Micah and Anna Frazier are thankful their newborn son is healthy despite being born more than two months premature.
“He just came early,” the Elite angler said of Huck Alan, who was 3 pounds, 4 ounces at birth. “So far there’s nothing wrong – knock on wood. He came out breathing on his own. He’s keeping his food down really well. It was just one of those things.
“We’re just both so thankful. We didn’t know if we could have a baby. We just want him to be healthy.”
After a family get-together the Monday before Thanksgiving, Anna began experiencing what she thought were Braxton Hicks, or false early contractions, because his due date was Jan. 31. But the contractions continued through the late evening.
“She’s still thinking they’re normal, but then they get to where they’re only 3 minutes apart,” he said, “and she started realizing it’s not normal.”
A call to her doctor sent them to the hospital. When examined, she was dialated to 9 1/2 centimeters and gave birth not long after at 2:30 a.m. Frazier said Huck might be in the NICU unit at Piedmont Hospital for the next 8 weeks or so.
“Until he’s out of there and gaining weight, you just never know, but everything is going smoothly. Anna’s OK. As of now, he’s doing really, really good,” he said, despite a half-pound drop in weight that’s considered normal. “The nurses talk about how well he is doing. I just listen to what they tell me.”
The Fraziers live minutes from the hospital and, even with orders for minimal disturbance of Huck, get to hold him at certain times.
Micah said winter plans have been altered. He does have his boat for the 2019 season and has plans to at least visit and scout around Knoxville, where he will compete in the Bassmaster Classic next March.
“I’m going to do some things I was planning before, but I’ve got a hunting trip or two I’m not going to go on now,” he said, again hoping Huck gets to come home sooner rather than later.
“When he comes home, I think it’s still up in the air. It’s just on how well he does,” he said. “We’d love to get him home in a month, but I don’t think there’s any way he’ll be home for Christmas. But I think he’ll be fine.”