On A More Positive Note

 I just wanted to write about my tiny, serious Anastasia. She can army crawl with the best of them. Ana-Rose is lighting fast when she sees something she wants. Those big blue eyes light up and off she goes. 

She is so close to doing a traditional crawl. She gets on all fours, then rocks back and forth. Sometimes, Anastasia will put one hand in front of the other, then topples to the side. She had always been our little fighter, so Anastasia gets right back up and tries again. Normally with a hint of a smile on her face. It's like she doesn't see it as failure but a chance to try again.

Anastasia has overcome numerous obstacles over the last year. From ROP of the eyes, 2 murmurs of the heart, 3 hernias, learning to breath and eat on her own, to sleep without having breathing complications, plus many other challenges. Perhaps, more trials than most people face in a life time she's had to battle for less than 12 months. 

Preemies are amazing little warriors, they just keep fighting to live with such finesse. Maybe it's because a baby doesn't know how to think negatively nor do they focus on the statistics. They just keep pressing on, despite the odds being stacked against them. 

I admit there are times, more often right now on the first year anniversary, when I look at her, I think of how our lives were flipped upside down. All of this has made us; closer as a family, taught us to rejoice in the smallest of milestones, and helped us realize how precious life truly is. I think our NICU journey prepared us for the Autism road we are now traveling down on.

I hope by this time next year she'll no longer be labeled as failure to thrive. Ana-Rose will be walking, if not running, around everywhere we go. I bet Anastasia will continue to be a chatter box, only next year I'll be able to understand her more. I see her being one to encourage her brother to push his boundaries, while continuing to receive unconditional love from her big sister (as long as the girls don't share a room).