Over the past couple weeks, I’ve noticed Aristana growing at a fast pace. It would seem that on any given morning, she would be an inch taller than the evening before. As I sit here in the living room, unable to sleep (thanks to the other growing daughter – in my belly), I am becoming sentimental. I keep finding myself staring at the two pairs of footie pajamas, hanging off the armoire, drying. I look at those pajamas and try to figure out how she ever got that big. Not to mention, she’s getting to the point where those PJs may not be able to be worn for much longer than a couple more weeks. Wow…

A Year Ago...
I also think back to a year ago, and realize that it was then that we were dealing with that nasty illness that lasted two months for Aristana, and baffled each doctor we brought her to. From her family doctor, to the Milwaukee Childrens’ Hospital, no one could figure out what was going on with her. We decided to agree on two different scopes, while understanding the danger we’d be putting our little girl in, with the sedation process. It was not an easy decision, but what else could we do? Giving all praise to God, just days before her scheduled scopes, it stopped. Weeks upon weeks of sickness just stopped. We never did find out what it was, but as a week passed with no problems, we were in awe that she had just gotten better…no meds, no changes in anything…hmmm.

So now, she’s on the brink of becoming a three year old. Why does this seem like such a HUGE jump in age? I think it’s the things she says, or watching her on a full three minute phone conversation with Grandma that make me realize that our little girl is not so little anymore. She is constantly checking on her baby sister to make sure she is okay in there. Today, I was not feeling so well, and she came up and rubbed my back, and said “I love ya Mom.” We’ve pretty much outgrown Mama and Mommy, and now I’m “Mom.” Pretty soon, she’ll be heading off to school, and that will be even harder to take. I am so proud of her. In her short life so far, she has touched so many lives, and brought out so many smiles. She speaks of Jesus, and knows Him as her friend. She grasps on to so much, and puts us in awe with her awesome memory.

I can’t say enough to convey how blessed I am to have such a beautiful, wonderful daughter. Thank you Aristana, for being my daughter and my best buddy…and thank you God for making it so.