Brianne here :). Our precious little princess Kaylee-bug turned 2 on Saturday. It's surreal to try and think back to when she first graced us with her sweet smile and beautiful little eyes. I remember the first time I got to hold her in the hospital. It was 10 hours after she was born, and she was in the NICU. She was so tiny, but had the cutest little face. Was she really mine? After only a few minutes of holding her I didn't want to let her go. I've been blessed to have her by my side almost every day for the last 2 years now. She brightens my day as soon as I wake her up in the mornings, and she melts my heart every night before bed. I always knew that I had a destiny to be a mother, but I could never have dreamed how much joy I would get out of it. Jon and I feel like the luckiest parents in the world, and we are doing everything we can to show her the love she deserves.
Kaylee got to see her Grandma Lani and Grandpa Joe on Skype the morning of her birthday. That was so neat for all of us. They got to see her open her presents and Kaylee got to see their faces again!! They got her many new things and a "Pika" cat that she now sleeps with every night. She calls it "My Pika" every night. We also got a card from Aunt Ashley in the mail and were once again blown away from this young lady who has now become a permanent part of our family. If you are ever blessed to meet her in person, Ashley Clark is one of the most selfless people you will ever know. Her heart has been wrapped around Kaylee ever since she was her daycare teacher over a year ago. I still remember the day when I came to daycare to pick Kaylee up and Ashley showed me how Kaylee could sit up on her own! Then, during one of my lunch visits, Kaylee walked to me for the first time after help from Ashley. We received a beautiful note from Ashley, along with birthday money in a card for Kaylee. We were blown away by the generosity and kind words. We took Kaylee to Target on Sunday and bought her a few things from Ashley. The first thing is something she needed....her own bookshelf. She has inherited all of my old books, and now has a bookshelf full of them! Then we let her pick out some things, a Dora bath toy and some fridge magnets that teach the letter sounds. She loves all of it, and even has some money left over. However, I've now discovered that we need to get her a Dora doll for night time because she gets upset when we wont' let her bring the Dora bath toy to bed :(. So maybe this weekend we will get her a Dora doll for bed. Who knew that letting a toddler watch Dora one time would have them hooked??
Jon and I went to church on Sunday, and my mother-in-law, Trynn, joined us. It was another fantastic service by Pastor Ken Hubbard at Citipoint. One of the phrases that Pastor Ken tells each Sunday goes something like this (forgive me if I missquote it): "What you have is not all that you can have.....who you are is not all that you can be....and where you are is not where you have to stay!" This phrase speaks volumes to me. God has an amazing destiny for our family here in Washington and to think that this time last year we only thought it was a dream that may never become a reality. It has been, and will continue to be, the ultimate test of faith thus far. To place your future in the hands of someone who you cannot see is hard for many people to understand. However, I take one look at our little angel and remember what miracles God did in Kaylee's life when she was young and it all becomes reality. For those who do not know the story of Kaylee's healing, I will give you a summary. Kaylee was diagnosed with reflux when she was only 2 weeks old. She could not keep down any liquids without it being thickened first. At 4 months of age she developed RSV and was in the hospital for a week. Then she developed food allergies and was allergic to all orange and yellow vegetables, and developed skin sensitivities. She would not get well and I felt like a failure as a mother. Finally, after Pastor David Brown (Victory Church, Amarillo, TX) taught a sermon about healing, and after I spoke with my friend Jamie about the power that a parent has over their children, I got serious about my desperation. I knew that this little baby was not meant to be on 6 prescription medicines at once, and she certainly was not meant to be unable to drink liquids like every other baby around her. It took total submission to God's power for me to give it to Him and claim healing over Kaylee's little body. The miraculous healing was instantaneous. The next day we took away all medications and she has not had one single complication from them. You can't deny that, to see it with your own eyes. One day your baby is suffering and the next day she is healed! That is why we know God has wonderful plans for our lives, and that is why we know He will provide. If he can heal our baby girl, he certainly can make sure we are provided for.
I am so thankful that Jon and I took the leap of faith to come here. I miss my family and friends so very much though. It's hard not having them around to visit and hang out with. I miss lunch dates and pedicures with my mom. I miss the Sunday afternoons we had at mom & Joe's with Kaylee and Kolton. They had so much fun together. I am glad Kaylee is in daycare now though, so she has more friends to play with. She is doing well, and we are so proud of her.
Happy 2nd birthday baby girl. Thank you for reminding mommy and daddy each and every day how very lucky we are to have you in our lives!!
