World Prematurity Day

Today is the first ever World Prematurity Day. It is a day to raise awareness to the many babies around the world that are born too early. Lately, I have found myself reflecting more and more on how truly blessed we are to have Callie in our life. I keep searching for the strength to write about the emotions that were involved in her birth and the first year of her life, but I am not quite ready yet. I do know that she has defied the odds and continues to amaze everyone that knows her and her story. When Callie was born, she weighed only 1 lb 5.3 oz. She was so sick that the NICU didn't think she would make it through the night and we were brought in to say good-bye to our little girl. Then a few weeks later, after she suffered the worse grade brain bleed a baby can have, they said the likelihood of her ever walking or functioning normally were slim. We asked if we could have hope and they said "you can always have hope". Callie has endured 6 surgeries and has faught through more health scares then most people face in a lifetime. The strength she has shown amazes me.

Callie is now coming up on her third birthday in February and is thriving. She is doing well at school. Learning to be more assertive and communicate more effectively. Over the weekend, she was putting together a puzzle with her cousin Jack, and Jack kept trying to help her with the pieces. Callie leaned across, put her hand over the puzzle and said "Jack, I told you NO...I can do it myself." The clarity and tone in which she spoke was so appropriate and bold, that my Grandmother and I actually took a step back. She is doing the things a two year old should be doing and we couldn't be any more proud. Cal is a determined little girl and knows what she wants. I tell everyone I know this is why she survived. She is our little fighter through and through.