2nd Birthday!

Swinging on his 2nd birthday!

On Friday, our little man turned 2! It's so hard to believe that it's been two years since he was born. Honestly, the thought of how far God has brought him is just so overwhelming. I can't even begin to describe it. From 1 lb 8oz to 24 lbs. It makes my heart swell.

His second birthday brought up bittersweet memories, though more faded in my mind than the previous birthday. Parents of preemies often have a hard time reconciling both the worst and best day of their lives. It's such a weird dichotomy- fear, trauma and devastation in one hand and love, joy and gratitude in the other.

But I couldn't help but think how far Pierce has come. How many hurdles he's jumped. And by God's grace, how many odds he's conquered. I think back on the times when we celebrated each 24 hour increment, because with each hour that passed, Pierce's odds for survival increased. Now, two years later, we're so far from that point. It's truly miraculous. No oxygen. No tubes. No regular medications (yes, none!).

We weren't able to do a whole lot to celebrate (yet... party to come this summer!) because Pierce is still in isolation due to his upcoming surgery, but we didn't let that stop us from having a blast! We celebrated by eating lots of cake, swinging outside and watching his all time favorite movie. There were lots and lots of snuggles. Lots of kisses. And lots of joy.

Proof that you can still have fun, even in isolation!

Special thanks to Amanda McQuade Photography (amandamcquadephotography.com) for capturing gems like this!

Pierce's brain surgery is scheduled for Tuesday, April 23rd. We ask that you join us in praying for a speedy and painfree recovery and a quick hospital stay. The surgery will be more invasive than traditional shunt surgery and will require Pierce to be in the intensive care for at least 24 hours afterwards. We've been warned that he will likely be in a great deal of pain afterwards as they'll have to remove a small portion of his skull. Please pray that this is not the case. And finally, please, please join us in praying that this alleviates the swelling in his fourth ventricle and that afterwards, Pierce will make great strides (specifically with his gross motor skills) and that he will never need another surgery. 

We will update before, during and after surgery on our blog.

Thanks for your continued prayers!

Lindsay