>>ONE

My sweet little Clover is now ONE year old!!  I cannot believe it!  Twelve months has never flown by so quickly in all my life.

I remember the day I got "the call" from Clover's birth mom.  What was just another day at the office quickly turned into one of the best days of my life.  We had been trying for a long time to add a baby to our family and now it was looking like it was soon going to happen.  We were going to adopt a baby!!  I wanted to shout it from the roof top and jump up and down on the couch and share my excitement with everyone.

We didn't know if Clover would be a boy or a girl until she was born.  When the nurse came out with her and announced she was a "she" my eyes filled with tears and I was so thankful to have a daughter.  I instantly fell in love with her.  I loved her before she was born, but when I held her for the first time, I just knew she was meant to be in our family.

God couldn't have blessed us with a more perfect, beautiful baby girl.  

Clover's first year of life has been quite an eventful one.  She had her first plane ride at just 2 days old as she was flown to the NICU in Billings, Montana.  For the next month she was poked and prodded and tested and observed until finally being diagnosed with Prader Willi Syndrome.  She had her first surgery at 5 weeks old when she had a g-tube put in her belly.  She spent 2 months in the NICU, has had 3 emergency room visits, been to Denver Children's Hospital 3 times, has been seen by over 14 different specialists, started physical and occupational therapy at just 2 weeks old, started growth hormone injections, has had 2 sleep studies, diagnosed with severe sleep apnea, moved to a new city, AND became a big sister!  Wow, what a year!!  I'm sure I forgot several events in there too.

Clover works extremely hard at everything she does.  Even though things are hard for her and she tires out so easily, she still has a smile on her face all the time.  She has the cutest, sweetest personality and she inspires me every single day.  I am so, so lucky to be this little girl's mama.

Happy Birthday my darling Clover.  I love you always and forever!

XOXO