I'll have to start at the end.

With Mother's Day on the quick horizon it got me to thinking about being a mom. I have been a mom just short of half my life. And not to say that's a bad thing, but if you had told me at 15 years old(the age of my oldest, come this August) that in 3 short years you will have a baby and you will change every molecule of your life for this little person, I would have laughed at you.  So that being said and with Aaron Michael not having any idea, here is OUR Story. And now you can say you know one of us...

To start I have to go to the end… He was born healthy and perfect, 12:04AM Thursday August 13^th, 1998 in Toowoomba, Queensland, Australia.

You’ll ask a thousand questions on my journey of telling this story and go for it, ask away the more you ask the more you learn.

We rewind, simple because we have to.

There really isn’t a good place to start, It was a rather un-unique exchange I was sent to live in Toowoomba in January 1998, I was suppose to live with a family for a few months, yada yada yada and then move on but I had a wonderful family who took me in longer then expected. Our neighborhood was like many in our town, house after house. Beautifully landscaped, and for the most part I had a perfect experience: traveled the country, went to exchange camp, got to stand on the steps of the Sydney Opera House: it was for all I can say, Amazing.

So here's where it begins to get "INTERESTING" Mid August, 1998; approximately 2 days before my 8 month anniversary of living in Toowoomba, my life began to change.  It was a school holiday and my host mum had left for the morning, so as a teenage girl I slept in. While lying there in my super comfy bed, I had, I MEAN, had to go the bathroom I ran to the bathroom only to not make it in near enough time. I thought little of the events of that morning; they wouldn’t become prevalent, in fact, for days.

It was a Monday August 10th, 1998, I would spend the day relaxing enjoying my day off, nothing exciting.

I must explain, a few months earlier I had been diagnosed with TB, I had gone to camp with a girl from a country deep in an outbreak of TB. I was given the regimen of meds for TB and I was on my way, ps not meds that are great for woman with child. Saw my doctor every few weeks but for the most part I stayed healthy. I would have to say I got occasionally quezy but nothing I couldn’t handle. I was at best considered a BBW at 18 years old I was 5’11 and weighed roughly 325 lbs. I was a big girl. I had been told cycles could change and so don’t be shock if it doesn’t happen for a month, please again hold back your giggling.

I could explain away any crazy food cravings for being home sick or new things living in a new place. For their part my host family kept me pretty healthy, I was expected like all the other exchange students to walk home from school most days of the week, so I was getting regular exercise almost everyday, and if I wanted any treats or sweets I had to be aware I was spending my fun money so I didn’t buy tons from the tack shop(Food Court).  And as a young person I had, had stomach issues that were horrible and uncomfortable so any issues in regards to my gut I had gotten use to and really just kept it to myself not wanting to complain.

Tuesday, August 11th; comes and goes and in my mind I couldn’t have told you if it was cold or hot or rainy or well anything. 

Wednesday, August 12th; I woke up to put on my uniform for another day of school. Reminded by my host mum it was a TB appointment day; they were going to check all my vitals, a simple check up and then back to school, where it was finals week.  The ironic part of all the ironic parts in this story was my final exam for my music appreciation class was to write and perform a song and let it be video taped; so that being said, I have never seen the video but I’m told if you make it to the end of this story you would laugh your butt off, you can visible see my eyes twitch as if I’m not feeling well. My music teacher, at one point asked me if I was feeling ok I simply said I was fine my tummy hurt alittle but oh well.

The day would finish and my 2 girl friends, one whom had a car said she was willing to give us a ride home. Simple thing you would think, however this would be a pivatly moment of the next 10 hours of events.  On the ride home we decided we were hungry so we stopped in to MCDonalds and got chicken nuggets and French fries, and if you ask me why I remember my meal that night it seems so simple, and it really was. 

I came home with food in tow and my host mum, snarled to see the food, she had wanted to make some supper before she left for Stick N’ Bitch, yep that’s what they call it. My friend had scarfed down her food as I sat uncomfortable having to go back and forth with no results from the bathroom. My school partner had decided that she would call her mum to be picked up since I just looked like I wasn’t feeling well. We said our good byes and she was off. In the mean time my host mum had been picked up because her car was in shop for yes you know, "Stick n' Bitch". Leaving with a smile she said, "That McDonalds made you sick." I sighed and headed off to relax.

My host dad arrived home shortly there after, asking the question I had spent my day hearing. "You okay, you don’t look so hot." I at this point was in pain, but I again knowing he had squash to go to simply said, "No I’m headed to bed." He left and I was alone again. I sat on the couch, I layed in my bed, I went to the bathroom, and final 45 minutes after my host dad left, I broke.

Little known fact, Midwifes are very good at their jobs, and they are very handy to have as not only your host mums dear friend but also your neighbor just 4 doors down. I phoned up to Terry's house and asked her to come to our house she laughed me off and said, "What’s wrong you have 2 legs?" To know her was to love her; upon explaining I couldn’t make it to the front door, her toned changed. She simple said, "I’ll be there in a moment."  

Moments later the front door opened and there she stood, she was prepared I could see for anything except what I was about to tell her. As I sat on the couch and she felt my abdomen, she began to ask me questions. It was simple questions, had I been sick, what was I feeling. And the question that would change everything; Had I lost control of my bladder today? I paused and said, "No, but on Monday I wet the bed."  I knew the turn of white in her face, something was officially wrong. I asked her and it was at this moment I started to panic. She explained simply either something inside had ruptured or I was getting ready to have a baby and either way the hospital was the best place for us to be.

