Friday 25 March 2011

To Katelyn

To Katelyn,

Thank-you for a life-changing year.

You've taught  me to be patient.
You've taught me that life is bigger and better when we're not in control.
You've taught me to look to God before anything else.
You've taught me to persevere when I believe in something, even when people think I'm crazy.
You've taught me that love is possible, even when you're broken inside.
You've taught me that life carries on through the tears and smiles!!!!!!!
You've taught me what normal is.

You remind me of how good God is.
You remind me how special people are, and to believe in everyone.
You remind me that there's fun in plastic packets, spoons and tissues.


I pray your second year is filled with sleep!, sitting and more, successful operations, good health, tons of smiles and laughs, grasping and reaching, strength and most importantly love.

I love you...

...even when you exhaust me!

Thursday 24 March 2011

The year in pictures...


 Some pictures of Year 1
cone-headed beauty appears!

being monitored

dad on duty while in ICU and on oxygen

mom waited for a long time to get her first cuddle



few days old


4 weeks
4 weeks

9 weeks

10 weeks
14 weeks



Hospital before my operation: 3 months








my first solids...
5 months























8 months
  
10 months














when i was quite young...but still ruling the roost...

fashion show at early intervention centre

Wednesday 16 March 2011

Personal Milestone

This past weekend, we had a Kiddies Fashion Show - fundraising event for the Special Needs School where Katelyn goes to for early intervention. I had been dreading it - in my mind, all I could think about was how I was going to handle seeing a whole bunch of special needs kids (diverse abilities, syndromes etc) - staring at my future, struggling to come to terms with the way they look, walk, speak and behave. Luckily, in the madness of having a half sick child (day 3 of urinary tract infection) - I didnt get to think about it much that morning as we were in the rush of attempting feeds, medications etc etc.

I can't pinpoint what it was, whether I've come a long way, or what - but it was an absolute joy of a morning!!!! The kids were really adorable, some clearly more extravert than others - but all just a pile of cuteness bundled into bodies that challenge them in various ways. I am so grateful God gave us a good experience - I don't think in that moment, that I would have handled another emotional challenge. It also gave the grandparents a chance to embrace our futures - to see what the next few years have in store for us - and that its not all depressing and hard - but filled with the most incredible expressions of joy, most enthusiastic smiles and energy and I guess most of all...a beautiful little growing girl.  I feel its quite a big (actually no - HUGE) personal milestone for me, to be in a special needs environment like that and to not have been thinking all these million and one thoughts every moment - but to look at my daughter (who is obviously by far the most adorable of them all) and not be scared for the future.

Two quick pics of her on the day....