One year ago at 11:27am Kaitlyn was born. There was no crying, no breathing and just a heartbeat. I remember the U of M Masonic children's hospital doctors, nurses and others scrambling to get Kailyn to breathe. I remember my heart being torn on where to be, what to do, is she breathing yet, what is going to happen from here. My wife laid there being tended to by doctors, the nurses were rushing Kaitlyn to the NICU with me close behind. To say I couldn't keep it together was an understatement. All the while I'm trying to take in every bit of information they were telling me. Watching the staff hook all these wires and tubes to her from a distance was hard. Lisa being unable to see her baby girl for a few hours or so after giving birth was hard for her, especially knowing all the issues she had at birth. This was the most difficult day, week and year we have ever dealt with and to see this girl today, you'd almost never know she ever went through any of this.

 

Today is no normal birthday in this family, it's the best birthday for my little girl who I wasn't even sure would ever come home. So grateful for every single hospital staff that cared for her, cared for Lisa and I as we went through thirst first few months of Kaitlyn's life at Masonic and all the support of family and friends. If you reached out, donated, checked in on us from time to time we appreciate it more than you will ever know.

 

Today we are grateful that’s she is home, she is healthy and an extremely happy baby. Lisa still takes her to many appointments trying to get Kaitlyn up to speed on where she needs to be at this stage of her life. Both Lisa and Kaitlyn work very hard every day on Kaitlyn's eating, sitting up, learning to be on her hands and knees and so much more. I think we are not far away from her crawling and saying her first real word other than "HEY".

 

HAPPY BIRTHDAY PEANUT !!