Yesterday was Bella's 8th birthday. Which seems incredible to me.
9 years ago, after 2 years of trying and 3 miscarriages, we finally got past that elusive 12 week mark of pregnancy and started actually thinking we might finally have a baby of our own. At 20 weeks we were absolutely over the moon to discover that not only were we having a baby, but we were having a baby girl. At 28 weeks we were told that I had obstetric cholestasis and that Bella would have to be born before 37 weeks, or we risked a still birth. Ironically, within the week I started going in to premature labour and spent the next 5 weeks mostly in hospital, trying to keep her where she was!
On the morning of February 4th, at 35 weeks I went in to labour. And again ironically, after spending 5 weeks trying to keep her in, once I went in to full blown labour, she decided she didn't want to come out! Twenty six hours later, and after a very, very fraught emergency delivery, we finally held Isabella Florence in our arms.
Eight years later, so much has changed. We've gained so much (Lily, Lily, Lily!!) and lost so much. But the very best thing that I've done in the last 8 years, is watch my beautiful Bella grow more and more every day in to such a lovely, funny, caring, crazy, clever, cool, amazing girl.
Happy birthday gorgeous girl! Thank you for being all that you are! We all love you to infinity and beyond.
