Mother's Day Celebration

My name is Shelby and I am the momma of a beautiful (I may be biased) 5 year old little boy, Colton. My husband, Evan, is an amazing man and we have been married for 8 months, but together for 6 and 1/2 years (feels like a lifetime though with all we've been through). I am a nurse in the Cath Lab; I started nursing school when Colton was 3 months old and finished before he turned 2 (even if it was 4 days before, lol). I grew up in Pocomoke and now live in Hebron where my husband and I recently bought our first house. Being a mother is my greatest accomplishment and Mother's Day is always a time of Celebration for me for many reasons!

5 years ago today I was celebrating my very first Mother's Day... I was celebrating more than that.
I was celebrating life.
I was celebrating not only this new life I had brought into the world, but my own life.
The day Colton was born was the most exciting day of our family's life but also the scariest!
As quick as the joy of seeing this sweet baby boy overcame us, fear swept in and overcame my family as I fought for my life.

I count my blessings EVERY SINGLE DAY! Labor was long and drawn out for me, my blood pressure spiked, I was in labor for 24 hours and pushed for almost 4 hours before we decided to have a C-Section. Everything was fine; I was in recovery celebrating with my family. I was bleeding a little, but everything was fine. I got dizzy, my color changed, and suddenly NOTHING was fine; I was bleeding, literally, to death.


Evan held me as they announced Code Blue over the intercom.
He held me as they started CPR.
He held me as they rolled me away from him back to the Operating Room.
In that moment he thought he would never hold me again. He thought he would be a single Dad to this gorgeous baby boy.
5 hours later he held me again as I lay in the ICU with machines doing everything for me.


The next day he held me as he told me in the mix of saving my life they had to do a hysterectomy.
He held me as I realized, at 23 years old, I would have no more children, I would never be pregnant again.
Two days later he held me as I held Colton and we were a family TOGETHER!

During this crazy, tough time for 2 young parents, someone told us that God only gives his toughest battles to his strongest soldiers.  It's what got us through! We knew in this time we had to be soldiers for this baby boy God had given us! We had to be strong! So that's what we did! We fought the battles together and 2 weeks later, we were home still fighting the battles TOGETHER! And we still fight battles, but we are His strongest Soldiers!


This week is always filled with mixed emotions for Evan and me!
Joy - because we have a beautiful baby boy that means the world to us and we love more than anything.  Grateful - because we were given the chance to raise him TOGETHER!  Excitement - as we watch the excitement take over our now 5 YEAR OLD as we celebrate his birthday.  Sadness - as we remember that day as if it were yesterday and how scary hearing "Code Blue" for your family member is. 
Today I look back and remember holding my Bunkin in ICU for the first time, I remember the feelings I went through finding out I would have no more children, I remember being angry, sad, depressed even, but today I am so Happy and Grateful for everything I have been given!


I get to Celebrate Mother's Day with my beautiful baby boy tomorrow!  I'm watching him grow everyday and get to enjoy the "pizza pie" and "pea salad" he just sat on my lap to "taste" anytime I want to!


HAPPY MOTHERS DAY, MOMMAS!!! Squeeze them extra tight!!!