Sometimes I Write

In the room down the hall sleeps an adorable two year old boy. Tucked under his arm is a squishy basketball and a baby pooh bear. His sippy cup is well within reach and he is snuggled under his race car blanket. He is the baby of the family, which I’m sure he thinks is both a blessing and a curse. Petey is two years old today. We celebrated with birthday jello and a trip to the McDonald’s playland. He played hard today, like he always does. Here’s a bit of his story.

Zoe was six months old when I discovered I was pregnant. Talk about shock! You have to read my posts about Max and Zoe to fully appreciate my surprise! He was totally unexpected, but I hated it when people referred to him as an “oops” baby. He is no such thing! The pregnancy started off well, but fatigue became an issue by the end. It was easier being pregnant with my first child because I didn’t have a preschooler and a baby to take care of. But the real challenge came from the insurance company.

We had moved to Kansas three months before I found out I was pregnant. In switching insurance companies, there was a 240 day waiting period to have maternity coverage. If I delivered the baby before day 240, insurance wouldn’t pay a penny. Pete was due on day 239. So we had people praying I wouldn’t go into labor early, especially since we needed a scheduled c-section. He was due December 26th, we couldn’t deliver before the 27th, and that was a Saturday. The hospital doesn’t schedule c-sections over the weekend, so we had to wait until Monday the 29th. We prayed and prayed, and I put myself on bed rest the last few weeks of December. He was born right on schedule – Thank God! Now, two years later, I feel silly about worrying so much. I know that God was (and is) in control, and if he had been born early, God would have provided the money for our medical expenses.

Pete Allen Nowell is named after his grandpa Pete, Benny’s stepdad. Pete is a wonderful man, and I was so excited to be able to honor him by carrying on his name through our son. Allen is a family name and we decided all of our boys would share the same middle name. His name means “Rock”, and he is one strong and tough little guy!

Almost from the beginning Pete has struggled with skin problems, and other health issues. Our doctor thought it was probably eczema, but he wasn’t sure. Medicinal treatments were unsuccessful, and we were sent to a dermatologist for further testing. The guy took one look at Pete, asked me a few questions and prescribed a very expensive cream (that insurance didn’t cover) and told us it would solve Pete’s skin problems. He was a cocky jerk, and I should have gotten a second opinion. Pete cried everytime we put the cream on him, so I stopped. He was small enough that he couldn’t communicate with words, but the deep scratch marks all over his body and the constant rash told his story. I was feeling so helpless and defeated when we found a new hope through a chiropractor friend of ours. Dr. Todd Farney was treating Benny for back problems, and I can’t remember how they got on the subject of Pete, but Todd agreed to check him out too. He suggested the possibility of food allergies and told us about a blood test that could tell us what Pete might be allergic to, and we readily agreed to it. Two weeks later we found out Pete is severely allergic to milk and a host of other foods. (That was right about the time I started blogging last year.) Removing the offending foods from his diet and regular chiropractic care improved Pete’s skin problems and other health issues almost immediately. He was a different baby. He was happier, and the sinus problems cleared up. He started sleeping better which meant I did too. Over the past year we began re-introducing the offending foods to check for sensitivities. The skin problems slowly returned. We had him retested a month ago and he is still allergic to most of what he originally tested sensitive to. That is why we had birthday jello today – he can’t eat cake, even in small quantities.

Despite all of the special needs he has had and the sometimes painful state his little body has been in, he is one of the happiest little boys I know. He has quite a sense of humor, and like his brother, he is “all boy”. He is our sports nut, and there isn’t a single ball he doesn’t love. At this point he prefers basketballs and baseballs, but he loves them all. He even prays to dream about them at night. 🙂 He too is an eager learner and wants to “do school too mommy” when Max and I are working. He is fascinated by animals and scared of loud noises. He and I have a little game we like to play. I ask him, “Are you my baby?” He smiles and says, “No”. “Are you my little boy?” “No” “Well then who are you?” and he makes up a name or a word, usually one of our family’s names, or an object in the room. I didn’t teach him this, he taught me. Smart kid.

He wakes up too early in the morning for my taste, then he climbs into our bed to cuddle. He can be sound asleep and still hear Max or Zoe come in. He immediately slams himself against me and possessively says, “My turn cuddle mommy!” He’s a fighter, which is probably common for being the baby of the family. Maybe I need to read The Birth Order Book after all. While Max and Zoe love to play together, Pete is content to play alone. He is a bit territorial, and what’s his is his. He hasn’t caught on to the whole sharing concept yet, but I know he will. He loves to sing and dance, and can’t help but move when he hears music of any kind. He has a tender heart, and tries his best to kiss owies away for his brother and sister. He loves to eat, and had mastered the fork and spoon by 18months old. His vocabulary is amazing for his age. Another advantage to being the baby I guess. What Max learns he does his best to teach Zoe and Petey and they both soak it up. He also has really good balance and motorskills. He has a great sense of humor and he is my goofy kid. Angi says he has Benny’s sense of humor. He’s my athletic comedian. Is that a strange combination or what?

I look forward to seeing the changes that will take place in him through the next year, and the years after that. I’m so thankful God brought that little blessing to our family. I can’t imagine life without him. I never believed it when people said all three of my children would be completely different, but they are…and I wouldn’t have it any other way. Happy Birthday Petey!