From the very beginning, we loved you.
And we knew, more than ever, what a gift it was to carry a child.
Your accomodations in me were no longer fit for a king of your size.
And so we had to help you evacuate the premises.
So with the help of Jearlyn. And Dr. Kenney. Dr. Bonebrake. And Dr. Torpin. And nurse Lora. And others. I was ready to meet you. Even if it was early. I felt safe.
I held your daddy’s hand. And I looked at him. And I’ll never forget what I said next… We can get through anything together. I love you.
And a minute later, truly, you were here.
And you let out a cry. And I was beaming. From ear to ear. As tears rolled down into them. You cried again. You cried. And I believe I sent up a prayer of thanks.
And they let me see you.
They weren’t supposed to, they said. But you were such a rock star.
A 3 pounder, with no breathing assistance needed.
So they let me catch a glimpse.
And the first words out of my mouth… He’s bigger than I thought he’d be.
They’d told us you were about 2 lbs 13 ounces.
And man, were they close. But you surpassed my expectations from day one.
And they took you to your superhero chamber.
They knew how bright your future was immediately.
And soon gave you some sweet shades.
An hour or two or several later, I got to hold you in my arms for the first time.
And oh, my heart. I loved you, Harrison.
Just as my heart had swelled for your first brother.
And your second.
My heart swelled once again. For you.
Maybe I should have been more scared. Or concerned.
But I was just so happy you were here. Safe.
And your daddy’s heart was captured, once again.
He was your champion, immediately.
He learned your CARES and your needs.
He took care of you. And your brothers. And me. He was ever my hero.
You may have been tiny. But every bit of you… from your head to the tip of your toes, was flawless.
I shared your birth story.
And thousands of people read about you.
And I believe that those readers prayed, and sent positive vibes, and had you on their hearts.
You had thousands of cheerleaders. Just days after you arrived.
Your oldest brother came to meet you. And at first, he was confused. He wanted you to be a sister.
But soon, he warmed up to you. And your superhero chamber.
And we settled into your new place. And our new routine.
We hopped right into kangaroo care. And holding you, as much as your temperature would allow.
Your middle brother was completely obsessed with you when we snuck him in to meet you.
And I was happier than I’d ever known life could be.
Full of warm fuzzy hormones. A mama to three boys. My three sons.
And you met your grandparents. And family. And friends. And everyone loved on you.
You had the very best care. We were overwhelmed by the quality and the love. From the aides, to the nurses, to the doctors, to the dieticians.
Everyone was on your team.
Especially Nurse Nancy… who made sure you were festive.
And who knew just how feisty you were from the get-go.
You grew slowly but steadily.
We were so grateful for your NICU time.
And at 4 lb 15 oz, you’d made your way down the Pathway, could keep your temperature up, were “event free”, and became the biggest baby we’d ever left the hospital with. It had been six weeks and one day and we got to show you your real home.
And we haven’t looked back.
It’s been one heck of a year, Harrison.
There are parts of every day that I stop. And stare. At you. And your brothers.
And thank God for putting me in your lives. So I get to experience being your mom.
And I owe that gratitude to the way you came into our family.
It was hard at times.
This year.
Really challenging.
The feeding schedules to keep you growing.
The holding you upright for three hours before bedtime for the first 5 months.
Reflux. MSPI. Thrush. And teeth.
And a good bit of time with Dr. D.
And a good bit of time with Dr. D.
And inspiring, too.
Your smiles. Your snuggles. Your spirit.
You made us ever-thankful for miracles, and health insurance, once again.
You’ve changed our perspective on so many parts of life.
And made our family complete in a way that it wasn’t before.
At one year… you have four persnickety teeth.
You still prefer mama’s hip.
You are roving around the coffee table as much as possible.
You are an extremely picky eater.
You are in love with eating paper. And any other bits that can be found on the floor.
And you love bath time with your bros.
You still hate bottles and are so-so on sippies. But mama’s Milkbags, you pretty much love those.
Pulling hair is your favorite pasttime.
And you absolutely light up when daddy comes into a room.
You are and will always be, one of our little sonshines.
Happy first birthday, HarBear.
One time around the sun. And you shine brighter than we could have ever expected.
Your oldest brother said these words to you last night…
I love you, Har. I couldn’t ask for more. I wish you could be a baby forever. But you won’t be.
I agree that we could not ask for more.
But I am glad you won’t be a baby forever. I am too excited to see who you become.
What a difference a day makes.
December 10, 2013.
What a difference that day made.
One year down. Forever to grow.
Here’s to you, Mr. ONEderful!
{And yet… 10 months, adjusted;}
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