The moments that followed involved my host dad coming home and walking in to Terry saying simply, "She needs to go to the hospital." No further questions were asked, no comments made, a well oiled machine. I was placed in the car and we were off. We were at the hospital in my mind moments later. So, Terry, the midwife well she was also a teacher and she taught at the hospital we were taken too; upon walking in we are whisked into a emergency triage room.  A beautiful nurse, in my mind,  asks me could I go to the bathroom and it was decided I didn’t have a choice. After the stick turned blue, had 2 lines and infact said POSITIVE across it, I was put in a wheelchair being pushed by a portly orderly who was gruff but knew the hospital and knew it well. Behind me came words and talk I couldn’t understand but I was pretty not ok with everyone else understanding what was going on other then me, so I stood up from my wheelchair and simple but loudly I let it be known I was not going anywhere with anyone until someone explained what was going on. 

And God Love, Terry, managed to sit me down and with her hands on my knees she said we have to check one thing and then we will explain everything, and that she was going to be with me through the entire thing.  With this promise I sat quiet as they took me to an examine room and I was hooked up to monitors and a belt put tightly around my waist.  As the bleeping started to get louder I remember a young nurse simply said, "Sweetie, do you know what that is?" Quietly I said, "My heartbeat," and she said, "No that’s your babies."  After a moment where nurses, doctors and my constant companion,Terry took a collective deep breath they explained that with my water breaking 2 days prior they wanted to make sure everyone including the unnamed child located squarely in my uterus was okay, that I had been at great risk since the moment my water broke.

Again the moments that follow grew faster and faster, I was taken to a delivery room. You’ll ask where are, my host parents at this point?  My host dad went and snatched up my host mum from Stick N’ Bitch explaining only he had dropped me off at the hospital because honestly at the moment he left we didn’t know what was going on. They were brought back to the delivery area and my host dad said, "You always did have to make a splash," we laughed at the fact that for all 4 of his kids he had dropped off my host mum at the hospital and said call me when it was over, don’t bash him I have learned it’s a cultural thing.  My host mum sat being extremely watchful of each and every doctor and what their position was in the operation. Word had spread across the hospital about the American Exchange Student and the unknown birth, Everyone wanted to help.

The labor was nothing exciting though now 14 years later I wonder was I just in plain shock or how do I not remember that moment. However, at 12:04am on August 13^th, 1998 Baby Boy Thompson was born to Kristin Thompson in a hospital somewhere in small town Queensland, Australia. A healthy baby boy of 7 lbs 12 oz. my host mum took baby duties and I stared at this creation, this thing. Yep, he was a thing at that moment. Nothing would prepare me for all that was about to happen or occur over the next few days and weeks of our lives. 

It was decided my host parents would go home and start making the calls that would be important, because in the 10 hours that had lapst no one was thinking to take the time to call my folks in the States. Left in the hospital was Baby Boy Thompson and I. So while I slept, the rest of my life, awoke to a vastly changed world. Though it was close to 3 am in Toowoomba  in Anchorage, Alaska August 12^th was just beginning  my mom was a school teacher getting ready to start her 30^th year as a teacher and my dad was a government official. As the phone rang in the Thompson house my dad answered to hear, a man whom, up until this moment he had never spoken to. With my American accent my host dad had never really gotten the hang of my dad’s name so the conversation started a little rocky.

"Is Abe there…???"

"No, I’m sorry there’s no one here by that name…" puzzled my father listens on.

"Are you sure, is this Mr. Thompson?" My host dad also as puzzled.

"Yes, this is Aves Thompson..."

"Oh, okay Mr. Thompson my name is Denis, your daughter Kristin is living in my home, sir."

"Oh yes, Denis hello."

"Mr. Thompson this evening Kristin went to hospital and she , sir, … Mr. Thompson Kristin had a baby boy early this morning."

My fathers talking to each other for the first time, now both changed and connected forever. 

It would affect each of us in different ways, my mother in America walked in and quit her job to be a full time grandma. My father would have to fight for his baby girl in ways no one should ever have to fight.

I remember the nurse walking in to hand me the phone the moment my parents called, the phone shook in my hand as I listen to my father tell me, "We just need to get you guys home." And there, there it was never a question in my father’s eyes WE were coming home and he would do anything to get us there. With governments watching over my every move I was put under a suicide watch and kept in close proximity to my host mum or a care giver whom all had a calming influence on my attitude at the time. I only remember  crying once in the beginning, moments after my parents first phone call, the nurse came back in to give me the phone saying it was my mom again. Puzzled of why she would be calling again so quickly I said hello and my best friend in the whole world simply said the best words ever… "I just want you guys home."

2 weeks later. Baby boy Thompson wasn’t that any more. With a birth certificate and a passport of a six day old baby, we flew from Brisbane to Sydney to visit the United States Embassy located there. And 3 weeks after his birth, on a day at the end of August in Anchorage, Alaska my mom and dad held for the first time their grandson Aaron Michael Thompson. How we got there was a long trip but one I wouldn’t have done any differently. My host mum took the journey back to America with us and helped me travel with a new born infant, not an easy task.

The story didn’t end there and actually writes itself every single day. I returned back to America only days before starting my Senior year of high school and was stunned to learn the school wanted to refuse my credits from my Australian schooling. Again my dad went to bat for me and I was allowed to use the amount of credits I needed to graduate with my graduating class in May of 1999. Aaron Michael grew up to be a simply amazing kid, strong brave resilient  We were only in Australia for a short time but I want to think he got it from his Australia grandparents, though Aar isn't biologically the first grandchild for my host parents, he arrived before any of my Australian siblings has babies so they simply adopted Aaron Michael so each year on his birthday, and at holidays we receive packages with love and affection from Australia.

My story is unique in some respects but not in others, I was a naïve child and I made some big mistakes but in the end I was given the best gifts in the world.  An extended family and a beautiful child one who shall he ever ask where he came from I’ll have to start at the end to start at the beginning.