It's hard to imagine that only 8 years ago, this crazy little girl came crashing into our lives - literally! I was only 34 weeks along and we had only been in St. George for 2 months. I had met my new doctor once and just for one of those very brief, "routine" visits. I'd been feeling a bit yucky for a few days and at the time, I was working in Labor and Delivery/Post-Partum. I kind of thought it was all in my head, but one Sunday morning, I realized it just wasn't so! I got a nose bleed and it didn't stop for 6 hours. Long story short, I had been having a mild case of preeclampsia which had progressed to HELLP syndrome, a very rare complication. There was some debate as to what to do, however, when they checked me, I was already dilated to a 5...choice made! Kaitlin was born 4 hours later and although she was too early and without the benefit of the steroid injection - she was a fighter! She breathed on her own and REFUSED to allow the nurses the opportunity of finding any reason to keep her in the NICU! Don't get me wrong, she was early and she showed it...to me, but when the nurses walked in the room, I swear she knew exactly how to look like she was doing all the things she was supposed to! So she came home, miraculously, the next day and changed our lives instantly!
She was immediately her daddy's girl! Although he was indifferent during the pregnancy (much to my grief and chagrin), all that changed the minute he held her! She slept on his chest at night and he took her with him everywhere! He had an old blue truck and he loved putting that car seat in the middle and driving around with her.
And now...8 years later, she's still that little fighter and still her daddy's girl! She amazes me with her strength. She continues to be a happy, delightfully thoughtful girl that has never stopped changing our lives for the better! And now... on to the featured 8th birthday!
Kaitlin's morning started with a blast of pink and black. I had seen this idea in a Family Fun magazine and LOVED it...but realistically, I knew I would never spend the money to buy all the balloons I'd need to make it work. As a testimony that no prayer is every unheard, I came upon these balloons (completely free) the night before her birthday! It couldn't have been more perfect. Cole and I wrote tons of little notes to Kaitlin and attached them to the groups of balloons. The sight was much more overwhelming than the picture portrays. It was incredible.
For breakfast the kids ate an incredibly healthy CUPCAKE, complete with a candle and the Birthday song! (Hey, it's just one morning, right!)
Kaitlin and the traditional porch! I love this porch! I just can't say it enough! It is so much fun to be able to decorate! And just look how grown up she looks....sigh!
For lunch, we picked up some McDonalds kids' meals (a treat I rarely indulge in) and we all headed over to eat lunch with Kaitlin. It was so much fun, but she could have cared less about the kids' meal. She was just happy to have us there! (Make a mental note!)
Then, later in the day, Cole and I took treats to school to celebrate her birthday and surprised her by taking her out of school a little bit early and going on a date! We went to the mall and bought pretzels and looked for a baptism dress. After trying on a ton, we finally found the right one!
After dress shopping (and finding the perfect dress), we rushed home for soccer practice and then it was off for her surprise birthday party! We had a hard time ever figuring out exactly what we were doing, so we just kept stringing her along and saying that we would just have to figure something out! We had her close her eyes and headed up to our family's favorite spot - the airport park! The wind was blowing a million miles and hour, but it didn't stop us from having a great time!
How many Roundy boys does it take to get the POGO stick out of the box?!
Allison ate almost 2 pieces of cheese-free pizza and a whole piece of cake! No wonder she was all smiles!
After pizza, it was a soccer match - Ladd against Kaitlin, Brandon and Brock! After a bit, Cole felt sorry for poor Ladd and jumped in, too! Not me, I was having to much fun watching!
Allison was the first one up that morning and it was all I could do to keep her from moving all of the balloon bunches around!
These little buggers are the treat Cole and I took to school for Kaitlin's birthday! We saw them in a magazine and had to try them! They were a huge hit!
Kaitlin's 8th birthday came and went so quickly! It was a super special birthday for a number or reasons: 1) of course, because it was the long-awaited 8th birthday, 2) because she was actually IN school instead of out on Spring break, and 3)she has so many people that love her and helped her day be AMAZING!
2 comments:
What an amazing birthday! Kaitlin is an amazing girl by all accounts. I feel so lucky to get to know her through Activity Days. I can already tell that she is caring and thoughtful!
Oh, my goodness. I almost can't believe you have an 8 year old! I remember so much about my 8th birthday and all that surrounded it. But we can't be getting older, right?!
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