One Year Ago Today....

One year ago today, I was admitted to the hospital, 10 days before my due date, for induction. An ultrasound done the day before had revealed what we had suspected, a big baby! Rather than let her get any bigger, she was to be evicted!! After 10 hours of non progressing labor, it was decided that it was in my best interest for both my safety and the babys, to proceed with a c-section.

We didn't know of Rachel's cleft until she was being delivered, when my OB alerted the rest of the team of the detected birth defect. It was a complete shock to us, we had no idea. None of my ultrasounds had picked it up.

The days following Rachel's birth while joyous for her safe arrival, were days filled with such emotion... sadness, grief, anxiety, fear of what the next year held for us, and for our new daughter, and many more emotions. They were tough days, but we got through them with the Lord's help, and with the support from our wonderful family and friends who rallied behind us with love and prayers.

Here we are, one year later. We survived. LOL. We knew we would. It's been a wonderful year filled with so many blessings that only Rachel could bring. The Lord has blessed us with a healthy and happy baby. We can't imagine our lives, or our family, without her.

She's had quite a first year...two surgeries under her belt with another one in the works for the next month, and more to come through the years. She's on the verge of walking. Walking around the furniture and holding on to your finger. Having taken a few steps on her own. Anyday now she'll take off and keep us even more busy chasing after her than she does now.

Often cleft babies have difficulty eating, resulting in slow weight gain, not in Rachel's case! At her last check up, she was in the 90th percentile in reguards to her weight. We'll see at her 12 month well check next week if she's maintaining her above average weight. We were/are so blessed that Rachel never had difficulty eating. It sure made for a lot less stress. These days she's an eating machine! Eating mostly table foods and anything, and I do mean anything that is tossed her way. You best not even think about eating in front of her and not offering her a bite. She's a mooch. She's known to fill her hand with as many Cheerios as possible and do the sign for 'more' in fear that she'll be cut off. LOL. Also when it comes to eating, Rachel hasn't had any food come out her nose, which is sometimes likely with a cleft palate baby. She must have learned how to avoid that.

It is amazing how much faster the time goes with child #2. It seems like such a short time ago that Rachel came into our lives. And now she's her own little person, with her own personality, and her own way of doing things. LOL.

With all that said, we're looking forward to the new things Rachel will be doing in the next year, and the things the Lord will do through her little life.

Happy 1st Birthday Rachel!!!