2 beautiful years...

This day will always be a significant day for us. Our entire focus for the first 18 months of Katelyn's life was getting her to her Open Heart Surgery day. It took us what felt like an eternity to get there and when we got there it felt like life stopped for a while. I read back to those blog posts now, am reminded of the intensity of that time, but my overwhelming memory is the incredible grace that carried us through.

The operation and her slow and rocky recovery have affected her physical strength so much and we still continue the journey towards getting her walking. Its slow, but we are getting there. We continue to have pacemaker checkups every 6 months but her heart rhythm has come back on its own and her pacemaker is there 'in-case' its needed.

What an incredible 2 years its been. Despite her physical challenges [and loads of sickness in-between], the change in her has been phenomenal and its been wonderful watching her develop, communicate through signs, go to school and do big girl things.

It seems as though we started walking out from under the black clouds on this day two years ago and that even-though the grayness was hard for a while, now it feels like we are standing in the sun. I'm so incredibly proud of this girl and eternally thankful to God for his never-ending grace.


The two years in pics...

24 August 2011

7 days later she went back into theatre and had a permanent pacemaker put in.

1.5 months after coming out, she back into hospital to be re-opened and restitched up.

6 months later....

Still haven't really grown into my pacemaker much...but as cute as ever!

1 year later....

scars starting to get a bit better...and slowly filling out around my pacemaker

 18 months later...

18 months later I start to become more physical, doing weird and wonderful things...doing my own version of crawling

Pacemaker still very much there...but I'm getting much bigger anyway!

2 years later...

 Her scar isn't the greatest, but when you've been cut open three times while your wound was trying to heal, i can't really complain!

Now...just loads and loads of happiness and smiles!!! What a joy she is...