One Year - Updated

This week has become one of reflection for me. A year ago this week, one of our longest, hardest journeys was coming to a successful end. I remember at the time thinking how lucky we were. But, I still had regrets--I wished that she had come into my life sooner, that we had gone into treatment sooner. I wished my son had a sibling closer in age. I wished that life was perfect, that the years of hurt could just melt away. Willow Leone was born a year ago this Friday and I was swept away.

Seeing her, I sometimes cannot believe that she is real. I am not imagining. I am not dreaming, to be woken up by a nagging feeling like someone is missing. She is here, she is really here. And she amazes me every day.

Our lives have changed dramatically in a space of a year. The changes of having another child were expected and we have been adapting. Ironically, I find that we have many new obstacles in our lives (some good, some bad, some expected, some not). This week, I have begun to realize how much we have endured, how far we have come. What a wonderful gift our children are and how much we need each other. How our family can endure and gain strength and overcome.

But most of all--I am reflecting on how we were able to accomplish this:

Make a Smilebox scrapbook

UPDATE: Some people have noted my choice of song--its "Daughter"
Written by Peter Blegvad; Performed by Loudon Wainwright III
It has special meaning for us. Shortly after our first IVF/ICIS cycle failed, we wanted to divert ourselves by going to the movies. We hesitantingly decided on "Knocked Up" even though we knew the subject would bother us (I rationalized, like I usually did in those situations--"Well, its about her first child"; also we had already scheduled cycle #2). That song was at the end of the movie--and after we found out we were going to have a daughter--we both spontanously put that song on our mp3 players. That song will always remind me of our journey in bringing Willow to this world.


Things Willow can do:

Crawl
Eat most table food
Say "Mama" "Dada" "Kitty Cat" "yes" "hi"
Suck her thumb
Laugh and giggle
Clap her hands
Dance to Music (She went to her first Dan Zanes concert this weekend--she had a BLAST)
Stands on her own
ALMOST walking on her own
"She has her own way of communicating" - Michael
Is curious
Is friendly with people
"You gotta mention her smile." - Husband