Happy Birthday!!!!

What??? Aralyn Faith is ONE! My daughter, the one who wasn't supposed to live an hour, is ONE! She made it!!! I am one thrilled, proud Mama right now. One year ago I was laying in a hospital bed holding Aralyn, watching the clock. We were never supposed to leave the hospital with her. I was supposed to go home with a swollen belly and no baby. We were supposed to go home and move on with our lives. God had another idea. I can sit here and say that doctors don't have a clue as to what they are doing, but then I would be wrong. They do know what they are doing medically speaking, they just aren't God. He is the only one to decide who comes Home and when. He wanted us to have Aralyn for a year. If He didn't she would be celebrating her birthday in Heaven. I'm so blessed to have her here. I can't wait to watch her play in cake. I cry just thinking about everyone gathering around her to sing "Happy Birthday". She's still here! She is with us breathing, smiling, crying.
The day Aralyn was born, Matt and I woke up and found a cow in our yard. This happens quite a bit since we live on 40 acres with cattle, but on this morning it was funny. I actually thanked God for the good laugh. We were so stressed and scared that we weren't even thinking about having a baby that day. All we could think about was losing a baby. At the hospital we laughed, crying, and laughed some more. Nurses came in to go over our Birth Plan, family prayed with us, and when Dr. Zeid showed up the world stopped spinning. It was time. We had to face the facts. Aralyn was going to be delivered and we would say good-bye. Things were looking bad from the minute I rolled into the operating room. During my spinal my leg twitched off the table. He hit a nerve. Then, after what felt like forever, I still wasn't numb. That little nerve that was hit was causing me to feel everything in one spot. This is when I found out about a "hot spot". I had complete feeling in one section of my stomach. The nurse let Matt and my mom know that they may completely sedate me. That was not in my Birth Plan. I wanted as little medication as possible. I wanted to see, love, and enjoy Aralyn as much as I can. The solution was for one nurse to keep her hand over this "hot spot" during the procedure so it wouldn't get touched by anything. Worked for me as long as there weren't any slips. At 8:03 am Aralyn Faith came into the world at a beautiful 6 pounds 2 ounces and 19 inches (all legs thanks to her daddy). Shortly after going into our room I had an allergic reaction to the pain medication. Then while Matt was changing Aralyn's diaper for the first time she stopped breathing and turned blue. It was one thing after another. As family and friends poured in to meet A, I realized that it was all worth it. The "hot spot", splotches all over my arms, everything. Every person who was there to meet our angel before she passed was touched by her. Now a year later I realize that every doctors appointment, therapy day, sleepless night, hospital visit, it's all worth it. Aralyn has touched more lives in one year than most do in a lifetime. She can warm the coldest heart with a single smile. She is a gift. A beautiful, special, blessed gift. I am the luckiest mom on earth. I was chosen to be her mom. God and Aralyn picked little 'ol me. I never thought I'd actually live my life as if each day were my last until I met my sweet princess. She has given my life a whole new meaning and I am so blessed to be able to share her with everyone I meet. Thank you, Lord. Thank you for blessing me with Aralyn Faith.