Faith talks....

You will need to pause the music at the bottom of the blog...

This is video evidence of a miracle...our daughter talking! Carl has been working with her to be able to say her new age! AMAZING! Isn't she a doll baby? Hey, she's got rhythm, too...always has! What an amazing little girl she is....

HAPPY SIXTH BIRTHDAY, LITTLE ANGEL...

HAPPY BIRTHDAY...MY ROCKIN', AWESOME GIFT FROM GOD!

Six years ago, I was preparing for an induction....

Six years ago, I was ready to meet my new daughter...

Six years ago, I was putting together a crib, by myself, the night before going in to the hospital...

Six years ago, I was excited, nervous, scared, joyous...

Six years ago, I was ignorant...

Six years ago, I was packing my bag, getting ready to head to the hospital the next morning. I didn't know what to expect but I was ready to get things over with and meet HER. This little ball that had been my constant companion for 9 months. I KNEW her, already in my heart. I felt her move, kick and knew which side she liked me to sleep on. I KNEW what she would look like. Months before, I had found a Pampers ad in a baby magazine with a picture of a toddler, who I was sure looked just like what Faith would look like!(I still have this picture and she does favor that little girl, a lot!) After all the uncertainty, I was convinced that she was going to be fine and we would be bringing a baby home in just days. I was also NOT having a C-section!

Then labor happened and she was turned wrong and I DID have a C-section. Something went wrong and she got a blood clot and had a stroke before anyone knew what was happening. Then she was moved 2 hours away and I was left behind to recover, by myself.

Nothing I imagined happened...I missed all the bonding, first bath, diapering and all the big firsts...intubation's, iv's, MRI's, EEG's, CT scans, spinal taps. Regardless of the circumstances surrounding her birth...she made it here, although not in the ways I imagined.

After all the things that have happened in her six years I have this wonderful little girl who inspires me every day. I am thankful for all the lessons I have learned and for her very life. I used to ask "why her, why us?" but I don't anymore. I say "We were given a miraculous, once in a lifetime gift." I never thought I could come to this point, after all it has been six years! But guilt, frustration, anger and furry have given way to acceptance and great pride.

She has overcome so many awful obstacles...WE have overcome so many, ourselves. She CAN communicate...she CAN move...she CAN make you laugh like crazy...she CAN understand most of what you say...she CAN weasel her way into any one's heart in just minutes!

I am so blessed to be her mother! I am lucky to have witnessed a great miracle. I am grateful for every moment she is on this earth and I pray that she continues to be for many, many years. I love this child more than anything I could ever imagine. When people look at us, as I push her wheelchair or carry her to her car seat, in pity... I just smirk..they don't know anything! They probably haven't ever even seen a miracle before!

I can't believe it's been six years! There were days... still are... when I wasn't sure she would make it to five and now here we stand...old enough to begin school in the fall.

Faith, you are a funky, special, one of a kind little girl who has changes so many people's lives. I love you so much, and I wouldn't change you for anything! You are the light in our lives and my reason for living! I am incredibly thrilled with every wonderful thing you have accomplished.

BTW, this is a small celebration for me...it's my 100th post. Thanks to all my friends who continue to read as I pour out a little of our lives onto the world.

Birthday party.....

Today, we celebrated Faith's sixth birthday. Her birthday isn't until Thursday but we had the party today. Faith and I were not feeling the best, I think we may be coming down with colds. So she seemed really weak and her eyes looked bad. But we had a good turn out and so many wonderful people came. Every year, we throw a big shin dig to get everyone together, in Faith's life. We usually have around 50 people. This year's theme was horses since this is her latest obsession. I cheated and used all her horse toys as decorations...cheapskate that I am! We always have a matting for a 8x10 frame out so all our guests can leave messages for her. Then we decorate with framed pictures of her, over the last year. I also do a big scrapbook, highlighting major events in her last year. This year, we were honored to have a couple of Faith's girl scout troop attend as well as her troop leader. This is such a big deal because these girls are Faith's first friends... outside of our family and close friends. Real friends... and those of you out there with kids like Faith, know... THAT IS A BIG DEAL! ACCEPTANCE.... SUCH A SWEET WORD!

In the past, we have asked people to donate gifts/money to charitable organizations or to big needs but this year we let her have some presents. She actually enjoyed opening them with help from her girl scout friends and all her cousins. Little vultures! LOL! Now I have a wonderful story about one of her girl scouts friend's father. This little girl LOVES Faith...I mean LOVES her! She is crazy about her and just mothers her like crazy. She is in 4th grade. She evens wipes Faith's mouth, when she drools...now how many little girl's would do that? So she came to the party and her dad tells me that he needs to run to town and can she stay with us...of course, we say. So he leaves and is gone for a while, then returns during present time carrying this huge blanket covered...thing! Well, it turns out he had made this beautiful wooden horse by hand! It was a work of art! Big enough for her to sit on and have room to grow! This is so cool because she loves to sit on things like this but she is too big for most now. It was so intricate and painted so beautifully! Lovingly! This big, strong man holding little Faith up on this awesome horse and tears welling up in his eyes! Such a wonderful blessing. He said he was so touched by Faith and he wanted to take one of her yearly update pages to Sunday school for the children he teaches! It stole the show! Nothing could top that horse! She was in love with it and so was everyone else! It was the best gift Faith ever received and will have a treasured spot in our home for the rest of our lives! To see this man, whom I have never met, just shaken up by our daughter...priceless! What a gift! She also received lots of other cool horse toys and some gift cards too. It was a wonderful party and meant so much to us to see all the people who have touched and been touched by FAITH!

Christmas Pictures...

Christmas was a crazy day, dealing with aftermath of the fire, my sister and her family, my father and my step father. All of our original plans and traditions were thrown out the window... I was coerced into making Christmas dinner for everyone, which is not on my top 10 list! I don't mind doing it for a few folks but I am not the hostess type. I get so stressed out and worry my head off. The fire dept donated funds for me to put together Christmas dinner, so I felt obligated to do so. We had our house filled up with people and it was mayhem! Trash, toys and toddlers running a muck! It didn't really feel like Christmas. Faith did enjoy her gifts...I think her favorite was the $1.00 horse calender from Dollar Tree. She has carted that thing everywhere! LOL! But she also enjoyed the dvd player for the car! She is now excited to get in the car and go. Compared to her recent struggling and fighting to be put in her car seat. She is now thrilled to go! She has been rolling down the road to Veggie Tales, Baby Einstein and animal dvd's. Which reminds me... I need to hit the thrift stores for some more! I can barely stand them after 2 or 3 times!

Now I am trying to prepare for Faith's 6th birthday party, coming up on Saturday. It is always way to close to Christmas and sneaks up on me every year, despite my best efforts! We do it up big every year, as a way to get everyone together and show our appreciation for all the support we have received and to celebrate Faith making it thru another year! Well, this year, I just don't have it together. One heck of a week coming up.....