Day 365

The first time Emmabug held her baby sister

One year ago I brought my 5 pound miracle home. She was so tiny and fragile. I was scared to pieces something would go wrong. I hardly slept for nearly 3 weeks. I held her as much as I could and she slept on my chest so I could feel her breathe. 

First time at Grandad and JuJee's

Since being home Katie has increased her birth weight by 1800%,  pretty cool when you think about it. She has grown 15 inches in length. She has had numerous Doctor appointments and tests all resulting in good health. One surgery and one hospital stay last November are now just a memory. Her developmental growth is blossoming. Just this weekend Mini has begun grabbing her toes, roll from her back to her tummy and sitting unsupported as well. Her eating habits have become more like a one year old. She wants table food and has started drinking from a sippy cup. She loves snacking on fruit loops and cereal puffs and her reflexes when those things land on her high chair tray are quick as a whip. She has a total of 8 teeth, 4 on top and 4 on bottom those top ones were a pain coming out. 

 Playing like a big girl

Emma loves her baby sister. It is so fun to watch the two of them play on the floor and I can't help but get emotional when I hear them laugh together. Mini's vocal skills are getting stronger. She calls Colt dada and pretty much just yells at me. She babbles and blows bubbles and clicks her tongue. When Mini sees something she likes her legs and arms start flapping and she starts cooing. She has the most contagious laugh, I love it. Mini loves to jump and her therapist says she is getting closer to crawling every day. 

Sill little enough to bathe in the kitchen sink

I can't believe that my Father in Heaven has trusted me to have this precious girl in my life. I have witnessed so many small and mighty miracles over the past 18 months. There was a time when I thought I would never bring Mini home, never hear her cry, never see her without oxygen. I feared I would never see her roll over, feed herself or recognize my face. Katelyn still has many hurdles to overcome but I have a feeling She will fly past and not even blink. I have one very stubborn baby ya know. 

Next weekend is the reunion for the IMC NICU. I got a taste of what it is like to see one of our favorite nurses the other day as we were leaving the grocery store. I was holding Mini and I heard a voice say "Mrs Potter" I looked up to see Marcie. Instantly I began to cry and embraced her. Marcie was and always will be a very important person in our world. She saved Katelyn's life many times and was always such a good person to listen to me cry and give me advise. It was amazing to see her and hand Katie over to her. She was so proud of how Katie and said she looks like her own person. When we said goodbye I got in the car with Colt and he asked me why I was so emotional about seeing her. I told him about how grateful I was to her for taking such good care of our baby. Marcie was there the day Katelyn was discharged from the hospital.

I can't put into words the amount of love I have for this little girl. When I hold her and she takes her little hands and reaches up to grab my cheeks and give me a slobbery kiss I have to hold back the tears that threaten to spill out. My heart is definitely full.