Happy Birthday Little Butterfly!!

First, I wanted to let everyone know that, aside from some very annoying random bad sleep habits ( waking up at 2:30 a.m. and not going back to sleep until 5:00 a.m. or just waking up at 4:00 a.m. for the day) Marissa is doing well. She developed a bad diaper rash and diarrhea about a week ago and we also thought she had a UTI. Turns out she was just having bladder spasms due to the surgery. And our theory on the diarreah and rash was that she was having a reaction to being on Tylenol constantly. So, we started weening her off the Tylenol last weekend and she was completely off by Sunday. Her diaper rash is improving and no more diarreah. Yay!! Also, her incision looks awesome!! That doc sure knows his stuff!!

Thank you all for your continued prayers and support.

And now, on to the title of my post. Last June I had the privilege of getting in contact with a family who would change my life. I had been in a very dark place for a while and Marissa's pneumonia last May had me on the edge. I was wallowing in self pity and pity for Marissa. It was not good. I was in the hospital surfing the internet and came across the blog of a family who just happened to live here in Colorado. I was interested immediately because their little girl Faith had a trach and a vent and had just come home from the hospital for good in April, when she was 14 months old. I felt I just had to contact this mom and I am sure glad I did. We started e-mailing back and forth and we eventually met up with this family and several other trach families they knew from their time in the hospital. Their friendship and kinship has picked me up off the bottom too many times to count. My family and I are so blessed to have these wonderful people in our lives.

Today is Faith's second birthday. I wanted to give you all the link to Jen's blog and ask you to go and leave a happy birthday message for this wonderful little girl. Be sure to pay attention to the pictures.  In one pic you can see Faith shortly after she was born, with a little stuffed dog beside her.  The next pic, the one of her with her crazy cool hair, she is holding the same little dog.  Wow, how far she has come!  

And, if you have a few extra minutes, check out the "my story" button on the top left of the blog. If you all think my pregnancy story and the story of Marissa's birth are awesome, Jen's, Brian's and Faith's story will knock your socks off. It will literally blow you away!

Please take the time to wish Faith a very happy birthday.