I found out I was pregnant with my first child, a boy, in 1999. He was due 03/14/2000. I was not one of the lucky girls whose nausea went away after the first trimester. I was nauseous and getting sick my whole pregnancy. I gained 27 pounds and was healthy, as was my little boy. I was just sick and sleepy all the time.

I knew he was a boy before they told me. I had dreamed about him.

Then on the night of March 2, my husband was sleeping and I was up all night as usual with heartburn and nausea. But this night was different. I could not hold anything down, not even water. I felt so weird and restless. I would lie down and feel like I needed to stand up. Or I would be standing and want to lie down. All this time I was running to the bathroom to get sick.

Then I noticed just before the sun came up that I had lost some of my mucous plug. I knew it could be some time before I went into labor, but something told me to shower and braid my hair so my hair did not knot up while in labor.

I lay down with my husband and woke him just before his alarm went off. I told him I could not stop getting sick. I didn't want him to take off from work for no reason. He said that if I got sick again to call the doctor, and not a minute after he said that I ran to the bathroom. We called the doctor and they told us to go to labor and delivery just in case. He called work. They didn't believe he needed the day off. Boy, would they be surprised!

We got our bags together and drove five minutes to the hospital. I am so thankful we lived close. I went up to labor and delivery. They put me in a room, gave me a gown and asked for a urine sample. I changed, gave them the sample and sat down.

They put a monitor on my belly and started to take my blood pressure. Before she could get a reading, I was trying to sit up. I felt as if I couldn't breathe. She said to lie back. As she said that I saw little spots and the room went black from the outside to the center of my vision. I was having a seizure.

My husband was standing over me scared to death. I awoke vomiting bile into a cup he was holding. The nurse was yelling for help. There were people everywhere, the nurse was telling them my blood pressure. She asked if I had pain in my stomach. I said yes.

One nurse was trying to give me am IV and she messed up; that hurt. Then they gave me papers to sign while they gave me a catheter; I screamed.

They wheeled me out of the room, leaving my husband alone in the room. I had eclampsia and my baby's heart was barely beating. They put my on the table, laid me flat, put a warming blanket on my legs and washed me down with iodine. I was terrified. Then they said to take 10 breaths; I only remember taking two.

I got to the hospital at 11:04 a.m. My son was born at 11:23 a.m. This all happened so fast. They said if I had not got to the hospital when I did, my husband would have been gone for work, and the baby and I would have died. My son was a miracle to my family.

I woke in the recovery room in agonizing pain, begging them to roll me on my side and give me a pillow. They had just preformed surgery on my stomach and laid me out flat. That made no sense to me. I later found out that they did not expect me to wake up yet. So they had not given me anything for pain yet.

I screamed for my husband or mother-in-law to help. My husband was still with our son. He did not know what I was going through but his mother was outside. She ran in to comfort me, telling them to give me a pillow and roll me to my side. They did as she said and I fell asleep from the shock of it all.

They took me to see my son through the glass of the nursery. I was on a bed and he seemed so far away. We had both lost a lot of blood and I had a fever so I did not get to hold him until after my blood transfusion and fever went down.

I was up walking within 12 hours. I wanted to see my son. The doctor and nurses were surprised to see me up. They were anticipating having to pit me in ICU. But I'm a fighter; I wanted my boy. My lips and skin were pale form the blood loss, but I was walking to my son.

I'll never forget holding him in my arms. I love him so much. He was 8 pounds, 4 ounces. He is 7 now with a little 2-year-old sister and a baby sister on the way.

October 2003 I found out I was pregnant with our daughter. She was due 07/12/2004. We had a scheduled Cesarean section 07/01/2004. I had some small contractions the night before. My body knew we were having a baby in the morning.

All went well. Our scheduled time was pushed back due to someone's emergency C-section. I was very understanding and wished that family the best. I got my IV, catheter, and they took my hubby off to change. I was taken to the OR and given a spinal. This was scary, but went well. I remember them asking for the dad like three times; they almost forgot him.

They finally went to get him. He came in and I was open. He was white from shock. The nurses and I asked if he was OK. Then they said, "Dad, get a picture; here she is." We waited for her cry, and when we heard it we cried. They brought her to me. She was so beautiful, white and puffy like a marshmallow.

Baby and dad went to our room. They finished up with me, and went to the room with them. I nursed her as soon as I got to the room. She was making a cute little grunting sound that indicated she had fluid in her lungs. I was so sad when they had to put her in the NICU.

She was put on antibiotics for seven days. We were lucky enough to stay five of the days at the hospital with her, and were sent home for the last two. I was so angry and sad. But I came three times a day to nurse her and bring the milk I pumped for her. She was 6 pounds, 4.5 ounces.

Now she is 2 1/2 and waits for her new baby sister, kissing Mom's belly and saying, "My sister."

I am due 05/12/2007 with our third child. I have not been given my scheduled C-section date yet. But we are so exited!

Thanks for reading our story.