Monday, November 30, 2009

Little Patrick's first Angel-versary

One year ago today God called little Patrick home. It's hard to believe that it has been a year already since his passing. My heart aches to have little Patrick in my arms and to hear his sweet voice. Parents should never have days like today to remember, but we do. Like all the other parents that have lost a child, we will get through it and one day we will know why these things happen.

Little Patrick was so many things in his short life, he was a: son, brother, grandson, nephew, cousin and a great-grandson. He fought hard to come into this world and he touched so many people during his short journey here on Earth. He is now our guardian angel and is always with us. I know I will see him again one day and for me that day will be glorious.

This morning, Patrick, Savannah and I attended mass with Patrick's parents. Patrick and I will take Savannah to a park later this morning and then we will come home and plant the magnolia tree (along with my parents and Patrick's parents) we bought in memory of little Patrick.

Again, we thank everyone for all of the love, support and prayers that we have received during these difficult times.

Love to all,
April, Patrick and Savannah

Friday, November 27, 2009

Thankful

Yesterday we celebrated Thanksgiving (this was Savannah's first Thanksgiving AT HOME) with our family. We were able to celebrate the day with my family first and then we headed to Patrick's parents house for another celebration. All of Patrick's siblings came home for Thanksgiving this year, what a treat it was to have everyone together again. The last time we all were together was for little Patrick's memorial service last December.

As we reflect over the past year and all of the ups and downs, we still have so much to be thankful for. Here is an abbreviated list of what I am thankful for:

For a loving God.

The love and support that we have received and continue to receive.

That people still remember little Patrick and aren't afraid to talk about him.

A loving and supportive husband.

For a healthy and beautiful little girl.

That I am able to stay home with Savannah.

Dear friends.

Supportive and loving parents and in-laws.

Our extended family.

The food on our table.

Patrick's job.

Our neighbors.

Our home.

Of course this list could go on and on, but I hope everyone knows how thankful we are.

The next couple of days will be very emotional for us as these were the last days we had little Patrick on Earth with us. Please keep us and little Patrick in your thoughts and prayers over the next few days. Monday November 30th will be little Patrick's one year angel-versary, so if you feel inclined to release a balloon or light a candle on this day please do so in memory of our brave little boy.



Love to you all,

April

Tuesday, November 17, 2009

The big O-N-E!!

Well, it happened, Savannah turned the big O-N-E on Friday November 6th and her party was the next day. On Friday we drove out to the beach....this was Savannah's first time at the beach, we wanted to get her toes in the water and the sand. After the beach we had some lunch and then drove back home to get ready for the big party. Of course, little Patrick was on our mind all day as well, we sure do miss him and he is always in our thoughts.

On Saturday, we had a big celebration at our house with our family and some friends. We bought a cute little birthday outfit for Savannah and of course she was as cute as could be. When it was "smash cake" time, we all sung "Happy Birthday" and then put the cake in front of her....and she wanted nothing to do with it. I tried to show her how to run her fingers through it and taste it, but she was not having anything to do with that cake. It was a beautiful day for a party and everyone seemed to have a good time.

Savannah went to see Dr. Yee for her one year check-up and she received the following stats:
Weight: 20lbs 8oz (she is in the 37th percentile for her weight)
Height: 28.25" (she is in the 23rd percentile for her height)
Head circumference: 19" (she is in the 99th percentile for her head circumference)
Not too bad for a little girl that was born 9 weeks early and weighed 2lbs 11oz and measured 15.25 inches long.

We appreciate all the love and support that we have received over the past year. We are grateful to have such a good support system of family and friends and are blessed beyond words. GOD is good!!

Links to pictures are below.

Love to all,
April

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=43347&id=1300783496&l=96a30f785e

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=43349&id=1300783496&l=794a79d305

Monday, November 2, 2009

...and some pictures..

Click on the links to view the recent pictures....

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=41506&id=1300783496&l=99c0a29fa1

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=41527&id=1300783496&l=408c8a3fb2

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=42671&id=1300783496&l=b8e169fcf1

Savannah's first Halloween, and other items too.

Well, Halloween just passed and Savannah was a pumpkin. Ever since I can remember, I have called Savannah "my little munchkin, my little pumpkin" so it seemed fitting to have her dressed up as a pumpkin for Halloween. It especially made sense when I found the costume at a consignment shop for $5.50. :)) We had a little get together at our house and enjoyed seeing Savannah and her cousins dressed up and to see the other little ones that were out trick or treating. Savannah was not afraid of any of the costumes, even the one my cousin-in-law (who is 36 mind you) wore, you will see the huge monster in the pictures I post. My dad carried Savannah around the neighborhood with the bigger kids as they trick or treated and apparently she loved being out and about, she did not fuss nor was she scared over the array of costumes...such a big girl.

The past few weeks have been spectacular, Savannah has changed so much just in a few weeks. I will try to recap some of these changes for you.

She started clapping, which is adorable and every chance we get we ask her to clap...she is so proud of herself. In fact, she started clapping on Patrick's birthday which was fitting.

As of today I felt a tooth or two coming in on the bottom and I believe I see a couple coming in on the top...this will explain some of her fussy moments recently. I can't even begin to imagine how it must feel to cut teeth.

Savannah also started pulling herself up (on everything I must add) and she is so confident of her strength and ability that she even lets go which in turn has caused her to take a couple of spills and she even got her first bruise. Of course, I try to stay behind her as much as possible so I can catch her when she falls.

As you know, November 6th will be Savannah's first birthday and we are in party planning mode at the moment. We are having a party on Saturday the 7th and to celebrate the actual day of her birthday we are driving out to the beach, which will be Savannah's first time at the beach. We cannot believe it has been a year since our babies were born....it feels like yesterday that I was still in the hospital....time sure does fly.

This past year has been a roller coaster of emotions for us, but we are so blessed to have Savannah and celebrate everyday that we have with her. I am sure the next few weeks will be very emotional for us, but we will rely on eachother and God to get us through these challenging time. We miss little Patrick terribly but know that we will see him again one day. It is difficult to explain how one feels when they lose a child, but it is so important to us that we (and you) remember little Patrick because his life was so meaningful and to not remember would break my heart.

If you could keep us in your prayers over the next few weeks, we would greatly appreciate it.

Love,
April