It seems like just like yesterday my world was flipped upside down with your arrival - and yet at times it feels like it was a lifetime ago. You came to us in the most nonconventional way - which looking back now only seems fitting. After all, you are my daughter. On that day 6 months ago I experienced more emotion in one day than I think I had - up until that point - experienced in an entire lifetime. Fear, anger, sadness - happiness, surprise, relief, strength, gratitude.
The days that followed are days I don't revisit often in my mind. While your recovery was record breaking and I am forever going to be thankful that our time there was far shorter than expected - it was still the hardest thing I've ever faced in my life, and so I keep them tucked away. Never forgetting, but not frequently reliving.
Oh miss Ever Lucy, dear daughter of mine - you were born to do great things. Like beat odds and break records. Your strength has been ever present since the moment you came in to this world. Don't ever lose that fight. I know there will come a day when you come to me and say "Mom, I can't." And I will tell you..
When you were only 3 hours old you had a major surgery to put all of your organs - intestines, liver, colon, stomach, ovaries, appendix - back inside your body, when they told us it would take days for that to even be a possibiliy. When you were 2 days old I finally saw you with your eyes open, and better yet - I even got to hold you. When you were 3 days old you were moved from the NICU to ICC, something many gastroschisis babies never even get to do. By the time you were a week old you were pooping, something that was expected to likely take a month or longer. On day 8 I got to give you breast milk for the first time and met your big brother. By day 15 we were headed home, leaving Minneapolis Children's hospital as a memory and taking their record for fastest recovered gastroschisis baby wtih us. And here you are today - 11 pounds of giggly good-as-new, you'd-never-know-there-had-even-been-anything-wrong happy, perfect little Ever. Our pride and joy and your big brother's world.
And so my darling daughter - you can do anything. I know this, I saw it, I watched you. Your big brother likes to call you Princess but little does he know you are far more Mulan than Cinderella. Don't ever lose that either. You've shown me more strength and given me more courage and fight and hope in all your 6 months than you will ever know. You've made me stop and realize what truly matters in this life. You've reminded me never to take things for granted. To always keep your chin up and be strong. To always always have empathy - there are always people out there who have it far worse. And last but not least, you've shown me what miracles look like. Because you, my baby girl - are a miracle of the most wonderful kind. I love you to the moon and back.
"May the odds be Ever in your favor."
Love,
Mom
1 comment:
Happy birthday baby girl!
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