Life as a Leach

Dear Abby Joy, Once upon a time, your mom was a blogger who wrote almost every day...life has gotten away from me, but I figured what better day than your birthday to start blogging again?! Nine. Years. Old.  Where did the time go??  I still remember every vivid detail of your birth day.  After only being released from the hospital two days before, I started having contractions that didn't stop after I took my medication.  Daddy was at a meeting at the church, so I called Uncle Bruce to take me there and pick up Caleb.  He was worried about my water breaking in his police car, so he made me sit on towels!  We met Daddy, then he raced up to Baltimore to the hospital where you were to be born.  You were determined to come fast, and the doctors scrambled to get everything set up that you were going to need.  We thought you were going to be born on October 21st, the way things were going, but you waited until just 12:12 a.m. to be born. You flew...

My dear, sweet, Abby Joy, What. A. Year!  This time last year, we honestly weren't sure if you would be here for your 8th birthday.  What a mighty God we have who has healed you and allowed you to flourish in the last 6 months!!  You have come such a long way, and we are so grateful. While you started out your 7th year a bit rough and pretty limited in what you could do, in April you returned to school and were able to finally join your 1st grade class in person!  You finished out the year LOVING every second of school, and then started the summer with an amazing trip to Alaska!  Your favorite memories of the trip a meeting the sled dog puppies and going to Kids Club on the ship. We had an awesome summer and played so hard!  You participated in a theater camp and a camp through Therapeutic Recreation.  It was so good to see you playing again. Your second grade year has started out great and you are loving your teacher....

My Sweet Abby Joy, This has been quite a year for you!  You finished pre-k, started kindergarten, and grew up so much!  I can't believe you are 6.  But then again, you're as sassy as a teenager!  As we've said, you are 6 going on 16!  You've certainly got the eye roll down. I love your personality--every single sassy ounce of it!  You say some of the funniest things!  But I love your character even more.  You are such a helpful girl.  You love to help me make dinner, clean the house, and put laundry away!  Just the other day, Caleb found you cleaning the bathroom with Lysol Wipes just to make your family happy!  When you do get yourself in trouble, you are so remorseful and sad that you made us upset.  You have such a sweet heart, which is evident in the way you love babies, animals, and your family! It has been another year of lots of medical stuff.  You've had 4 surgeries in the last year.  One major surge...

Dear Abby, Every year on your birthday, I write you a letter.  Each year, I wonder if next year I'll view October 22nd as "just" your birthday and not have a roller coaster of emotions.  In case you're wondering, it won't be this year. :) Year 4 has been a big year for your, girly.  You have had 5 major surgeries in the last year:  a VEPTR attempt/bone grafts, two VEPTR insertions, a jaw distraction/gtube placement, and jaw hardwear removal.  That's enough for anyone in their whole lifetime, but that's just a year in the life of Abby. But you know what?  This year has been HUGE for you in so many other ways, because you are not defined by your surgeries.  You "graduated" from Infants and Toddlers, started pre-k at big kid school, continue to love Young Athletes, have made leaps and bounds in eating, have wonderful friendships, have surpassed all of our expectations for physical therapy (especially with all of those surgeries!), starte...

My Sweet Abby Joy, FOUR years old!  Wow!!  Where has the time gone?!  I still remember the day we brought you home from the hospital like it was yesterday.  We were so very thankful...and scared to death!! You have changed from that tiny, frail little baby to a vivacious, energetic preschooler!  A lover of Frozen, princesses, Chloe, and your family (especially your momma!), your zest for life is so evident.   Your laugh is contagious--your big belly laugh is my favorite!  I can usually get you to break out with it when I tickle your trach hole! I love watching you when you are playing with Caleb.  Your love for each other is so pure and beautiful.  Your face lights up when you see him. Abs, you're facing a lot right now.  You'll be having surgery #8 in two weeks, and then at least 2 more by the end of the summer.  I know these are hard on you, but through it all you stay so positive and upbeat.  You ...