Happy 'one month' Arabella

We softly sang 'Happy Birthday' to her today.

It's been one month since Arabella made her first appearance in this world. 

They tell us to celebrate the milestones. So cheers to that 💗

Belle's world involved challenges and obstacles the second she came out, but she's done very well given her circumstances. 

We're blessed. There's no other way to put it. 

She was barely one pound when she came out, and now she has almost doubled in size. 

Doctors gave her very slim odds, but this little girl is proving to everyone what she's really made of. 

It turns out she's made of divine grace and mercy, of hope, faith and love. 

Amidst her odds, she has persevered. 

Happy one month baby girl. 

So let's say goodbye to this 'first month's' chapter. This month we have overcome countless setbacks. There have been some really terrifying days and nights. But we've kept on treading. It's what anyone would do. 

You would do the same.

Belle would have been seven months (roughly) in the womb at this point. And she's been out for one month already. When I think about that (in those terms) I begin to realize the magnitude of the situation. 

Often, it's overwhelming. Especially the bad days. When you receive troubling news from doctors, your mind will take you down a deep dark hole. But you can't allow the darkness to take you. 

You won't sleep, you'll be anxious. You'll google. You'll research. You'll pray, and pray, and pray, and then you'll google some more.

It feels like I'm taking a degree in neonatal studies some days. But I need to know what Belle's going through, like what drugs will impact her in what ways. You have to find out as much as you can. Whatever happens to her now will have life-long effects. A lot of stuff matters now. Every detail can be important. But we're trying not to get lost in everything, too. We always find our way back to normalcy, and that's pretty much our life. 

The three of us now, as one unit. One new family.

From our little family to yours, we're celebrating with you. Cheers to you and your family unit, wherever you are. In Canada and Poland, in places like Japan and Brazil. We're all united. 

We're so thankful for everyone's continued prayers and support. We have found a lot of strength through you, believe it or not.

So that's why we pray for all those who give us strength, too.