Is the Party Really Over?

Have you ever noticed that's it's often after the party is over that the really good stuff happens? A smaller, more intimate gathering, with the better bottle of wine poured because it can actually serve everyone now. The vibe is of the truest and most relaxed kind. The conversation is more candid and has more depth. The jokes are funnier, and the laughs are bigger and last longer. Sometimes you even get in a good cry.

On August 7th I gave birth to our little miracle child. We named her Annabelle. She is the party after the party. My husband and I have been married for sixteen years, and were so excited to finally start a family. Early on in our pregnancy, we were told that Annie had a severe form of Spina Bifida. That she wouldn't be able to walk, among many other things. We were repeatedly encouraged to end the pregnancy. This was not an option for us. It was of our deepest conviction to keep this baby, our gift. Later on in our pregnancy we were told that she would probably not survive outside of my womb. My heart surged from the most exquisite pain imaginable to the most jubilant celebration on the 2nd day of her life, when she successfully survived major surgery closing the giant opening in her back. On the 3rd day of her life, she survived yet another major surgery putting a shunt in her head and through her little body to drain fluid from her brain. It has not even been eight weeks yet, and has been an amazing journey watching her grow and thrive beyond all expectations.

God has blessed us with an astonishing amount of love, support, and generosity of every kind through friends, family , and even people we have never met who have been touched by our Annabelle. We thank Him for this circle of people, and for her every day.

Don't get me wrong, I enjoy a grand soiree, ( we certainly had one for her! ) but it's the post party that I love the most. We have celebrated her life each day since the day she was born. This is one post party, with all the challenges known and unknown, that I intend to do my best to make as artful and lovely as I possibly can. So let's push on til' dawn!