Happy Birthday Gabe!!!

Happy Birthday Gabe! My baby is one year old today. Oh how our lives changed a year ago. I remember being in labor and progressing fast. I remember your heart rate dropping and deciding to do a csection. I remember asking the anesthetist what the Apgar score was after that first cry. I remember shaking from being so cold in the recovery room. I remember Grandmas coming and in and telling me how good you looked. I remember seeing you in the special care nursery and thinking that you didn't look like a baby with Down Syndrome. However, I did notice the single palmer crease, the gap between your big toe and second toes, the extra skin on the neck and I knew it wasn't a mistake. I remember the neonatologist coming in the room to tell me they were taking you to Children's to watch your oxygen saturation. I remember Justin calling to tell me he was holding you and watching the Red's game...what he always wanted...and then I slept.

The last year has been full of ups and downs. When Gabe was so sick, I really wasn't sure he was going to make it. It's an awful thought to think about, but that's how close he was. Even Justin told me of a story he was told of in high school that he thought of frequently when Gabe was so sick. It's only 6 words. It's by Hemmingway, and the story is, "For Sale: baby shoes, never worn." In those 6 words, you get an entire story.

Instead of thinking of all the things Gabe can't do at 1 year old, lets think of all the things he can do. Gabe can:

sit independently

understand the signs for eat, drink, more, mom, dad, and up

sign mom, and up

say dada

hold a crawling position for 10 seconds.

roll over (if he really wants to, but he doesn't like to)

eat up to 19 Tbsp a day by mouth

play so big

clap his hands
say "d", "b", "s", "t", and all the vowels.
reach for you hair on command

very close to pushing up from a lying to seated position

Go Gabe Go! We love you so much. You make us smile everyday. You have come so far and we are happy to be along for the ride.

Baby shoes worn!