Sunday, November 30, 2008

A fun birthday for Allie

Well, the first birthday has come and gone. It still amazes us how quickly this year has gone by. It is also amazing to realize all we've gone through and to know we are still standing! Allie has grown by leaps and bounds and is doing tremendously well. She weighs in at 11 pounds and 3 ounces and 26 3/4 inches long. As we drove past Shelby Baptist Hospital today it was unreal to realize that this time last year we were just days into our NICU adventure. Poor little Allie was struggling to grow and thrive and nurses were falling in love with her day by day. As were we.

Since last November, Allie has brought so many people together in prayer, love and hope. She has overcome tremendous odds. Heart surgery last April seems so long ago in some respects. While it held Allie back a bit temporarily, it has propelled her into her future. We are forever grateful for the amazing medical abilities and again... we are so thankful we live close to such a tremendous medical community.

Okay... back to the present. Allie's birthday was wonderful. She spent her birthday week with Grandpa and Granma. Allie ate her first cupcake and Mom survived the moment. Apparently, her throat muscles work just fine and my heart can handle the scare of babies first real food. She also had her first birthday party. It was held at our good friend and Allie's "Aunt" Sandy. We had close friends and Grandpa and Granma present. Allie had several young buddies there as well including Kaitlyn and Stephen, Hannah, Victoria, Ethan and Marley. It is thrilling to know we are surrounded by such good friends that completely helped us celebrate. Allie is loved more than I ever realized she would be loved by my friends. Thanks everyone! I'm glad I can share her with you!

On Thanksgiving, we were blessed with a small celebration and a wonderful cake from the Lovell side of the family. Elizabeth baked us the most amazingly wonderful and tasty cake. It was perfectly pink and white for a sweet little girly girl. Everyone sang Happy Birthday and I made a wish for Allie and eventually blew the candle out for Allie.


Allie got a lot of wonderful presents and she has been playing with them all (seriously) since her birthday. She is doing wonderful things these days...she rolls all over the living room, she can sit for about 20 seconds at a time, she can show you she is 1 and that she is so big (she combines these often), she also babbles, calls for DaDa, and makes cute sounds, too. Oh.. and if you are talking and she wants to get your attention, she won't stop following your face. Ask Aunt Nancy. She did it a lot to her. Oh... and our little baby can now give us kisses. Cutest thing ever as you know. She is doing wonderful and we are having a blast!




Happy Birthday Darling Allie!


xoxoxoxoxox


1 comment:

Melissa O'Brien said...

What a year you all have had?! I'm so proud of Allie and how well she's doing. She's an absolutely adorable child and has been such a trooper this year.