Dear Abby: 6 Months Old!

Dear Abby,

Happy Half-Birthday to YOU! That's right, you are six months old today. I can barely believe it, baby bird. Today, at your cardiology appointment you weighed in at a whopping 6.4kg (that's right, we use the metric system - I believe it's a little over 14 pounds), and were 60cm long - which puts you in approximately the 13th percentile for weight, and 1st percentile for length, my little chunk. After hanging out in the 3rd percentile for both weight and length for a while and then dropping off the charts completely, I can't believe how big you've gotten! You're huge!

After a very long hospital stay, we finally got to take you home on January 22nd. You've been home for almost three weeks now and have already changed so much. It's amazing how you're thriving now that you're out of the hospital. This time, home feels so different, so...normal. It's almost as if you've always been here, that's how right it feels. We've gotten to see your personality and preferences becoming more apparent each day. You love reading books with me, being carried around by daddy, kicking your legs, and you've started to really like Gracie. You're not so keen on the velcro on your helmet, the nasal cannula, stretches, or Boone's barking. Your sweet smile lights up our home - you've brought a completeness to it that was always meant to be there.

Abby, in your first six months of life, you have spent approximately five months in the hospital, have undergone four surgeries, a cardiac catheterization, a bronchoscopy and bone marrow aspirate, two MRIs, two CT scans, three EEGs, a sleep study, at least a hundred X-Rays, and countless other tests. You are also "talking" more and more each day, can reach and grasp things on your own, are able to roll from side to side, and are working so so hard on your head control. Abby, you are amazing, and so incredibly brave.

In addition to highlights from the last six months, I looked back at some of the pictures of you as a newborn today. I didn't take as many pictures as I would have liked, and we never got to do a fancy photo shoot with you covered in fuzzy blankets, but I treasure those we have. Not only is it fun to reminisce on how tiny and adorable you were, it is truly awe inspiring to see how far you've come. Nobody knew what you were going to be able to achieve, and the future was very uncertain, but you have moved mountains and exceeded everyone's expectations. I can't wait to see what the next six months hold for you. I know they will be astounding.

I love you more than you can imagine, Abby. You inspire me to be a stronger, braver person. You've changed my heart, and I am thankful for it every single day.

Love,
Your Mommy