Simon

Simon. When we found out I was  pregnant with Simon, Bridgette was seven, we thought we were not going to have anymore children although there was always a feeling that we weren't done. We were nervous, I was not prepared physically, we were not sure if we were up to having a newborn. There were also the questions,"What if it is a boy?", "Will he have disabilities?" During the pregnancy I had everything planned for an easy return home after a worry free regular delivery we would slip back into our routine. The ultrasounds showed Simon was fine, however at about 36 weeks I started to go into pre-eclampsia, a few days later Simon was born after a hurried c-section and from there my best laid plans went awry! Simon had trouble breathing immediately and hours later his lung collapsed, and then the other was threatening to do the same, he was airlifted to Children's Hospital. The next 48 hours were traumatic. He had several chest tubes and was on a ventilator, he was very sick. He was supposed to stay in the NICU for a month but his recovery went so well he was home in two weeks. I remember the nurses telling me Simon was feisty, he was a fighter, they said even under the highest doses of sedation he would still be kicking his legs. He stayed true to form upon returning home!

Simon was cute, very cute! He was thin everywhere except for his chubby cheeks. He cried a lot, he was cranky but he laughed easily. I remember the first time he laughed he was only 2 months old, Bridgette was trying to put a shoe on his little foot and he laughed out loud, it was bizarre and so wonderful at the same time. He was curious about the world and had to be in on the action. He especially loved Rick, he still does, they are best friends. Rick sat by his bed those first few days in the NICU while I was recovering in a hospital a half hour away. Rick would read to him and hold his hand, I think they developed a bond that will last forever.

Simon also has a knack for getting into trouble. From the time he could get around he began to torment his siblings. He fell down the stairs when he was just barely one and broke his arm, he was in a cast for 6 weeks, that was fun! He choked on a nut and them aspirated it (I know, he should not have had a nut) whereupon he had to have a delicate surgery to remove it from the lung. He is sick often, poor guy. He has breathing problems especially when he is sick but he recovers and is back to living at full speed. He was given a toy lawn mower by a friend when he had just turned one and he loves it. Even on super hot days you will see him out mowing the lawn behind his Dad or Ricky and Ammon. He loves to work and copy what all the big kids are doing.

Simon is tenacious, perhaps the most strong willed person I have ever known, and I have known some doozies! He loves anything on wheels, especially motor bikes. He loves anything to do with space. Simon is a natural with animals, he thinks they are fun. He loves to learn, especially learning the hard way! He loves his friends and would rather be playing with them than doing almost anything else. We love Simon, he requires a lot of patience some days but he is always ready to give hugs and make someone laugh. We look forward to the next 20 years, he is going to do some great things, I just hope we can keep up!

Here he is showing his handsome face. The other is a photo from the Science center, he's blasting off!