Remembering...Praising...Updating

Lily...12/23/08...4lb. 11oz...3months old

Lily...12-23-09...16lb. 3oz...15months old

I can hardly believe the transformation in our beautiful miracle baby girl. I have been extrememly emotional really since Thanksgiving remembering this time last year having Lily in the hospital and Thomas at home. I will never forget how completely miserable I felt having to leave Lily behind on Christmas Eve. I wanted so badly to be with Thomas and help him enjoy his Christmas but leaving Lily literally made me sick to my stomach. I pray for all the moms who are having to experience that this year.

But, praise God, my beautiful children are home together this year for the first time! Nothing has brought me greater joy this season than watching the two of them play together. Lily blew Thomas a kiss the other day, and I thought I was going to crumble. Simply precious!

Lily went for her 15month checkup on Tuesday. We had a great report. Her weight is finally starting to increase at a more rapid rate. At the beginning of December she was 15lb.8oz and now she is 16lb.3oz! She is 27 1/8in. long. Her doctor was very pleased with all that she is doing. She also had her blood work repeated and everything was back to normal! Yeah!

Quick update on what all miss thing is doing now. She can wave, blow kisses, point at things, stand up by herself, move along the furniture, has taken one step, and recently found the steps to climb. She has quite the personality. Very bull headed, funny, determined, and totally sassy! She LOVES her big brother and wants to do everything he is doing. She loves Samford, our dog, and just giggles when she gets to pet her. She actually says dog when she sees her and has started to try and make the ruff ruff sound. According to her therapist and doctors she really is doing everything she needs to be doing right now and is simply a miracle.

As we celebrate our first Christmas as a family rejoicing in all that our gracious God has done for us and how He alone has granted us our hearts desires, we know that many of you may be celebrating this Christmas for the first time without a loved one, or without a child, a parent or have a family or friend in the military. To all of you, I pray that somehow this Christmas season God's amazing grace and unconditional love will be revealed to you. May He bless you all and may you never know a day without the love, joy, and peace of Christ.

MERRY CHRISTMAS!