It's our party.....

What a day! Today we had our very first birthday party. It was such a fun time with so many people who love us and who care about us. It was a perfect day. Here are some pictures of the day including our brand new swing set from GAMA and the new piano Uncle Mike got us. We got lots of other fun toys and presents, too, but only some got in the pictures. Check out the whole album here.

This was a very special day for Mommy and Daddy, too as they celebrate our first year. Mommy decided she would share her feelings about this day with us in a letter and we want to share the letter with you.

Dear Kitt and Garet,

Ever since I was a little girl, I wanted to be a mommy. While it took us a while to get to that point, I can hardly believe we celebrated your first birthday today. I also can hardly contain my excitement I feel when I think of how far you have come. When I remember the day you were born, it should have been one of the happiest days of my life, but instead it was probably the scariest day of my life. It was certainly way too early for you to be born, but it was almost as if you didn't know that. You just kept fighting. So much about your young lives is a miracle and your stay in the NICU was no exception. In the many days that followed your birth, I watched you bravely learn to breathe on your own and ultimately to eat on your own. While those days were very hard for me, the two of you never thought of giving up. You have been fighters all your lives. And while I didn't care to hear the words of the good-intentioned nurses when they told me this whole time would be a blip in your memory, I can finally admit they were right. Although I spent countless hours in the NICU visiting you, I rarely think of those days anymore. Instead I think of the immense joy you have brought Daddy and me. I think of the laughter and smiles you have brought into our house. I think of the sleepless nights, not with resent, but with a grateful heart for your lives and what they mean to us. It wasn't your fault that you were born early, and you accept it without hesitation, judgment or denial. While it took me a while to overcome my emotions, I look back now over this year and am so proud of how far we have come and how much we have endured. I am happy with the life I was given and most of all I am happy that the two of you are so happy and bring us so much joy. Although you've just been with us for a year, I can barely remember my life before you were born and would not go back to those days for anything. I wish you a very happy birthday and a wonderful year ahead as you continue to grow and develop in so many ways.

I love you very much,
Mommy