Here's something I had wanted to post since Katie's birthday. It's a letter I wrote to all of you who are her friends and family, but with all the excitement she has generated over the past month, I haven't had a chance to get it on here.



April 7, 2007
Dear Friends and Family,
As I write this, I am amazed at how quickly time goes by. I have always heard that with every passing year, it will go by more swiftly, and this past year may have been the quickest yet, although there were a few terrifying moments and hours when time almost seemed to stand still. But they passed, as time always does and suddenly, here we are, celebrating a birthday that we have looked forward to for so, so, long. A year ago today, we were listening to thunder, wind, news reports of tornadoes...and iffy news from doctors and nurses. Katie surprised everyone on that night with her dramatic entrance and she has continued to surprise us, her doctors, nurses, therapists and you, our family and friends. The only one not surprised by her, is The Great Physician, who had big plans for this little girl long before we knew her.
I read recently that a baby born at 24 weeks has just a 25% chance of survival. With every day that baby stays in the womb, her chances of survival increase dramatically. At 24 weeks and 5 days, the numbers say that Katie might not have made it, but the numbers do not take into account a loving, kind and gracious Heavenly Father. The numbers do not take into account a tiny little girl with a brave heart, a strong spirit and who was called “a Fighter,” by the doctor who delivered her. Most likely, the numbers do take into account the expertise of NICU doctors and nurses, but the numbers can do nothing to reflect not only the wonderful care Katie was given at East Tennessee Children's Hospital, but the amount of love and tenderness she was also given by those precious people there.
Katie weighed 1 pound and 9 ounces when she was born at 5:54 pm on April 7, 2006. She was 12 ¾ inches long. A few days after her birth, she dropped down to a pound and 6 ounces. But after that, she gained weight and strength fairly steadily. The NICU experience was described to us as a roller coaster. That was an understatement. There were horrible moments, like the time we walked in and watched our baby have a bronchospasm, and have to be “bagged” to make her breathe again. I thank God for the nurses and respiratory therapists who were right there and saved her life. We waited, holding our breath, to hear news of her first and subsequent brain scans and the news from those was all good. There were also beautiful moments, like the first time we heard Katie cry and the first time we got to hold her in our arms and the day she got rid of that awful ventilator tube. The scariest AND the most wonderful moment were probably the same – the moment we drove away from the hospital with Katie in her car seat on July 19, 2006 to take her home.
As I think back on the past year, so many things stand out in my mind and I wonder how to sum it up. There's no way. I know that Donnie and Katie and I are blessed to have experienced 103 days of miracles. Every day brought new blessings, even in the scary times, because Katie always came through them. We continue to see miracles, because we have a healthy and happy daughter who is a delight to us and continues to surprise the medical professionals who see her.
I would absolutely not have chosen the road we traveled to get Katie home with us. But, looking back, I don't think I would change it. It was a hard road, but it was a beautiful road too. I have never felt more loved by my husband than I did in the weeks following Katie's birth when I was physically unable to do much of anything. And I have never seen a man stronger and more trustworthy and dependable and WONDERFUL than he is. I thank God for him every day. I was amazed daily by the overwhelming love and support that we received from ALL OF YOU and from people we have never met. Every one of you is a Heaven-sent blessing to me and my family. You thought of things that we didn't even think of. The entire time that Katie was in the hospital, we never had to worry about gas money or a place to stay or food or whether our dog and cats were being taken care of. (Thanks Mama!) I never had to worry about my job because I have the best co-workers and work for the best bank in the world! And Donnie didn't have to worry about his job because he works with the best bunch of guys in the world too. We always knew that ourselves and Katie and her doctors and nurses were being lifted up to God 24 hours a day in prayer. And we always, always, always felt the love that all of you were sending our way.
I'm not sure of much in this world. Every day I think I find more that puzzles me than that I understand. I have learned a lot though and I do know that God is good and that He is faithful, even though I do not understand His ways. I know that His love far exceeds even the love that we have for Katie, and THAT blows me away. I have learned that being a Mommy means more to me than I expected, even though it was all I wanted for so long. I've learned that I can function on much less sleep than I thought possible too. And I know that we have the very best friends and family that anyone could ever ask for. I know, beyond a shadow of any doubt, that I AM BLESSED.
Happy birthday, little Katheryn Elizabeth! You are our MIRACLE!