Dear sweet Abby Joy,
I can honestly not believe this day is here! There was a time when no one was sure you would make it, but we should have known better. From the minute you bit the nurse practitioner trying to intubate you after you were born, we knew you were feisty! One of my favorite pictures of you is what Caleb calls your "Fighter Girl" pose.
Now, those days seem so long ago. I almost feel like that was someone else's life! Instead of a frail, fragile infant, I have a giggly, sassy, smart baby...who, if I admit it to myself, is almost a toddler!
I can honestly not believe this day is here! There was a time when no one was sure you would make it, but we should have known better. From the minute you bit the nurse practitioner trying to intubate you after you were born, we knew you were feisty! One of my favorite pictures of you is what Caleb calls your "Fighter Girl" pose.
It's as if you were trying so desperately to beg us not to give up on you. We never did, Abby. We prayed, and cried, and researched, and prayed some more, hoping against hope that God would spare your life. Somehow, we knew that you were not going to just be a statistic.
I am so proud of the progress you have made over the last year, Abby! Just 4 months ago, you were completely vent dependent. In less than 3 months, you were able to be off of the vent whenever you're awake! Because of that, your development skyrocketed this summer. You are signing and pointing to communicate with us, you follow our commands (when you want to...), you are standing very well and learning how to pull up from a seated and kneeling position, and you are getting so strong! You have worked so hard this year.
With all that strength comes a lot of sassiness, of course! You have quite a temper and can make some of the ugliest mad faces I have ever seen! You're certainly learning how to irritate your brother, like when you grab the toys out of his hand just to throw them on the floor. It's hard for us to keep your filter on you, now that you've discovered what a fun game it is to pull it off. I think you do it just to get the extra attention! One of my favorite moments was when you pulled your vent off simply out of spite when the doctor had already started giving you the medicine to make you go to sleep. That's my girl!
Abby, I never want you to forget the miracles God has done in your life. He made your spine straight. There's no medical explanation for why it happened, but we know. He is putting your ribs back together and filling in those gaps, one by one. He has made your sternum strong so that your heart and lungs are protected. He corrected your vision and your hearing. He has strengthened your lungs so that you are able to breathe without the ventilator. Never stop thanking Him for the wonderful things He has done. "Our God is greater, our God is stronger, God, You are higher than any other. Our God is healer, awesome in power. Our God! Our God!" We have been able to show so many doctors that there is more to life than statistics and medical journals. God can, and does, perform miracles.
Your daddy and I believe that God gave you to us so that you could change the world, and you're doing it, Abby Joy! You have touched the lives of so many people. One day I will share with you some of the stories I've heard of how you have changed lives. Until then, know that you are living a life of purpose, even as a little baby. I hope that you never stop showing others how big our God is!
I love you more than you will ever know. You are so loved, and so wanted. Happy first birthday, sweet girl. Here's to many more!
Love,
Momma
Comments
Tric Gillette