My Alphabet of Gratitude...Letter C is for Chad

I am ashamed to say I do not tell Chad how wonderful he is often enough. He is a terrific father, his ability to care for our 3 disabled children and our 3 healthy children is amazing. He handles them with humor, with tenderness and with strength. He can do all the dirty jobs they require, I won't go into details let's just say they are jobs usually only a mother would have the stomach to do. Chad does anything and everything required and needed for our children. From getting them ready in the morning to making their lunches, helping them with their homework, even fixing Hannah's hair. He is one of the hardest working men I know. He does everything he does well. I have learned to trust him with everything because I know it will get done right. I love the example he is to our children when it comes to taking pride in your work. Measure twice cut once is his motto. My most heartwarming and goosebumpy moment of thankfulness with Chad happened when Megan was only 3 months old. I went to her bassinet to check on her, she was always in the living room with me during the day, but she was sleeping quietly for the moment. At least, that is what I thought until I seen her. Megan was blue and she wasn't breathing. I panicked. I didn't know what my name was anymore let alone where my phone was. Chad was sitting on the couch and he instantly knew something was wrong. He jumped into action without even blinking. He immediately started CPR on our little angel and suggested I dial 911. He continued giving Megan CPR until the cops showed up...the cop decided to let Chad continue what he was doing until the paramedics arrived because he was doing such a good job. If it wasn't for Chad's quick thinking and ability to work under such emotional stress we would have lost Megan that day, I'm sure of it. She had already suffered from brain damage at birth due to lack of oxygen so....
If that was all, that would be enough. But Chad saved her life one more time. That is our story, I believe it, at least that he had a huge part in convincing Megan how much she was loved and to return to us. The doctor sent Megan home with severe RSV. Our choices were this, she could go home to die or we could send her to Primary Children's Hospital to be hooked up to a respirator where she would die, probably to never be unhooked from the respirator. It was our choice, we were given a folder and some time. We asked Megan in our own way what she would want. The overwhelming feeling Chad and I both recieved was to take her home so she could die in our arms where she would feel safe and warm, and not hooked up to tubes in a hospital where we couldn't even hold her. So we went home with our little baby and waited for her to pass. We held her all night and eventually she stopped breathing. We cried and cried. We cleaned the oxygen tapes and tubing from Megan's face and wiped off our tears and kisses. I checked her heart with my stethascope and Chad did the same. Megan was gone. Our angel was lifeless. We held her for just a bit longer and spoke to her, told her how much we loved her and how proud we were to be her parents. Chad leaned down to kiss her one more time on her sweet little lips and when he did Megan took a deep breath. It startled us very much. I had never seen a person die before, I didn't know what to expect, but I know I didn't expect this. Neither did Chad. We stared at Megan, unbelieving and she took another breath, and then another. We put her oxygen tapes back on,  put the oxygen tubes back in her nose and I just held her and stared at her and was speechless. Megan's breathing increased and her congestion was gone. I called the doctor and he was sure I was calling him so he could pronounce my sweet little Megan dead. He was dumbfounded when I said no, she is doing okay. I took her in to be checked and she was completely well. She had no more RSV when the night before she had it so bad the doctor had to deep suction her every 5 minutes. I knew we had witnessed a miracle that night, I know Chad's love had something to do with bringing that about. I am thankful everyday for a father for my children who loves them so much that his kisses bring them back...amazing. Thank you Chad for everything you do, it would take me days to list everything you do. But apart from being an amazing father you are also a wonderful friend. You know all my dark side and you love me anyway and that says A LOT! Who knew that two people could create such a life as we have? I have been told I should write a book about it...maybe in a way that is what I am doing here. This wasn't what we had planned Chad but I for one wouldn't have it any other way. Thank you again for just being the wonderful you that YOU are.