great kid. Yes, he has that teenager attitude sometimes. He is such an encouragement to me. He is funny. He is a good brother (most of the time :) He loves video games and movies. His best friend is Ross. His buddy Chris comes to the door and says "Can Jake hang out?" instead of "Can Jacob play?" He is having a boy/girl birthday party this Friday night!
HAPPY BIRTHDAY, JACOB DOUGLAS!!!! I will never forget what a miracle you are!!!!