My baby was due in September. There had been some previous problems in this pregnancy. High blood pressure and bad spells of vomiting were just the beginning. I was hospitalized twice for these problems maybe two months before actually going into active labor. During these stays at the hospital they started giving shots of steroids to mature lungs in case of premature labor, which was a good idea.

On July 13, 2005, this day seemed to be an ordinary day. I lay down for bed at about 9:30 p.m. and that's when the pains started. The hospital is about 30 minutes away from my house, but by that time the pains were worsening. They checked me and I was only 2 centimeters dilated. They had given me magnesium in my IV to stop labor but that didn't work. They soon noticed that when I had a contraction the baby's heart rate would drop.

The next morning they then transferred me to UTMB in Galveston, Texas, about four hours away, because they weren't equipped for premature births. UTMB thought it best to do an emergency Cesarean section. I was then prepped. At last, here he came weighing 1 pound, 16 ounces. His lungs were already mature. No ventilator was used, just a little time on cpap was all. He had some small issues, tubes for feeding, IVs, and just machines to monitor vitals. Other than that he was a very healthy preemie.

Today he is a very healthy 15-month-old. I thank God every day because the doctors said that it was a small chance he wasn't going to make it. Just remember that God won't give any more than you can bear.