Happy 1 Year Corrected Age Birthday!

Today is Claire's 1 year adjusted/corrected age birthday!  Meaning if she had been born on her due date, she would be 1 year old today!  This is the age the doctors go by when checking her development until she is 2 years old. 

On her 1 year adjusted age birthday, Claire is doing lots of things.  She is still cruising a lot but not yet walking on her own.  She can tell you what a dog says, a cow says, and what a duck says and she recognizes them in pictures.  Claire is eating probably about 80-90% "real" foods instead of baby foods and just supplementing with baby food when nothing else satisfies her.  She is still drinking from a bottle and not interested at all in a sippy cup.  Claire loves books and would rather read/play with a book than any other toys (besides Elmo).  Claire can say "Elmo" and recognizes him on tv.  When Wheel of Fortune comes on she loves it!  And when the audience claps, she claps along with them.  Claire still loves bath time and is still very happy in the mornings when she wakes up.  But she is still not on an all night sleeping schedule as she still wakes up usually at least once a night.  She is not a fan of shoes like her momma and would rather not wear any.  Her hair gets curlier every day and she seems to grow an inch every time I turn around.  Claire loves all kinds of animals and being outside.  She babbles a lot and acts like she is reading books to herself.  Claire loves to ride on the tractor with her daddy.  I could go on and on.........

December 22, 2010 was my due date last year.  It's weird to think that there was that much time that passed from Claire's birthday to the time she was due.  Last year it was just a blur.  But this year, to think about the time span from when we celebrated her first birthday to now is a long time. 

Eleven weeks early.  Seventy eight days early.  Almost three months early.  And to look at her now, you would never even know the fight this little girl has had to go through.  It amazes me that at such a point of weakness, Claire was as strong or stronger than anyone I know.  So new to the world; unprepared.  Yet, in the midst of it all, she prevailed.  God prevailed in her.  So even if she didn't have those 11 more weeks, or 78 more days, or almost 3 more months to grow and prepare her little body for life outside the womb, we are pretty proud of how quickly she adapted and took hold of her life and made the best of it. 

And while I think back, I realize, that "due dates" are guesstimates.  They are the days that the doctors think the baby should be due.  But in our case, I know that God knew Claire had to be born when she was to survive.  The cyst in her liver would have crushed all of her vital organs, including her heart, if she had not been born when she was.  October 6, 2010 WAS her due date.  God's due date for our baby.  Claire had to be born early to survive I believe.  I have read so many articles about the liver cysts where babies don't make it because the cyst crushes everything.  Thank God my body knew Claire had to get out to take care of her body. 

So I believe it was a blessing in disguise. Plus we got 11 more weeks, 78 more days, and almost 3 months more to spend with our sweet baby than we would have if she was born on her due date!  :)

Love,
The Scott Family