Oh where to begin..............I am not sure how to start this, so I guess I will start at "the Koon" family beginning. In April of 2003, Matt and I began dating. And finally, in May 2005, he finally asked the question and we were married on June 10, 2006. I considered our life normal, like that of most newlyweds. We spent fall in the Grove cheering on the Rebels, our spring and summer traveling. Basically, we were having a ball, enjoying life and not realizing how quickly life can change.
In June of 2009, we went to Jamaica with our friends, Bill and Randa. We came home feeling like we were totally recharged and ready to go. Several weeks later, I remember going to the gym as was my usual routine. I started up my eliptical and was ready to go was usual 45 minutes. Not long into it, I just could not go, I was physically exhausted and I had not done anything that day. I called Matt laughing that I was just fat and lazy and that I was going home to sleep. Over the next few days I found myself more and more tired, even falling asleep at random places (like the chair in Matt's office). Well, I knew it was the worst, I was dying of a terrible disease. I just knew it. Well, on July 10, while at the Mattox cabin at Darden Lake while setting up for a baby shower, I was diagnosed. I was pregnant!!!! We were completely shocked, excited, and scared to death.
We told my parents first by showing my dad the new book Matt was reading,
What to Expect for Expecting Fathers. Excited was not even the word. The following Sunday, while eating lunch at Mama Jean's (Matt's grandmother), we surprised his family by getting our niece who was 3 to put on a t-shirt that said "I am the big cousin." When Mrs. Brenda (Matt's mom) saw it she started crying, this was the first time I ever remember her crying. Which was shocking because this lady is tough, hello birth to six kids!!! And the celebrating continued on with us telling all our friends.
Other than morning sickness that seemed to last all day, I had a great pregnancy. Everything was routine. On October 20, we found out it was a boy!!! Another little football player. We already had the name, Jacob Howell Koon, aka, Jake. Now let me pause to tell you the humerous part of his name. It was going to be Boyd until we heard a country song coming home from a doctor's visit, mentioning naming your baby after your grandmother. We thought hey, Mama Jean's maiden name was Howell!! So there is was. Jacob was for my Paw-Paw Jake. After telling my grandmother this, she tells me his name was not really Jake it was Marvin Randolph. Really, cause everybody knows that Jake is short for Marvin Randolph! Oh well, that is my family, got to love 'em.
After lunch on December 9, I e-mailed and said I was a little worried Jake I hadn't felt Jake move. I had to be at his office after school for a party I was hosting so we decided to call the nurse then. I called her and she said, eat some chocolate and drink caffine and see what we get.; I did and maybe it was just wishfully thinking, but I really thought that night I felt some flutters. The next morning while getting ready I began to doubt I had felt something. I remember being in the bathroom getting ready and Matt rubbing my belly saying "come on lil buddy.";I went to school and after 2nd period called the nurse back. She told me to come on to the Women's Center. To make a long painful story short, at 9:52 am, the doctor said the words, "It is the worst possible..."; That is all I heard, for our life, as we knew it was over. There was no heartbeat. The rest is fuzzy. On December 11th at close to midnight I delivered the most beautiful baby boy. He was perfect, except for one thing. On December 14, we buried our baby boy.
The next several months, we survived that is all I can say. And only because of our faith, family, and friends. In August 2010, we found out we were expecting again, only this time there was no "normal" pregnancy. We were terrified from the start. We spent the next 30 something weeks walking on eggshells and going to doctor's appointments. However, on March 25 after spending the night in the hospital for observation, we learned we were going to induce. This baby was coming!!! Let me back up and tell you we did not know the gender, we didn't care just a baby, plus it was lots of fun driving our families crazy!! Oh and there was no definite name either. Well, at 11:33 pm we had a baby. A GIRL!!! After Matt took a poll in the delivery room, we decided on Mattox Sims, MAttie Sims as we call her. A dark hair, blue eyed baby girl and like her big brother/guardian angel she was perfect.
Life again took a change, as we changed our selfish ways to dote on this angel. We are loving every second of it!!! We take no moment with her for granted. Even simple things like scrubbing rice cereal off the counter (cause that stuff is like glue) will put a smile on my face. I am blessed to have diapers to change, bottles to warm, and sleepless nights. And this is just the beginning of the Koon Family Saga.
