My little sponge cake!

The presents are all wrapped, balloons and streamers hung and I can't go to bed without posting for my birthday girl.
Ava the day you came into the world was a mixture of happy and sad all rolled up in one and more than anything it was a time of faith building. I still remember when they put you in my arms, you crinkled one side of your face up and I saw that huge dimple and I fell in love. But just as quickly they grabbed you from me and started to work on you all the while telling me it was nothing and not to worry. Suddenly you were whisked from the room and the doctor said, "she is just having a little trouble breathing, don't worry we will have her back to you in no time." With each new visit from the doctor we knew something was very wrong and after several hours of you gone and not knowing what was going on we were in panic mode. Your Daddy and I sat in that room and prayed with all our hearts for you and cried a lot. We knew we were in trouble when the doctor finally came in carrying X-Rays and and asked if before we spoke she could have a prayer with us (we are in the south...that is pretty normal here). She said a lovely prayer and then began to explain the problem. Your lungs had collapsed and you had several large air pockets around your heart. They said everything should be OK but we would need to immediately get you to a larger hospital where they could perform the necessary surgery. I was struggling with immense fear as only a few months earlier my friends sister in-law had just had their baby die after the exact same problem and surgery you were about to have so I was very very concerned. We looked at the X-rays with the doctor and could see that it was very bad and we prepared for surgery and a long hospital stay for you. The only way for your lungs to expand was to insert a chest tube and create a vacuum in your chest so that they could expand again.

They told us that it would be about 45min before the ambulance would arrive to take you so we were given a little time to see you in the ICU. Daddy had called Bro Farnsworth and within 20 or 30 min he was there. Daddy and Karl gave you a beautiful priesthood blessing and the peace that fell over all of us there was profound and difficult to describe. I held your little hand and sang to you as we waited for the Neonatologist and ambulance to arrive. Then a miracle occurred. The Neonatologist came in as all the preparations for your journey were being finalized. He looked at the X-rays and then began to listen to your chest. He kept on looking at the X-rays then listening...this went on and on and he looked so puzzled, baffled and completely confused. Everyone was waiting as he took his time with you and we wondered what was going on. After what felt like 30 min of him listening to your chest he asked for more X-rays. WHY?? I couldn't figure this out. He came over to us and said...."We may not need to transfer her, I don't know how this has happened, I have never seen it happen before, but some how her lungs have expanded on their own. I need to confirm this by X-ray but if that is the case, she will be fine." He repeated "This is definitely a first"

Ava you were fine, you were in the ICU for several days and put on pure oxygen to reduce the air pockets but I was able to sit by you every day and sing and talk to you as you recovered. I was not at all baffled by the new diagnosis. After that beautiful priesthood blessing by a father who is very close to his Father in Heaven I was at peace.

Now...... you are full of spit and vinegar and we can barely keep you from exerting every last breath in those lungs as you scream, cry, laugh and sometimes wear us out but OH OH OH I love you. It is near impossible for me to pass by you without scooping you up and kissing every last bit of you. After you joined our family we would often ask "Was there ever not an Ava?" We could hardly imagine that we didn't always have you as you were such an integral part of our family. You are precious and I hope all that moxie you have will be put to great use as you fulfill Heavenly Fathers purpose for you on this earth. Happy Birthday my sweet love, my little sponge cake!