Our Miracle is 1 year old today....

Our little miracle princess is one year old today!!! WOW, has this past year went by SO fast. Just thinking back to last year at this time, how uncertain the future was for us....Deep down within our hearts we knew the future would bring great things for our family, it was the hope and optimism that we held on to, and look at our precious baby girl today! Danielle beat the odds, just like her big brother, she has shown many people her great strength and her will to live. It is with much hard work on her part and many prayers that Danielle is here with us today.

It is very easy to look at her, who is perfectly healthy and growing like crazy, and put in the back of your mind where she came from and what she has been thru to be with us now. But to us, we know, we do not take anything for granted. Last year we put our hearts once again in God's hands and asked him to take care of our baby girl, he did just that and more!! The power of prayer and the strength that we have had to give to go thru such a life changing experience is unimaginable. Some days we have no idea how we did it, with a baby already at home and one miles and miles away in the NICU fighting for each day, but we figured it out, we got thru it, all because we BELIEVE in our children....they are our precious miracles!

2008 brought many uncertainties for this state we live in and many uncertainties for our family. This pregnancy was the best surprise that we could have ever asked for to start out 2008. While it took a lot of work from daddy and self discipline from mommy to stay put, and support and understanding from mommys work and family who believed in us, it all worked out. Mommy was on bed rest at 15 weeks of pregnancy and that left daddy to do all of the work in the house plus take care of a 18 month old all while still recovering from a knee injury. He did it....we did it.....and we are so thankful that it worked out.

In June the Flood of 2008 devistated the City of Cedar Rapids. On June 11th, mommy had been at the doctor for a check-up and ultrasound. That morning mommy had the last appointment the office would have for days because of the flood. Thank the lord for that appointment and reassurance that baby Danielle was doing great! Then just 2 days later on Friday the 13th, the Cedar River Flooded almost 20 feet above Flood Stage, wiping out Downtown Cedar Rapids. Mercy Hospital Closed, St. Lukes Hospital was running on Generator Power and mommy & daddy kept praying that our baby girl would stay put inutero, especially during this difficult time. Mommy was 22 weeks pregnant, these next couple of weeks were critical. Dalton had been born at just under 20 weeks & Dylan at 23, we just wanted to get way past 23 weeks. Mommy was on full bed rest watching the devistating chain of events that led up to the crest of the river and the fall of the river as well. Danielle's Great Grandmother had to be evacuated from her home as she lived in the 500 year flood plain. Times were worrysome..... But Danielle, it was your countless kicks and rolling over that got mommy thru the day, knowing that you were comfy as could be inside mommy and the reassurance from Dr. Olson that things were going steady....

It was 2 weeks later at the checkup on Wednesday the 25th, that the doctor said things were holding steady. Relief once again, we were now past the 23 week mark that Dylan was born at, phew! But it was that evening that mommy slowly contracted. The next day mommy called the doctors office several times to explain what was going on, drink water...put your feet up and call us if things get worse, was the answer she got. The contractions went away for the whole day, until that night. Mommy called the on-call Dr, he said because I had just been 'checked' via exam just 24 hours before that things were fine....what we really didn't know is that they werent. Thru the night, contractions, slowly, at 5am the next morning, mommy woke daddy and said we need to go to the hospital now. Daddy was scared, frightned and had no words. Mommy started packing a few things together, daddy asked why mommy was packing... mommy told him she knew she was having this baby, far, far, too soon. We arrived at the hospital at 6:10 am and our precious daughter was born at 9:47am via c-section.

Our NICU experience started once again. And WOW was the NICU staff very surprised to see us again and less than 2 years after Dylan. We were just as surprised as them and also very scared. We knew we were in great hands, we had 2 dr's we were comfortable with, a NICU we were all too familar with and we had each others strength....to be their every waking minute for our baby girl. And we were there for her, we were finally able to reunite our family together at home on October 24th, 2008! It was such a joyous day for our family. We were united at home...at last, just the 4 of us. Working to protect our children....our family!

That bring us to today, Danielle is doing great. She will have her 1 year check-up next week. We are very anxious to see how much she weighs and how long she is. We are thinking she is somewhere around 16 1/2 pounds. She has an eye exam the week after that. Last time we got the clearance to not go back for another exam for 6 months, we are hoping and praying for at least that, this time. Danielle is eating like a little piggy! She takes 5-6 ounces of formula every 3-4 hours and eats Baby Cereal and Organic baby food every night. So far Sweet Peas are her favorite! She does not like to sit in her high chair though so we usually use the swing, and sometimes she doesn't even like that! She is quite the princess.... so at times we give in and hold her. She gets a lot of snuggling from mommy and daddy & even big brother Dylan too. Dylan loves to come over and give her many kisses throughout the day and also he loves to lay beside her on the floor and put his hands in her hair, it is precious. Danielle has been sleeping throughout the night for quite some time now, it has been 6 months at least. She goes to bed around 7pm and sleeps until daddy wakes her up at 5 for breakfast, on the weekends we let her sleep in but during the week she gets up to eat and then goes back to sleep until 7. She takes naps then most of the morning getting up usally 1-2 times to eat. Danielle LOVES her daycare and watching the kids throughout the day. We have the best sitter and both kids love her dearly. Danielle is a very happy girl, she does get her feelings hurt easily though, but she is seldom sad.

Danielle has shown many people exactly why you have to believe in miracles!!! To all of you parents out there, please hug your little ones a little tighter tonight and really thank the lord for your children...we are SO lucky to have them here with us. We had a long road ahead of us last June 27th, 2008. We traveled along that windy and sometimes bumpy road, but we never got off the beaten path, we never gave up and neither did Danielle. We will do what ever we need to do to protect our children, to keep them safe and healthy; thank you to those of you that support us in this!

Our little girl has fought so hard, been thru plenty and yet she is here with us today. We are SO blessed, SO thankful and SO grateful that the lord has chosen us to be parents, her parents. Look at you baby girl....from 1 pound 11 ounces and 13 1/2 inches long to now over 16 pounds and thriving more than ever, you are our miracle, our precious baby girl and we are oh, so thankful. We are proud of you and who you have become. Please baby girl, never give up, you have taught us many more life lessons than we thought we could ever learn. We are stronger people and parents because of you, thank you baby. You fill our lives and our hearts with un-ending love. You keep track of your brother Dylan and he keeps track of you, its great. We love you Danielle Marie Holub, our miracle little girl....we are so proud of you!~