Happy Birthday to Me!

It is May 5, 2011, and today I hit a milestone... a big ONE.  Get it???  Today is my First Birthday!

We had a very nice day, but being 6 weeks into "quarantine" and only 5 days from my third surgery, there was little we could do to celebrate.  Instead, we focus on all of the blessings that have been brought to us over the last year, and all of the other milestones that I have been working so hard to accomplish.  While the past 365 days have taken us places never planned for or dreamed of, we are grateful for the opportunities we've been given, the lovely friendships we've made (and would be incomplete without), and the wisdom and perspective that comes from living a life a little different than the standard grind.   

Although we've spent the last 6 weeks basically house-bound, I have definitely kept busy working on my developmental milestones, as I mentioned.  Yesterday, almost out of nowhere, I decided it was time to take my motor skills up a notch and start WALKING!  Ok, I'm not 100%, but I'd say I'm walking about half the time.  It's a proud, excited, and pretty wobbly walk, but my parents watch me in awe.  I have always been one of those kids who takes a new skill and masters it pretty quickly.  I only took my first steps about 3 weeks ago, and now mom had to run out and buy me shoes before our trip because I'll need them to run up and down the aisle on the airplane!  We're wondering how much farther I'll get over the next few days, and whether my new expanders will have any affect on this breakthrough skill.  Only time will tell, but as long as things go ok with my post-op healing, I'm betting nothing will get me down!

Now, trying to keep germ-free doesn't mean that we couldn't celebrate my big day.  I got to dig in to my very first birthday cake and opened a present that I'll be able to bring with us to Chicago.  The real festivities are being planned for later this month, when we'll have my par-tay.  But I had enough excitement to get me through until then...

Ok folks, I'm signing off now and will be back in touch after surgery next week.  We have come a long, long way since the last discombobulated attempt to begin this treatment, and are ready to get the show started.  We are praying for a safe trip, a successful surgery, and a complete recovery this time around (which will follow with a productive expansion).  Wish me luck!!