Developmental milestones

I've waited all day to type this post, but my sweet little miracle kept me fairly busy today!  This morning Harper had her six-month well-check with her pediatrician, which of course meant the dreaded vaccinations.  So, we spent most of the afternoon snuggling and resting in mommy's arms... Which was perfectly okay with mommy!  I know all too well how quickly these days of wanting to be held and cuddled will pass, and I spent many days longing to hold and cuddle my girl, so I am perfectly content to spoil her rotten.

Anyway, back to the well-check... Harper is up to almost 17 pounds, which keeps her in the 75th percentile for weight.  This was a huge relief because her appetite has decreased quite a bit over the past few weeks... But apparently that isn't affecting her weight.  She is 27 1/2 inches long, putting her in the 95th percentile for length (still not sure where that gene came from!).  The best news in her measurements was her head circumference- still off the charts, but no increase!  She's maintaining right around 45 cm, so no apparent fluid increase in the past couple of months.... Woo-hoo!!

However, the news that brought tears to this momma's eyes was that the doctor could find nothing developmentally wrong.  Harper passed all of the major developmental milestones they look for at six months.  Over the past few weeks, I've spent a lot of time remembering those initial days of learning of Harper's diagnosis.  I remember sitting in the triage room of the hospital and the doctor telling us with tears in her eyes that things did not look great, that there were too many unknowns about our baby's future.  I remember the fetal specialist sitting with us and a counselor in her office informing us that she just didn't know if our baby would make it or not, and that even if she survived, her quality of life would be in question.  And then the specialist at Duke telling us that while she felt confident that Harper would survive, she, too, was uncertain about what her future would hold in terms of her brain function.

But our girl did survive.  She came into this world fighting, ready to show us all that God's plans cannot be predicted or explained.  She beat the odds, even when surgery went wrong.  She kept fighting even when her little heart was weak, when she couldn't breathe on her own, when she became drug-dependent, when eating was a challenge... When her life seemed impossible, she reminded us that nothing is impossible for God.  

And now, at six months, not only is she still alive, but she is thriving.  She is growing and developing and doing all the "normal" things no one ever thought she would do.  She's curious and determined and full of joy... She is an undeserved blessing, and I pray that I never cease to give praise to the One whose plans for her far exceed anything I could dream.