Reflections on this, my daughter's birthday

Nurses checking my stats hourly... various medical personnel bustling in and out, viewing my chart... 15 minutes of sleep here and there... day 4 of my popsicle and ice chips diet... beeping machines... poking... prodding... worried looks... whispers in the dark... confusion... discomfort... then PAIN. This is how my day began 6 years ago today.

Kirsten truly is a miracle. I used to say that nothing's ever been easy with her, but now I've seen how really it's just that her entire existence is a miracle. I just looked up the definition of that word, and this is what it said, "a marvelous event manifesting a supernatural act of God." AMEN! Perfect definition! Let me give you a bit of why I feel this way about my daughter. We had (and still have) infertility problems. Put it this way, out of the 11 years we've been married, we've only used birth control for 6 months. Saves money, but makes pregnancy tricky! So, my ability to conceive in itself was a supernatural act of God. I had some difficulties, but nothing major during the pregnancy... until 2 months prior to the due date. Long story short, I suddenly developed preeclampsia. This can progress to HELLP syndrome, which basically leads to things like liver failure and coma... and can be life-threatening to the mother and baby. I was whisked off to a room, put on meds for the preeclampsia, induction was started, and preparations were being made for Kirsten's premature birth. They were able to get 2 steroid shots in me to help with her lung development, but nothing progressed with labor for a few days. Then the HELLP syndrome started & things went in panic mode.

Next miracle that I remember? I was sick with nerves, given medicine to stop my vomiting, lost that... then a nurse grabbed my hands calmly & said "Let's pray!" This sudden peace came over me as this total stranger talked to God on behalf of me and my daughter, praising Him for the miracle of her and asking Him to carry me thru this with the peace that only He can give. That blew me away. She was my angel there! After praying, she went about her duties, preparing me for surgery (emergency C-section).

Kirsten was born 2 months early. She spent time in the NICU and SCU (Special Care Unit, the step down from the NICU), and came home when she was 24 days old. I could write a book on all that happened while she was in there, but the miracle that stands out was that for all that could have been wrong, she was basically in good health.

Many miracles have happened that I can recall since then... the fluke of her gastroenterologist finding her choanal atresia (her right nostril is blocked by bone, and this condition isn't often diagnosed until 6 or 7 years of age), conditions healing faster than expected, no major illnesses (God knew we were dealing with enough! LOL), and a big one is that she's never had an allergic reaction to anesthetic during the 10 operations/procedures she's endured. We discovered last year that she's got super-healing powers! Her last major surgery (a week before she turned 5) was thru her soft palate, and long story short... the nostril closed up within 2 weeks of the stent's removal... something our ENT has NEVER heard of! So, it's not a good thing that it happened, but it's kinda weird that she heals so fast! Maybe if she falls off a bike and breaks a bone someday, the healing will be super quick!?!

I could gush on & on about her... about how far she's come... she graduated from Speech, OT, and PT and had done so well with them... how she's got such an energy that may exhaust me often, but it's so exciting to me, too... how she really cares about other people's feelings and just wants to BE with others... she's just amazing and incredible! She is my little miracle! I call her my Peanut (she was just over 3 pounds when born) and Matt calls her his Buddy... she's the love of our lives and I'm so honored that God has given us the privelege to be her parents. Thank you, Lord! And thank you, Kirsten, for 6 wonderful years so far... I love you!!!