To Win the Lottery.

Last night my husband and I were talking about all the things we have had to overcome as a couple since we first fell in love almost four years ago. We have definitely had our fair share of craziness! As Scott stated yesterday, "with all the odds we have managed to beat you would think we would have won the lottery by now". Looking back I would have to agree.

First of all we met on the internet. Now I'm not sure what the success rate for online dating happens to be but I'm thinking it rarely produces a couple as in love and as stable as Scott and I. And after four short months of dating we moved in together...which again is usually a death blow to most new relationships...but Scott and I only got stronger as a couple.

Approximately six months after moving in together we began to discuss babies and when we wanted to start trying. We decided to try after our vacation that summer. We had sex once at the end of July 07 before changing our minds and deciding to wait another year... only to discover we were pregnant two weeks later. The odds of falling pregnant at any given time is 25 percent...I'm assuming if you only tried once in an entire month the odds probably fall even lower than that.

Six weeks into my pregnancy Scott went on a high speed chase in the tiny town we were currently living in. The person they were chasing crashed and his partner got to the scene a minute or two before Scott did. He radioed Scott that the perp was armed but Scott's radio cut out and he didnt get the message. After pulling up to the crash Scott exited his vehicle only to run for cover as gunshots rang out over his head. If the guy had better aim...the odds are Scott probably would have been shot that day.

A few short months later at 33 weeks and 6 days into my pregnancy, I had a preterm premature rupture of membranes. This phenomenon occurs in about five percent of women.

Our son then spent 2 weeks in the NICU. During that time his main problem was eating but he thrived in every other aspect. The doctors were pleasantly surprised to discover that Gabe never lost weight, and never developed jaundice. He beat those odds and because of it was sent home four weeks earlier than expected!

Six months into Gabe's life we moved to the lower mainland for better job opportunities and wound up getting pregnant with our daughter after a drunken Halloween party. She was unplanned but totally welcome. A few weeks into my pregnancy I began to bleed. We went for an ultrasound expecting the worst (50%  of early bleeding in pregnancy leads to miscarriage). Her heart was beating and it was beautiful.

At 38 weeks my water broke before labour once again (PROM). The odds of this happening a second time is about 15%. Edie was born with an infection and spent two days on antibiotics in the NICU.

Eight months into my daughter's life Scott and I celebrated the Gold Medal won for men's hockey in the 2010 Winter Olympics! I was breast feeding at the time and still didn't have regular periods, and assumed wrongly that it would be nearly impossible to fall pregnant.

Puck was born at 37 weeks and one day, on my brother's birthday, and a week into his life was diagnosed with a congenital heart defect. The chance of being born with a CHD is approximately .4%.  He was born with the most common CHD ( a ventricular septal defect) but the most uncommon kind of VSD (swiss cheese). Only 5% of children with ventricular septal defects have the type Puck has.

From all the information I have gathered on VSD there is between a 20% and 50% chance the holes will close over on their own. Scott and I are hoping that once again we can beat the odds and Puck will never need surgery.

At this point I think Scott and I need to start buying lottery tickets on a daily basis...we might actually win!