Auguri Danny!

Danny, age 9

Happy birthday to Danny, who is now 9 years old! I can't believe that 9 years ago I was lucky enough to give birth to Danny, my super special boy! He was so tiny, only 2.3 kilos, and born premature at only 34 weeks. Waiting for Danny I spent 8 months on bedrest, 3 of those months in the hospital attached to an IV 24 hours a day for weeks on end. But, after having had 3 miscarriages, I was willing to "sit tight" and subject myself to whatever it took to get that baby out alive! I had lots of support from around the world, people in prayer groups who didn't even know me were praying for me, not to mention the love of family and friends.

After having been through the grief of the miscarriages, I was too afraid to invest too much emotionally in the pregnancy and its outcome. I didn't want to get my hopes up, because I was so afraid that something would go wrong. Every day I was amazed to still be pregnant. It was a long and scary 8 months . . . When Danny was finally born (in an emergency caesarean section, because I had INTRAHEPATIC CHOLESTASIS OF PREGNANCY (ICP), they kept him two floors above me, first in an incubator, and then in the nursery. I was afraid to pick him up and hold him at first - he was so small and seemed so fragile. But, once we got home and had more time together we bonded so intensely in a way I never could have imagined!

In Italian they more often say "auguri" rather than the more direct translation of "happy birthday" which is "buon compleanno." Auguri is more all-purpose, it is used to say "Merry Christmas", "Happy Easter", "Congratulations" and on a whole host of other occasions where well-wishing is in order.

So, my wish for Danny is "auguri" for his birthday and that all good things may come his way!