My how a year has flown...

Wow - as I sit here and stare at this screen. It finally dawns on me that almost a year has past since Mia was born and I started this blog. A year?! Goodness, when I look back, those days seemed to endlessly drag on and now here we are, about to celebrate her 1st birthday. So much has happened over the past year to get us where we are today. We look back now and can with certainty say God's hand of provision has definitely been on us from her first breath up until today.

So much has changed in our lives ever since that 1 lb 15 oz 13 3/4in little girl came storming into our lives 11 weeks early. And we wouldn't have it any other way. Those first few weeks were scary to say the least. Mia was perfectly healthy but seeing all those around her who were not, was very humbling. Mia had babies next to her who 1 day would be fine and then next day we would hear that they had to have emergency surgery, or worse, they hadn't made it through the night.

Everyday spent in that NICU felt like a lifetime, but everyday was a step closer to home. When we finally brought Mia home on October 13 - we were terrified. She was coming home on an apnea monitor and oxygen (granted only 1/32 of a liter but still) and while we'd been trained on how to use and what to expect, we were still scared.

With every passing day, Mia did better and better. Soon she was off her apnea monitor and her oxygen and doing well. She made her first trip to Huntington for Thanksgiving. Mia met lots of family and friends!

Soon Christmas came! I would love to say Mia loved her first Christmas, but she grew tired of the flannel jammies and endless pictures and slept right through Christmas Morning and Christmas Eve service at church.

2012 came and has been such a whirlwind! In May, on Mother's Day, Mia got dedicated at The Church At Martinsburg. Drew's parents and my parents were there to celebrate.She received a certificate and a Jesus Storybook Bible which she loves to hear stories from.

Now here we are at almost a year old! Looking back at this past year, I can not fathom how we made it to this point without God's hand over every second of it. So many things could have turned out differently but they did not. Each hurdle was a lesson learned and a reason to bring Drew and I closer as a family. So, as we come upon Mia's first birthday on the 25th, all thanks and praise on such a wonderful year go to Jesus. So happy birthday Mia! You are such a huge blessing to everyone you meet!