One Year

Elizabeth Marie is one year old.

In one way, I hardly think it possible that a year has passed. But generally I think that it has been a long, long year.

Mum and I have been counting down to this day since December. December is when things started to go bad with the pregnancy. Mum was in and out of the hospital repeatedly, and on strict bedrest for quite a while. Considering how little I get done at the best of times, I don't know how I managed, but I did. Every day, every week that went by with Liz still in the womb allowed her to get bigger and stronger. We were hoping for 30 weeks; we would have settled for 28; but at 26 weeks our waiting was over. They told us that it was going to get worse, not better, and the wee girl (as she would turn out to be) would be better off outside than in. I was very hesitant, I really didn't want it to happen that soon. But, they were right, it got worse, and she was hauled into the world just before midnight.

Not the most dignified start, really. Notice her "light bulb" shaped head. There was almost no amniotic fluid in there, and her head was squeezed into this shape.



But here she is now. Things could have turned out worse than this:



Here's another video of her in her jolly jumper.



Happy birthday, Wee Liz.