Friday, January 16, 2009

Happy Birthday Dave!

Today is Dave's 15th Birthday! Can you believe it? Us either! But then again that is what we said 15 years ago.... let me take you back.

Well I'll actually take you back a tad bit further.... In Sept of 1993, I worked as a Supervisor at KFC, I fell one night at work and hit my head on the drive thru window, forcing me to the ER. Thankfully Kevin and I were engaged at the time so he went with me, instead of my parents. While at the ER they had to ask a series of questions including "Ms. Ruiz, is there a chance you are pregnant?" I hope not my parents would kill me was my response. Well do you have sex? said the doctor Ummm yeah (as we both turn bright red at the question) Well then we need to do a blood test, because you will have no tests done until we know....
1 hour later
"Ms. Ruiz do you like boys or girls?"
"Um, boys (obviously) why?"
"Because you are going to have one in 9 months!"

Oh did I forget the best part.... I was 17 and a Senior in High School. Kevin was 19! oh yea.... and my parents, welllll My Dad is a pastor, my mom the pastors wife! I could have died! So we warn Virgil (14) and Sara (11) and tell them first that we are gonna tell mom and dad tonight so they can leave the room, or city whichever they felt was better! :)
The following night at my parents house here is the conversation
"Jill, (my mom) Jode and I need to talk to you and Dave" Kevin says
" Why? What? If she is pregnant (turns to me) you better go get your Dad"
I walk out of the room.... to get my Dad!
Ok my poor parents, while I sound harsh on them, Can you imagine what it would be like for your teenage daughter to tell you she is pregnant. I look at Dave now, and think I would have killed me! :)

Ok back to my story, We moved our wedding date up from May 28, 1994 to Sept. 19, 1993. My bridesmaids, family and friends sat at my parents dining room table to "cream out" (white out with color) my wedding invitations. I will say because we were already engaged and had been since February, we had bought quite a bit of stuff so that was nice... in a interesting situation.



Now 15 years ago, I am in my kitchen in our studio apartment and all the sudden there is water everywhere! I mean everywhere... Kevin says' Jody, don't just stand there, go to the bathroom! Um hello stupid It's not pee, I think my water just broke! So we call my mom, and check this out speed, run red lights you name it to get to base, after all the baby was going to be born any minute right??
We had been to ONE, count that one Lamaze class. And Dave was 6+ weeks early... The AF doesn't send you to those classes until later in your pregnancy. So here we are in the hospital and yeahhhh he's not coming anytime soon. I am scared to death of needles, still am to this day, so I did 31 hours of labor in that hospital all natural! My parents and Kevin were there the whole time, Sara and Virgil I think came and went.
Finally at 5:32 P.M. January 16, 1994 David Alexander Cooper was born, breech, butt first! I will never forget the feeling I got when I held him for the first time! All 6 of my kids are my babies, and I will never favor, but there is something about the first time to be a mom!




Because of my age and due to him being so premature, we had to stay at the hospital for 10 days! My parents came every day, 2-3 times a day, Virgil and Sara came, it was awesome! I had to call school and tell the secretary that I was missing finals, I had a baby! Ohhhhh my huh!

We get asked all the time about being such young parents, and I will say this, I grew up, Kevin grew up, I am not sure we should have gotten married as young as we did. But I do know this, Neither of us would ever change, when and where we had Dave! He is so awesome (as are the other 5) I missed my Senior year, I missed Prom, I passed my Senior year and no not barely, I worked my butt off that year and most of the time did Dave by myself (with Sara's help) because at the time Kevin worked a 4 days gone, 4 days home shift! While I do not want my kids to ever go through what Kevin and I have, the one thing we would never change is him! :)

Davey, as we all called him, took this the day after I graduated from High School!

First Day Of Kindergarten, Spangdahlem Germany He was now to be called David

First Prom, 2006


Our Son, the band nerd... but he is actually pretty good! :)
My poor son! He misses his friends from Germany so bad! You know the kid you always hear about that has friends of all kinds, that is Dave!

6 comments:

Lesley said...

such a handsome boy....and what a story....You have done an amazing job....and look how he's turned out....such a good kid....

Nelson Family of 7 said...

Awww-they grow up so fast! I love the old pictures! Also love the pictures of Kevin-the girls did such a great job-he looked so pretty-lol!!!

Leslie said...

WOW!!!!! What an amazing story!! man I can't imagine being 17 and having to tell my parents that you are pregnant?? and I am mormon! that would have been sooooo extremely hard!!!!!!! I don't know what I would have done had that every happend to me????? but look at what a handsome son you guys have! in that picture of the three of you you guys look soooo young!! which I know you were. Just crazy to see. I am so glad it all worked out for you guys!!! Happy birthday Dave!!!!!

S.Brigman said...

Happy Birthday, Dave! Great story, Jod!! Thanks for sharing!

Marie said...

I had never heard the whole story before! He was so cute and glasses at 18 months! Wow! You guys have done a good job with him!

Maggie said...

Happy Birthday, Dave!!! Wow, Jody, what an amazing story!!! (I can not believe you had him all natural!!! YOU ARE SO BRAVE!!!) I had Josh when I was 20, we were still really young even then and didn't know the first thing about babies, so I can totally relate to your story. We were also on a military base (Ft. Lewis, WA) as Josh's dad was in the Army at the time. I'm so glad that everything worked out for you guys. Dave is such a handsome young man. I didn't realize that he and Josh were so close in age, only a year a part.

"Its so easy to compare ourselves and our families to some fictional expectation. Its much harder to listen to God's urgings and be content with how He wants us to be." Carla~
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