A Birthday That Almost Wasn't

Today is a very special day for our family.  Today we celebrate my niece Mya's first birthday!  Now, all first birthdays are special, but Mya's is extra-special!  A year ago, doctors could not stop Mya's arrival into the world at only 23 weeks gestation.  A year ago, this feisty little girl that some doctors took a chance on, (when others were ready to just send my sister-in law home saying there was nothing they could do), survived and thrived despite the odds and the risks and the unknowns.

Then, Mya weighed in at 1lb 5oz!  Now she continues to gain and grow and is over the 16lb mark.  Mya is a typically developing baby that is reaching all the benchmarks an 8 month old should reach.(Which is how old she would be if she had waited until her December due date!)  The developmental doctors that still follow her say that she is 1 in a million....to be born so early and small and not have any physical or developmental issues!

The roller coaster ride of her early birth and four months in the NICU was not easy for her family...especially Mya's mom, Jackie.  Jackie endured bed rest and all the uncertainty and fear of Mya's early birth and question of survival and complications ....daily visits to see Mya, and she couldn't even hold her those first few weeks!

I still remember the first pic of Jackie holding Mya...the peace on Jackie's face was unmistakable!

Mya had no big complications in the NICU.  So many people were praying for Mya and her family before, during, and after Mya's birth.  Those prayers carried everyone through those first scary months.

Mya came home the day before Christmas Eve.....the best.Christmas.present.ever as far as her family was concerned!

Today is a special day!  Thank-you. God, for the gift of baby Mya!

Above: Mya after birth and Mya today
Below:  Jay with Kate and Mya (Mya is his goddaughter, too) ay Mya's birthday party.  Kate and Mya's due dates were only 10 days apart(Mya was due December 12th and Kate December 22nd)  We are so grateful they will be growing up together!