ONE YEAR COMPARISON

I can barely believe that the photos show the same baby girl. The photo on the left was taken July 1st 2010, moments after we arrived home from the NICU. It was a wonderful day. But, I was scared to death to have this five week old, under five pound baby, just one week post second surgery, under my care--no monitors, no NICU nurses or doctors advising me. With the support of family, friends, doctors and nurses, we made it through her first year. It wasn't easy, we faced dealing with silent reflux (very scary); an often very sick baby (scar tissue was causing a lot of illness); two more hospital stays; a third surgery and many weeks of recovery. But, in the end, we did it as a family and have grown so much to appreciate one another and to be thankful for all the things God has provided us. I will always love the doctors and nurses who were Willow's first caretakers when I couldn't be. When I look at Willow now, so vibrant and almost walking, communicating with the sweetest voice and batting her lengthy lashes at her daddy, the past year almost seems like a dream.