We are good with the singing, just don't clap!
I have waited all year to take this picture...
and you can see it took some practice! :)
On Tuesday, we celebrated his actual birthday. We had a small dinner at my parents' house and ate more cake!
And we sing again, no clapping!
That Saturday we celebrated another anniversary, heart surgery. A lot of heart babies have a celebration for their heart day and I truly felt this was something worth celebrating. This was a day where I really got to take a step back and see exactly how far we have come. We had a really rough journey in the beginning, but I know that I would not be the mom, or wife, I am today had I not gone through that experience.
As a heart mom, I have learned the power and importance of family and friends. There is no way we would have made it through this last year without the support system we have had. From car rides, to meals, to hotel rooms, to visits, to listening, to crying, to praying, I relied so heavily on everyone. Sometimes it was me needing to be strong for others and convincing others that everything was okay that made a difference.
As a heart mom, I have learned the power of prayer. I would say really as a mom in general. We struggled so long just to get pregnant and I could never figure out why God was giving me that struggle. Looking back, I think He was preparing me for motherhood. Had I not of gone through that struggle, I may not have been strong enough for the experiences this last year has brought.
As I heart mom, I have learned about the impact of strangers. So many people that I have never met have connected to our story and followed Brody from the very beginning. I love when I hear about people I don't even know asking how Brody is doing. My absolute favorite is when I get introduced to someone new as, "this is Brody's mom." Brody has no idea the amount of people who have thought and prayed about him. Through the power of social media, I have been able to connect with other heart moms. This has been a true blessing. It is an entirely different form of support from people who are living a very similar story. I know that I have benefited greatly from the support of these other moms and I only hope that I can use my story to help guide and comfort other heart moms.
As a heart mom, I have learned that everything is worth celebrating. Brody can do the slightest of things and I am jumping up and down getting excited. I know this is probably true of most moms, but I feel like a heart mom has a little extra to celebrate. I would also like to add that Brody accomplished his goal I set for him and he is now sitting up on his own!
