12 years ago!

well today my Haley baby turned 12. I can NOT believe it. she was born at 11:57 p.m. As most people know, the first weeks of her life were probably the hardest weeks we have ever, ever endured. We were 21, so young, so unstable and then had this baby w/ a birth defect that scared the crap out of us!!! Some years on her bday, I get very emotional, thinking about all she's been thru. I won't lie, I don't know that that will ever go away. However, I feel like I have more feelings of gratefulness than sadness. I look at her now, and am AMAZED at how far God has brought her. All of the things I feared when she was a baby have pretty much disappeared. I am a mom, so to say it will all go away, well it would be a bold face lie. But I don't live in fear. She is a blessing. I love to look back and see how God worked it all out. I think one of the biggest things I am thankful for is how Haley's bladder exstrophy has brought our family closer. Jeremiah and Savannah are there for Haley in a heart beat if they see she's having spasms. It's not something we ever asked them to do, we didn't put expectations on our other kids to do certain things, it's just who they are. we have some amazing kids. and an even more amazing God for seeing us thru all this and knowing that he'll see us thru whatever else comes our way!!!