Outer Banks Birthday ...

So ... I am tardy with this post and Claire turned six years old ...two weeks ago today. What can I say? At least I am consistent.

Six years and two weeks ago, our third beautiful baby was born. Everything was expected to be routine. Until it wasn't. I remember my mommy-sense kicking in and hearing her cry - differently than the others. Weaker. Less enthusiastic. I remember my doctor talking to me ... faster and very verbosely than the others. It was our third delivery together - and I knew him pretty well. The nurses didn't immediately tell me her apgar scores. Again - I knew something was different. But I had seen her - and knew she was beautiful. And crying. And alive. So... I prayed. We prayed. And I watched as my husband followed our daughter down to the NICU.

As I recovered, I remembered hearing snippets of conversation .... revolving around a possible heart issue. I vividly recall my "deal" with God. You know the ones I'm talking about. They start with "Dear God, if you will only ________, then I promise to _______." I began to bargain. I knew what I wanted from Him ... but I didn't know what to offer in return. So I promised to love her. Every day. With all my heart. And that she would know Him. Every day. With all her heart. So ... she needed her heart. A healed one.

She was in the NICU for 8 hours. One of the shortest stays on record. A lifetime to us. Her heart was pronounced perfect by specialists. So I had a bargain to uphold. We have loved this child every day of her six year two week old life. She knows the love her God, her family, and her friends have for her. And I am so glad we got to celebrate this birthday with her on the beach. In the rain. Touring lighthouses. Ghostcrabbing. Eating donuts. Swimming in hot-tubs. Happy 6th birthday Claire. We have many more to celebrate.